Next Wave

Alumni for BACKFLIP at VCA

Alex — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:26 +0000

Humour has a unique ability to simultaneously disrupt and entertain. Seeking to challenging the ongoing stereotype of feminism as dry, dull and humourless, Kickstarters I’m Trying to Kiss You and 2012 NWF alumna Atlanta Eke perform for the closing night of BACKFLIP: Feminism and Humour in Contemporary Art. Presented by the VCA, the exhibition affirms laughter as a potent tool for feminist artists across generations, geographies and political contexts.

Following on from last year’s lecture by the Guerrilla Girls, BACKFLIP presents a range of strategies and approaches from slapstick to satire, detouring through irony and black humour.

Closing Night Celebration: Thursday 23 May, 6-8pm

Exhibition Dates: Friday 26 April – 25 May

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Pegboard 16 May is out!

Alex — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:20:59 +0000

Our latest Pegboard is out with some very special news, we’ve selected 6 amazing projects to be a part of the 2014 Festival! There’s also some great shows to see, Kickstart artists and alumni doing their thing, opportunities for artists and just a little bit of Bowie.

Get all the goss here!

Festival Artists Announced

Serena — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:09:03 +0000

We’re absolutely delighted to announce the six new Festival artists recently selected by our curatorial advisory committee to be a part of the 2014 Festival. From Korean snack stands and freakish theme parks to excessively cleaned laneways and collaborations with body builders, these guys have some wild things planned. These artists bring with them a unique response to our Festival theme and a sense of adventure, sensitivity and inquisitiveness that we adore. We can’t wait to share their projects with you. And in the mean time, learn a little more about each of them here:

Jackson Stacy

Younghee Park & Nathan Stoneham

Matthias Schack-Arnott

Natalie Abbott

Macchiusi/Varano/Weston

b.o.m.b collective

Jackson Laski Fydim Stacy

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:07:08 +0000

Jackson Laski Fydim Stacy is an eternateen queer and transgender artist. He makes installations, video and performances that critically explore teen culture, socialised gender narratives and spirituality in western culture. He is interested in the potential for art work to create transformative and joyful experiences for everyone.

Matthias Schack-Arnott

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:05:30 +0000

Matthias is a percussionist who primarily works in the fields of new music and hybrid-arts. He premiered his solo work Chrysalis at Next Wave Festival 2012. He has appeared in major festivals across Australia, and has also toured to China, Japan and Denmark. Matthias is the Artistic Associate of Speak Percussion, a founding member of the new music ensemble Quiver, and a guest performer with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Made Opera, Synergy, Victoria Opera and Aphids.

Younghee Park and Nathan Stoneham

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:03:53 +0000

Younghee Park is an experienced actor trained in traditional Korean performing arts with years of experience in physical and musical theatre. Nathan Stoneham is an interdisciplinary art activist creating socially engaged art with communities under his brand Offset Art. Under Offset Art, Nathan collaborates with other artists to deliver art activism stunts, products and opportunities that challenge us to collectively imagine a better way. Offset Art has re-installed 100 square metres of fresh turf into a concrete mall, set up temporary multimedia cafes and glamour studios on the streets and sent “Dog Tags For Gays” to people across the globe. With a focus on new ideas for community development and civic engagement across perceived borders, Offset Art has also delivered workshops for artists and community members in Brisbane, Tonga and Korea. Nathan and Younghee are both passionate about creating and sharing new cross-cultural collaborations in Australia and Korea.

Natalie Abbott

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:01:10 +0000

Natalie Abbott is a dancer and choreographer who graduated from dance at the VCA in 2007 as the recipient of the Orloff Family Trust Scholarship for outstanding talent. Her works include Ultimate Pressure – sensory video work, Next Wave Festival 2010; Circles For Squares, Pieces for Small Spaces (2011); PHYSICAL FRACTALS, Next Wave Festival 2012, Dance Massive 2013.

Macchiusi/Varano/Weston

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:59:10 +0000

Macchiusi/Varano/Weston is an ongoing artistic-curatorial collaboration between Jamie Macchiusi, Andrew Varano and Gemma Weston.

Macchiusi/Varano/Weston first worked together in 2008, when they each took summer jobs working rides at a local amusement park. Since 2009 they have curated and exhibited together in a number of exhibitions, including For a moment the blissful feeling of seeing it all (2009) at the Moore’s Building in Fremantle and The End (2009), held in a condemned National Bank building in Northbridge. In 2010 they produced Exhibition Match, an eight-hour utopian basketball game held in the main gallery space of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Since 2011, Macchiusi/Varano/Weston have directed OK Gallery, an art space in the Perth CBD, aiming to exhibit local early career artists alongside their interstate and international contemporaries. Since opening OK Gallery has exhibited the work of 26 artists across 15 group and solo exhibitions and has occasionally operated as a pop up arts book store, fruit stand, juice bar and nail salon. In 2012 they also produced Now and Then, a symposium that addressed critical discourse and sustainable art practice in Western Australia.

b.o.m.b collective

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:57:40 +0000

b.o.m.b collective are an architectural based group who produce interdisciplinary artworks that are intent on creating creative connections between people and space. We focus on works in public space that disrupt the expected architectural archetype of the city. b.o.m.b creates works for public space, galleries and theoretical publication.

Menagerie at MTC NEON

Alex — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:49:23 +0000

MTC have launched their brand spanking new NEON Festival of Independent Theatre inviting five of Melbourne’s top independent companies to stage their work, their way.

The first of these productions is Menagerie, presented by the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble (Daniel mentored Mutation Theatre for NWF 2012) and produced by our very own Marketing & Development Manager Nicole. Menagerie is a new production based on the life and work of one of the giants of the American stage, Tennessee Williams. Meet the circus of Williams’ decrepit swelter: caged animals, wild at heart with the American Dream – capitalism and hedonism – oozing through the seams of their imaginative worlds.

Running alongside the five productions is NEON EXTRA, a diverse program of free events ranging from in-depth forums, to workshops, networking and mentoring opportunities for independent theatre makers.

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