2015 OzAsia Festival to Open 24 September

Adelaide Festival Centre today revealed the new contemporary programming for this year's OzAsia Festival which runs from 24 September - 4 October. OzAsia Festival is Australia's leading international arts festival presenting the best theatre, dance, music, film and visual arts from across Asia. This year's program features an impressive array of performance works by artists at the cutting edge of contemporary Asia, with a focus on arts from Indonesia across the opening weekend followed by performances from countries including Japan, India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea throughout the Festival.

The 2015 OzAsia Festival features 41 events, including 5 world premieres and 15 Australian premieres. There are 180 scheduled activities including more than 90 performances, 8 exhibitions, 15 film screenings, 9 talk events and a variety of workshops and other activities. More than 270 professional artists will perform in Adelaide and more than 2,500 people will participate in a variety of community events, performances and workshops. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend OzAsia Festival in 2015 across a mix of free and ticketed events.

OzAsia Festival Director Joseph Mitchell says:

"2015 OzAsia Festival gives Australian audiences an insight into the vibrant contemporary arts scene from across Asia. There is a generation of young, bold, risk-taking artists who are creating genre-blurring performances that celebrate the immediacy and fast-paced culture of Asia in the 21st Century."

The Festival's theatre program provides audiences with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the best performance culture from across Asia.

"Many of the productions are very different to the traditional theatre-going experience. We have shows such as Japan's Miss Revolutionary Idol Berserker where everyone attending is given a raincoat for protection from the mayhem on stage, and we also have The Streets by Teater Garasi where the audience will be on the stage with the performers. It's a different feel to standard theatre going and there is an energy, buzz and hint of the unpredictable about the artists and performances being presented this year," Mitchell says.

"International collaborations are also a feature in this year's Festival program. We have world premiere performances by Australian artists who have been collaborating and developing new work with their international counterparts, such as Australia's Dancenorth working with contemporary butoh dancers from Japan and also the Australian Art Orchestra working with musicians from Chengdu in China."

The Festival environment and atmosphere will spill out of Adelaide Festival Centre and into the surrounding Riverbank precinct with the Adelaide Night Noodle Markets forming a massive festival hub filled with delicious food, stunning design and loads of free music and performances for people to enjoy every night.

Mitchell says of the vibrant atmosphere planned for the Festival, "This year you can come and see two or three shows on any night, wander through galleries, attend free talks, discover some secret performance events and then hang out with friends in the Adelaide Night Noodle Markets. We've made it almost impossible for anyone just to come and see one show at the theatre and leave, there are so many other things going on and it will be a fun-filled festival atmosphere every night."

The opening weekend will include the biggest showcase of arts from Indonesia ever presented in Australia, with over 20 events and more than 100 artists from Indonesia performing in the Festival.

"It's a great opportunity for Australians to see the contemporary side of Indonesia through the performing arts here in Australia," Mitchell says.

Through partnerships with many of the cultural institutions and community organisations in Adelaide, there is a momentum building around "Super September" that celebrates Asian engagement.

"This year we are working closely with Art Gallery of South Australia, Media Resource Centre, Migration Museum, the Australia-Indonesia Association of SA and many other partners to bring a real festival flavour to Adelaide in September. It's shaping up to be Australia's major celebration of arts and culture from Asia," says Mitchell.

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier says, "Over the last eight years, Adelaide Festival Centre has built an international reputation for its successful focus on enhancing Australian-Asian cultural relationships. OzAsia Festival is the centrepiece of our long term, multifaceted Asian engagement strategy. We are very much looking forward to sharing the 2015 OzAsia Festival with audiences, who will discover a visionary program of the best contemporary artists from across Asia in the areas of dance, theatre, visual art, music and film."

The Festival opens with the Australian premiere of Teater Garasi's acclaimed production of The Streets. Under the direction of prominent Indonesian theatre director Yudi Ahmad Tadjudin, the Space Theatre will be transformed to look and feel like a busy Indonesian Street in Jakarta where the audience will feel like they are part of the performance which unfolds. Using dance, theatre and immersive performance, The Streets is a performance-based response to contemporary urban life in Indonesia. 24 - 26 September, Space Theatre.

Also on opening night, Eko Supriyanto's Cry Jailolo, is a mesmeric contemporary dance work featuring seven young men from North Maluku who will bring to life the mystical underwater world of Jailolo Bay, East Indonesia. 24 - 26 September, Dunstan Playhouse.

Indonesia's extraordinary Papermoon Puppet Theatre uses the universality of non-verbal performance, whimsical theatrics and multimedia to reveal an intimate moment of Indonesia's untold past. Mwathirika is thought-provoking, emotionally chilling and is a visually bold work that tells the difficult story of Indonesia's dark days of the 1965-66 anti-communist purge. 25 - 26 September, Rehearsal Room enter via Dunstan Playhouse Foyer.

Topeng Cirebon, a celebration of the Cirebon region of West Java, is renowned for topeng (mask dance). Two of Indonesia's leading dancers of this ancient ritual will present their unique performance styles. Nani Losari is an eighth generation performer of the spiritual Losari topeng style and Inusi is third generation of the energetic Selangit style. The performances are accompanied by gamelan live on stage. Enjoy the magic. 26 September, Dunstan Playhouse.

