A new community festival will be born in Melbourne’s west next month to showcase art that will “envelope and transform”.
Due West: Immersive Arts Festival will showcase experiential art to envelope and transform audiences.
Due West creative director Zoe Beyer says the festival will feature almost 50 acts, installations, workshops and performances over the three-week period.
“We’ve been keen to uncover art in unexpected places, so we’ve been thinking outside the box in terms of venues,” she says. “It is all about the art of the experience. When you participate in a piece it stays with you. That is our focus and the motivation behind the immersive aspect of the festival.”
Zoe says there will be a combination of family-friendly and adult-only acts as part of the August 10-27 program.
Women’s Circus, which has been operating in the west for 26 years, will host family circus workshops, while Limbs 2 Riddums will host hip-hop workshops in a very public place.
Women’s Circus executive director Devon Taylor says the well-known community-based arts organisation is excited to be part of the festival, presenting its Night Circus whcih will include a fabulous aerial performance.
Other performances throughout the two weeks include local theatre company, wit incorporated’s 1930s Berlin Kabarett ‘A Scandal in the Weimar’, intimate guerrilla opera cruises by BK Opera along the Maribyrnong River and a cabaret spectacular by Yummy productions at The Creator’s Lounge.
Victorian Creative Industries Minister Martin Foley says Due West: Immersive Arts Festival is a great opportunity to showcase the area’s creative strengths and diversity and the many artists and arts organisations that call it home.
“Victoria’s reputation as the creative state is built on the grassroots creativity of our communities,” he says.
“Due West celebrates this and invites people from all walks of life to experience and enjoy it.”
The program is a mix of free and ticketed events. Most are free, with ticketed events ranging in cost from $8 to $100.
Due West: Immersive Arts Festival will run from August 10 to August 27. Inquiries: 9689 0002 or visit www.duewestfestival.com.au
