Lights Dim on 2009 OzAsia Festival; Shine on 2010 Festival, 9/17/10-10/2/10

Since its inception in 2007 the annual OzAsia Festival continues to gain support and attention on a local and international basis. This event acknowledges and celebrates the changing dynamics of the cultural and social fabric of our country particularly in relation to the cultures of the Asia Pacific region. The OzAsia Festival is a platform to promote cultural understanding and tolerance, through collaborative processes.

The lanterns have dimmed for another year for the OzAsia Festival, with Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier announcing the Festival a tremendous success and one which continues to go from strength to strength each year, with South Australians celebrating this rich and diverse Festival that aims to promote increased interaction and understanding between cultures through the Arts.

Gautier says: "The OzAsia Festival is garnering a reputation for presenting some of the finest international companies from around the region and we're very pleased audiences are coming along and embracing this Festival now in its third year. The Festival is also being recognised within the industry having been awarded a Helpmann Award for Ecstatic Dances in 2008 and this year a Ruby Award for Best Event."

The Festival's popularity is reflected by the fact that this year it achieved a 25% increase in box office and attendances, with more than 25,000 total attendances across the two weeks.

The Moon Lantern Festival kicked off the 15 day event with the incredible Shandong Laizhou Martial Arts School from China entertaining the crowd, along with a number of local performances, workshops and an array of brightly coloured lanterns paraded through Elder Park by community group members, school children and businesses. Over 13,000 people gathered together to enjoy the day, learn about other cultures and be entertained.

The Festival featured 46 culturally diverse performances including music, visual arts, workshops, talks, film, cuisine and a full day symposium with the Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP giving the keynote speech.

One of the highlights for this year was the dynamic Journey To The West by the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troup of China. This Australian exclusive was breathtaking from beginning to end, telling the traditional tale of the Monkey King, with lavish sets and costumes and highly skilled performers. The explosive Taikoz' The Peals of Thunder was a huge hit with audiences and sold out at Her Majesty's Theatre. Other highlights included Korean company Sadari Movement Laboratory's physical theatre version of George Büchner's Woyzeck and Australian based performer Yumi Umiumare's electrifying one-woman show En Trance. Other popular free events included the Food Culture events Silk & Ochre and Tea Ceremonies on the Festival Theatre Terrace, where various communities demonstrated traditional tea ceremonies, local community groups performed and everyone drank a brew or two.

The Festival ended over the weekend with a truly international flavour with the Akram Khan Company's performance of bahok. This Australian exclusive explored, through dance, the idea of identity through dancers from various backgrounds and cultures. A beautiful fit to the ethos of what the OzAsia Festival is all about, celebrating our differences and the importance of cross cultural engagement with people from various backgrounds.

OzAsia Festival Executive Producer Jacinta Thompson said "I would like to thank the artists, audiences and sponsors of the Festival for their ongoing support. A Festival such as this doesn't exist without the unique and talented artists we attract, the audiences who have embraced this event and of course the sponsors, in particular Santos and Ironfish. I'm very much looking forward to delivering our forth program next year. The dates for the 2010 OzAsia Festival are 17 September - 2 October, 2010.

The exceptional response we've had to this festival has shown how important cultural interaction is and our connection to each other within the Asian region has resonated with artists and audiences alike, attracting attention across Australia and the wider region."

For more information about the festival, click here.

To post a comment, you must register and login.