Don't miss the Australian Premiere of Superposition, an extraordinary sound and music event by Japan's acclaimed electronic composer and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda. 29 - 30 September, Dunstan Playhouse.

China's leading theatre director Meng Jinghui returns to Australia with the Australian premiere of Amber, an emotionally charged love story that transcends culture. Mind-blowing impromptu rock, dance and rapid-fire multimedia all combine to explore the nature of love, loss of innocence and the commercialisation of sex in modern China. 1 - 2 October, Her Majesty's Theatre.

Fasten your seatbelts for Japan's Miss Revolutionary Idol Berserker, an intense, high-octane hybrid performance that is part pop concert, part theatre work. It is chaotic, yet controlled and focuses on the extremes of consumer society and disposable culture. Miss Revolutionary Idol Berserker has become a staple act in Europe's leading contemporary theatre festivals and OzAsia Festival is excited that they'll make their Australian premiere in Adelaide. 30 September - 3 October, Rehearsal Room enter via Dunstan Playhouse Foyer.

The Australian premiere of Play will delight dance lovers. It is the result of legendary choreographer Pina Bausch championing the work of award-winning choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and dancer Shantala Shivalingappa, renowned for her complexity and grace on stage. Pina Bausch invited these two leading artists to collaborate and the result is breathtaking. Merging the traditional form of Indian Kuchipudi with modern dance, Play intertwines two cultural forms into an astonishingly beautiful aesthetic. 2 - 3 October, Dunstan Playhouse.

Blending contemporary dance, Japanese butoh, live music and digital artwork, the world premiere Spectra brings together a team of visionary artists from Australia and Japan to create a stunning new production. Co-commissioned by Adelaide Festival Centre's OzAsia Festival, Spectra is produced and performed by Dancenorth and Twine Projects. Featuring choreography by rising star of Australia's contemporary dance scene Kyle Page and featuring leading contemporary dancers from Australia alongside performers from butoh collective Batik in Tokyo, Spectra also features an incredible stage design by internationally renowned digital artist Tatsuo Miyajima and live music score by Jiro Matsumoto. 29 September - 1 October, Space Theatre.

Inspired by the music compositions of John Cage, Taiwan's M.O.V.E Theatre presents Dear John. This immersive sound and performance work weaves original music, installation and physical theatre into an intimate theatrical event. 2 & 3 October, Nexus Arts.

GogoStar presents their unique goth-electro-disco-punk, Korean style! Atmospheric soundscapes infused with synthesised pop and hard-edged rock, GogoStar has a cult following in the Korean Indie rock scene. Driving disco rhythms, pumping electronica and raw punk instrumentals - all mashed up with Tim Burton inspired visuals. 3 October, Space Theatre.

Don't miss the world premiere of Water Pushes Sand, featuring composer Erik Griswold and the Australian Art Orchestra teaming up with all-star musicians from Sichuan Province in China to create a 10-piece big band fusing traditional Sichuan melodies with modern jazz improvisation. It will be an intimate evening to experience the rich sound of winds, piano and percussion in a wild intercultural celebration of Chinese and Australian culture. 2 & 3 October, Space Theatre.

In a Festival first for 11 glorious nights of OzAsia Festival, Adelaide's Riverbank Precinct will be transformed into an Asian hawker-

style market, complete with food stalls with offerings such as dumplings, dosa, pad Thai, gyoza, themed bars, lanterns and nightly entertainment to delight market-goers. The Adelaide Night Noodle Markets brought to you by Good Food Month, in association with Adelaide Festival Centre's OzAsia Festival is the landmark event for audiences to experience Asian cuisine like no other.

24 September - 4 October, Adelaide Festival Centre and Art Space Gallery forecourt, The Blue Hive and Station Road Precinct. Free entry weekdays from 5pm til late, weekdays from noon til late.

Mitchell says, "Good Food Month's Night Noodle Markets is one of Australia's most successful food events and it is a natural fit to form part of OzAsia Festival, giving audiences an opportunity to experience the best Asian food from leading restaurants and chefs in Australia alongside the contemporary performing arts program."

Ever wanted to take a fun ride in a neon-glowing, pedal-powered cruiser - a sepeda lampu? Shedding Light, a project from Adelaide's Tutti Arts, brings live performance art to the Riverbank Precinct featuring street performance, poetry and interactive art installations by artists with a disability from Australia and Indonesia. You'll be whisked away in a private sepeda lampu and experience small bursts of unique performance art, shedding light on disability in the arts. FREE 24-26 September, 29 September - 3 October Blue Hive + River Deck.

There is always plenty of fun for the whole family as Australia's largest lantern parade celebration, Moon Lantern Festival returns on Sunday 27 September. Featuring Australia's largest lantern parade and a stunning new design concept in Elder Park with never-before-seen lanterns, this year's Moon Lantern Festival will be spectacular! Experience the wonder of Adelaide's premier cultural event which features the largest lantern ever created for a Moon Lantern Festival, the 36 person long Hong Kong Dragon. Bring family and friends together to join a multicultural feast for the senses and watch beautifully crafted lanterns as they parade through Elder Park, followed by an amazing fireworks finale over the River Torrens.

