FESTIVAL
HIGHLIGHTS
THE 2012 MELBOURNE FESTIVAL
WAS A FAREWELL TO OUTGOING
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BRETT SHEEHY
AND A CELEBRATION OF SOME OF
THE ARTISTS HE HAS NURTURED AND
PRESENTED ON AUSTRALIAN STAGES
THROUGHOUT HIS 10-YEAR FESTIVAL
CAREER. RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA
TO CONTINUE THEIR RELATIONSHIP
WITH MELBOURNE AUDIENCES
WERE THE VISIONARY WILLIAM
FORSYTHE, THOMAS OSTERMEIER,
KATE CHAMPION, AKRAM KHAN, LUCY
GUERIN AND LUKE WRIGHT TO NAME
BUT A FEW.
The 2012 Festival featured 599
Australian artists – our highest-ever
number. They were joined by 414 artists
from all parts of the globe, including
Indonesia, Netherlands, USA, China, New
Zealand, Germany, South Korea, Israel,
Denmark, Iceland, United Kingdom,
Austria, Palestine, India and Spain. Their
participating truly endorses Melbourne
Festival’s status as one of the most
celebrated international arts festivals in
world.
This year Melbourne enjoyed a Festival of
many artistic triumphs, from large scale,
modern European theatre to touching
solo shows, the candour of children, the
dizzying delights of circus and everything
in between. Melburnians were exhilarated
by a kaleidoscope of events which captivated
the city’s residents and visitors alike.
Highlights included the world premiere
season of the darkly satirical An Enemy
of the People by Schaubühne Berlin; the
critically acclaimed I Don’t Believe in Outer
Space by legendary choreographer, William
Forsythe; the thought provoking, No Child;
the whimsy and wonder of The House of
Dreaming; and the dance phenomenon
DESH which saw spellbinding performances
delivered by Festival favourite, Akram
Khan.
One production that truly captured the
hearts of Melburnians was Swanlights, a
collaboration betweem New York’s MOMA,
and musical performers Antony and the
Johnsons. Swanlights, enjoyed two sold
out shows at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall and
quickly became the talk of the Festival.
The collaboration with the Melbourne
Symphony Orchestra, and luminous
imagery and stage design resulted in a
concert like no other. When Antony was
joined on stage by Boy George for a surprise
encore performance of You Are My Sister, the
audience leapt to its feet with excitement
before taking its seat in respectful silence.
That night, everyone in the Hall knew
they were witnessing a truly great Festival
moment.
On the local front, Chunky Move
returned to the Melbourne Festival
stage with the launch of their first show
under new visionary artistic director,
Anouk Van Dijk. Melbourne audiences
were keen for this opportunity to see
what’s next for Australia’s most beloved
contemporary dance company and they
weren’t disappointed. A glasshouse graced
the stage of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl
thereby pushing the theatrical potential of
space and the p hysical limitations of the
dancers who inhabited it. Sitting listening
to each movement via headphones, the
audience was enthralled by the collision of
bodies, hysterical laughter and screaming
accusations. A raw, emotional and highly
physical performance, An Act of Now,
was awarded The AGE Critics Award for
Festival’s Best New Australian work.
For the first time in its history the
Melbourne Festival presented an
unprecedented program of international
film. Titled Art Matters……On Film, this
radiant collection of new cinema shone a
spotlight on art and artists, providing a
glimpse into some of the world’s leading
artistic minds. Curated by former MIFF
Director, Richard Moore and screening at
both ACMI and Greater Union Cinemas,
the Festival’s inaugural film program was
embraced by Melbourne’s screen lovers
with over 3,500 admissions across the
program and highly favourable audience
feedback.
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