You may have walked down your Ipswich street a hundred times before but this month you may be in for a surprise, the unexpected joy of stumbling across something you never expected to see as the Anywhere Festival kicks off.
This festival tips traditional art and performance on its head. The idea is for people to discover performances anywhere but traditional theatre spaces, such as businesses, laneways and backyards for free or at a low cost.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Anywhere Festival is set to bring the best of Ipswich to centre-stage.
“Our 7,500 heritage sites, weaved in amongst modern buildings, diverse streetscapes and parks make Ipswich the ideal venue for the Anywhere Festival,” Mayor Harding said.
“This unique cultural experience takes performances out of the theatre and onto the streets, showcasing the colour and vibrancy that makes our city one of the most liveable in Queensland.
“I would like to thank Paul Osuch and the team at Anywhere, Arts Queensland and the State Government for collaborating with Council to bring the 2021 event to our city.”
The Ipswich Program, largely focussed in the Top of Town precinct, features 14 productions and 26 performances across three weeks.
Poets, comedians, musicians, theatre groups, circus performers, dancers and storytellers will take over Top of Town, Ipswich Central and local nooks and crannies with some performance also streaming online.
The Ipswich program of Anywhere Festival is co-funded by Ipswich City Council and the Regional Arts Development Fund. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Ipswich City Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
The Anywhere Festival will be on in Ipswich and across Brisbane and Moreton Bay until 23 May.
The Ipswich Anywhere Festival program is available here or to download the full Anywhere Festival program click here.
To see what other festivals are coming up in Ipswich this month, click here.
Some of the performances you can see this around Ipswich this week:
Caught in the Act – Presented by Crossfyre Players – 7, 8 and 14 May – Arts Alive Creative Arts School – Bookings essential
Lights, camera, action – but what goes on before the show begins? How are the actors selected? Caught in the Act will go behind the scenes and show the nerve-wracking audition process. Six actors will offer up their best shot at being successful. Who will make it? Audience members will help persuade the director in the selection process. The second half of the production goes backstage in a murder enquiry. Who has committed murder most foul and done away with the producer of a play still in rehearsal? Will the detective get to the truth? Who has the motive? Was it the director, the senior actor, the young actor or was it arrogant stage manager?
ngali bala yingiyan (same way you and me) – Sharron mirii Bell in a free performance on 8 May at Tulmur Place, Nicholas Street Precinct.
Sharron mirii Bell will perform this song from her new album NGAMA. Ms Bell will take the audience on a musical song and dance journey. With respectful acknowledgement of the Sovereign Custodians, Elders and Country, this performance will be a fun-filled, interactive song and dance presentation and concert for all ages. Meet animal puppet friends and have a laugh with cheeky puppet Dinawan-Emu, and connect to the past, present and future, creating new footprints on Mother Earth together.
Open Haus – Presented by The Haus of James on 12 May at Pinot and Picasso Ipswich, bookings essential.
The Haus of James is an emerging artistic collective with a focus of queer self-expression through art forms of makeup, performance, vintage fashion and design. Plunge into a guided immersion into the art of makeup through a sense of play and self-expression. Paint your inner diva, design the devil on your shoulder or to simply let lose in an inclusive, safe space for all.