His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia and Patron of the OzAsia Festival says, "I am greatly honoured to be the Patron of OzAsia Festival - Australia's flagship arts festival engaging with Asia. The Festival is a celebration of Asia's diversity and it plays an important role in facilitating opportunities for South Australians to experience the best arts and culture from across Asia. I encourage you to discover the dynamic OzAsia Festival 2015 program, which is filled with many wonderful performances including the Moon Lantern Festival, which is one of Australia's largest celebrations of Asian culture."

The Spice of Life is a vibrant, fun-filled FREE family day at the Migration Museum. Come and celebrate spices from across South-East Asia, experience a variety of spice-themed activities that celebrate the diversity of tastes and cultures throughout South-East Asia. Elements will include food stalls, cooking demonstrations, community performances and hands-on activities for children. 4 October, 11am - 4pm, Migration Museum.

Another FREE family event is the Hong Community Workshops, the Hong Community from Bandung, West Java will teach children and families a variety of traditional Indonesian games. Children can master authentic craft-making skills using natural materials found in the environment and then learn the games that have been played for hundreds of years from different regions across the archipelago. 21 - 25 September, Banquet Room and outdoor areas around the Festival Centre.

Get your popcorn ready, OzAsia Festival's Film Program, in association with the Media Resource Centre, presents Joshua Oppenheimer: Indonesia Double: Act of Killing and The Look of Silence two powerful documentary features that have received widespread critical acclaim for both pushing the boundaries of documentary filmmaking and drawing attention to the dark days of Indonesia's history. Akira Kurosawa is famous for his Samurai epics and Kurosawa's Film Noir is a selection of films that showcase his take on film noir. China Times is a collection of new films from China that showcase a dynamic and powerful new generation of cinematic voices. East by South East is a collection of short films looking at contemporary East and South-East Asian cultures made by Honours student filmmakers at Flinders University.

The highlight of the film program is one of Hong Kong's greatest directors Ann Hui -A Career Retrospective, six of Hui's films will be screened that showcase her directorial talents and why she was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the Busan International Film Festival.

OzAsia Festival presents a feast of visual artists across Adelaide's leading galleries including Adelaide Festival Centre's Artspace Gallery:

Twenty Four Thousand Nine Hundred and One Miles is a new world premiere durational performance event by Melati Suryodarmo which has been specially commissioned by OzAsia Festival. Described by the New York Times as 'Indonesia's maverick performance artist', Melati Suryodarmo's performance works and video art have been performed and exhibited at leading galleries and festivals around the world. FREE 25 & 26 September, Artspace Gallery. A post-performance conversation with Melati will be held at Art Gallery of South Australia, 27 September, while a collection of Melati's iconic live performance works and haunting video art works will be shown at both Artspace (9 September - 4 October) and at Contemporary Art Centre of SA (CACSA) from 9 -30 September.

MES 56 Alhamdulillah, We Made It - at the forefront of Indonesia's contemporary photography movement is MES 56, a collective of Indonesian artists disseminating ideas through photography. In a new exhibition, specially commissioned for OzAsia Festival, MES 56 draws on the visual rhetoric of post-WWII immigration posters. FREE 9 September- 4 October, Artspace Gallery.

Immerse yourself deep in history at The Maj Gallery as you explore 100 Masks of Cirebon. The highly elaborate masks convey a stark beauty and powerful presence, the masks are used in traditional Topeng dance performances and are unique to the historic Indonesian city of Cirebon in West Java. The collection, from Indonesia's Narada Art Gallery, is a manifestation of the great work of the ancestors. FREE from 9 September - 3 October, The Maj Gallery.

To create her exhibition, People's Presence - Paintings by Hong Tong, Chinese-Australian Artist Hong Tong travelled the Beijing subways, observing people. Her exhibition delves into the subliminal messages etched on those faces: people's daily struggles, their triumphs and failures and the wonder of the world around them. FREE from 2 September - 4 October, Festival Theatre Foyer.

In a Festival first, OzAsia partners with The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre's Kerry Packer Civic Gallery for an intense cultural and temporal journey seen through landscape: Landscape of Longing explores the rich world of internationally recognised Australian-Indonesian artist, Jumaadi FREE from 9 - 30 September.

Nexus Arts Gallery presents stunning visuals and poetic imagery by highly acclaimed Indonesian visual artist FX Harsono who explores themes of displacement, identity and his twin heritage: Chinese and Indonesian. Included are works depicting the erasure of Chinese deaths in mass graves throughout Java, and the artist's own struggles with his family heritage. FREE from 10 September - 2 October.

Tok Basuki's Inter Section looks upon the Australian landscape with fresh eyes and interprets it anew. His artworks offer a symbolic view of the rhythmic symmetry of the land. The works present a contemporary interpretation of the Javanese belief that the power of the natural world is there to guide us if we actively engage with it. FREE from 30 August - 30 September, Prospect Gallery, Nailsworth.

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