Adelaide Festival Centre Presents SPLIT SECOND HEROES

Adelaide Festival Centre proudly presents, as part of its inSPACE development program, the world premiere of the technicolour action-adventure Split Second Heroes in Space Theatre from 27 - 29 July.

Sci-fi-esque technology, virtuosic dance and some weird and wonderful tales share the stage as one man delivers his not-TED-talk story of himself. Laced with dry humour, skilled dance moves, iconic 1980s nostalgia and some space trivia to boot, Split Second Heroes is an imaginative return to contemporary dance as story, told through dance, colour, sound and words. Starring everyone's favourite anti-heroes - White, Black and Grey -Split Second Heroes will take audiences on an endearingly eccentric, superbly physical, high-tech take on the age-old quest for self-discovery.

Split Second Heroes has been a collaborative labour of love for independent choreographer and director Gabrielle Nankivell, composer-actor-dancer Luke Smiles, uber-talented performer Vincent Crowley, award-winning writer and director Will O'Mahony, and renowned set and lighting designer Benjamin Cisterne.

Working under his business name motion laboratories, Luke Smiles cleverly combines sound and lighting using cutting-edge technology that is skilfully operated live by the performers to create a work both interactive and innovative.

Commissioned by Adelaide Festival Centre as part of its development program inSPACE, Split Second Heroes has been developed and workshopped for almost four years to create this intelligent and unique fully-fledged production.

Gabrielle Nankivell says the support of the inSPACE program has been vital to technical development of the work: "[inSPACE] is one of the only residency situations in SA with the resources to support dedicated, potentially in-theatre, technical development as part of creative process. The program creates a platform for the artist and producer (inSPACE) to develop an in-depth understanding around the rigour of a project and the artistic/technical/market requirements for continued development/presentation. Having access to a fully-equipped spaces and gear across two developments in 2015/16 has significantly contributed to Split Second Heroes making it to the stage as a fully-fledged show in 2017."

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM: "Split Second Heroes is a great example of Adelaide Festival Centre's collaborations with local arts ensembles. We are proud to have supported its development and are thrilled with the result. Split Second Heroes' unique technical design and vibrant choreography is an excellent addition to the thriving contemporary dance landscape in South Australia."

About Gabrielle Nankivell:
Gabrielle Nankivell is an Australian director, choreographer and performer whose work has seen success across Australia, Europe and Asia. Her recent choreographic work includes Wildebeest for Sydney Dance Company, nominated for a 2017 Helpmann Award for Best Choreography in a Ballet, Dance or Physical Theatre Production, Thorn for Tasdance, Order of Things and Focus for Frontier Danceland Singapore and new works for the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Adelaide College of the Arts. As a dancer, Gabrielle has performed with Ultima Vez (Belgium), Australian Dance Theatre, Branch Nebula, Chunky Move and many other prominent dance companies both nationally and internationally.

About Luke Smiles:

Luke Smiles is a dancer, composer and sound designer, earning a Helpmann Award nomination for his Sound Design in School Dance (Windmill Theatre). Under his business name motion laboratories, Luke has composed music and produced soundtracks for Australian and International Artists including: Australian Dance Theatre, Bare Bones Dance Company (UK), Byron Perry, Chunky Move and other national and international arts companies. As a dancer, Luke has worked with many of Australia's most innovative contemporary dance companies including Chunky Move, Vis-a-Vis Dance Canberra, The One Extra Dance Company and Meryl Tankard's Australian Dance Theatre.

About inSPACE:
Nothing epitomises Adelaide Festival Centre's collaborative, cutting-edge spirit as much as its annual inSPACE development program. InSPACE supports and nurtures local artists to create new and ground breaking work while engaging audiences throughout the process, blurring the creative line between artist and audience, and reinforcing Adelaide Festival Centre's foundation philosophy that the arts belong to everyone.

Established in 2002, this grass-roots, innovative program gives some of Australia's most talented, independent and up-and-coming visual and performing artists access to Adelaide Festival Centre's venues and invaluable services required to reach the next stage of their work's development. The 6-8 creative teams chosen for the annual inSPACE program are provided with 1-4 weeks free access to a rehearsal space in Adelaide Festival Centre to develop and showcase their latest offerings, including a provision for equipment hire. Artists can also take advantage of Adelaide Festival Centre's long standing partnership with Osmond Electronics, who generously provide the program with $5000 in technical equipment each year, among other collaborations and partnerships. On top of this support, funds are provided to be attributed to artist wages.

At the end of each inSPACE development, work-in-progress showings are presented to an invited audience who are encouraged to participate in the development of the work through feedback and suggestions. Audiences become part of the artistic conversation through sharing, contributing and discovering the complexity of the artistic processes, leading to a greater appreciation and connection with the works, the artists, and the venue.

For information visit adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au.

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