Brisbane Powerhouse

Welcome to Paradise! The first artists have been announced to perform in venues across the city as part of the new and improved Melt Festival from 23 October to 10 November 2024. A truly diverse program of events is set to transform the city into a paradise of Queer art and culture with music, theatre, visual art, parties, parades and more - there’s gold for everyone at the end of the Melt rainbow.   Luke Furness, Chair of the Melt Reference Group said “This new incarnation of Melt is an evolution of Brisbane Powerhouse’s Melt Festival of Queer Arts and Culture...now much larger and staged in multiple venues and precincts across Brisbane/Meanjin. We have vibrant LGBTQIA+ communities here ready to take centre stage...You can just feel it’s time to shine.” Internationally-acclaimed Bidjara artist Dr Christian Thompson AO will unveil a large-scale outdoor exhibition throughout central Brisbane, including a brand new work to be displayed on the facade of Brisbane Powerhouse. This project is supported by Tim and Gina Fairfax.    Step into the glittering world of international sensation Hans: Disco Spektakulär! as they bring their dazzling show of comedy, music, and dance in an unforgettable spectacle of sequins and entertainment. Serial nudist Frankie van Kan achieves the improbable task of exposing more of herself than ever before in this deeply intimate piece of confessional theatre. Dubbed “…A dynamite piece of theatre” by ArtsHub, A Body at Work is the tale of a queer woman’s sixteen years—and counting—in the sex industry. Melt brings Spencer Tunick back to Brisbane for a monumental art installation on the city’s iconic Story Bridge which will feature thousands of live nude figures in celebration of diversity, equity, inclusion and Brisbane’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. PLUS River Pride Parade's fabulous floating boat party; Pop icons Take That and Sophie Ellis-Bextor; A stunning exhibition from Artist James Barth; alt.BIMBO deliver an an evening fiercely celebrating and empowering AFAB, non-binary, and trans artistic talent; Femme Follies burlesque: Halloween parties galore including Club Broadway: A Wicked Halloween Ball and Halloween Hall; the delicious, riotous and risqué Real Housewives of Drag Brunch; the famous Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub; Confidence Man, fresh out of Glastonbury; a night of horror, mayhem and fancy dress with the stars of Drag Race at Scream Queen; the acclaimed Old Friends: Mark Trevorrow & Rupert Noff Sing Sondheim the cabaret; and drag comedy gold with Kath, Kim and Sharon in Fountain Lakes in Lockdown!. Melt is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency. See the full program at melt.org.au

Brisbane Powerhouse is thrilled to announce the eagerly anticipated return of the World Press Photo Exhibition to its venue.   Showcasing the finest photojournalism and documentary photography from around the globe, the exhibition promises to captivate audiences from 6 July to 4 August 2024.   Presenting the results of the foundation’s annual photo contest, the World Press Photo Exhibition 2024 invites viewers to step outside the news cycle and critically engage with pressing global topics.   Featuring images selected by an independent jury, this year’s exhibition continues the tradition of spotlighting stories that challenge and inspire.   Since its inception in 1955, the World Press Photo Contest has celebrated the best in photojournalism and documentary photography.   This year's contest saw 3,851 photographers from 130 countries submit 61,062 photographs and open format entries.   The World Press Photo Exhibition at Brisbane Powerhouse is made possible by partner Brisbane Airport Corporation. Admission to the exhibition is FREE. https://lnkd.in/gxUc6wTp [Image 1] Title: Red Skies, Green Waters © Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, for The New York Times [Image 2] Title: Saving the Monarchs © Jaime Rojo, for National Geographic [Image 3] Title: The Two Walls © Alejandro Cegarra, The New York Times/Bloomberg

Melt Open producer, Brisbane Powerhouse, has today launched the Melt Open Development Program, providing artist support that will be available for the inaugural event, taking over venues across the city from 23 October to 10 November 2024. Melt Open offers a platform for the LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate their unique stories and perspectives through this city-wide festival. Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the Melt Open Development Program will support artists from across the state to develop and deliver projects and events as part of the 2024 Melt Open Festival of Queer Arts and Culture. Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the Melt Open Development Program provides Queensland artists and arts workers across the state with opportunities to grow their practice, share their stories and connect with new audiences within a festival that celebrates diverse LGBTQIA+ communities. “The Queensland Government is proud to support the Melt Open Development Program with funding of $130,000 to deliver on our Creative Together priorities for a strong and sustainable sector and strengthened communities as we look to share our cultures with the world on the global stage of Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “This initiative also backs our government’s commitment to elevating the voices of people who are of diverse sex, gender and sexuality, as we continue the development of Queensland’s first whole-of-government LGBTQIA+ Strategy,” Minister Enoch said. The program is divided into two strands, providing a total of $60,000 for South-East Queensland and $70,000 for Regional Queensland to support professional arts practice and the promotion of arts projects and events by the state’s artists and producers as part of Melt Open. Applicants from across all arts sectors are eligible to apply and support is offered in the range of $3,500-$5,000 depending on the scale and needs of the project. In addition, travel funds will be provided for regional Queensland artists to tour to Brisbane as part of Melt Open. The Melt Open Development Program will provide a unique opportunity for approximately 20 projects in South-East Queensland and an estimated five projects from regions across Queensland to present work in a high profile, nationally recognised festival context. Applications for the Melt Open Development Program are open now. The program’s resources will continue to be allocated until fully utilised. FIND OUT MORE + APPLY https://lnkd.in/gqjq-6bf

The biggest Queer fringe festival to hit Meanjin/Brisbane is coming, from 23 October to 10 November 2024. Melt Open is a city-wide showcase of Queer art, artists, allies, icons, sport and ideas. The festival will take over Meanjin/Brisbane in a haze of magenta, featuring a monumental work from Spencer Tunick on the Story Bridge, Courtney Act leading the River Pride Parade, Night Feast 2024 and many more artists and events to be announced in the coming months. Learn more about Melt Open - https://www.meltopen.org/ Melt Open is produced by Brisbane Powerhouse and supported by Tourism and Events Queensland, and Brisbane Economic Development Agency. Video created by PixelFrame. 

A truly unique accessible experience has arrived at Brisbane Powerhouse. We are thrilled to announce Access Vertigo - an addition to the first vertical restaurant making the experience accessible to wheelchair users. Access Vertigo is an adrenaline-fuelled dining experience for wheelchair users at Vertigo, 17 metres above the ground and on the edge of Brisbane Powerhouse. Making Vertigo accessible to wheelchair users is the first stage of Access Vertigo – an initiative to make the experience more broadly accessible to many abilities. Dinesh Palipana OAM, 2021 Australian of the Year, doctor, author, lawyer and disability advocate, was the first to dine at Access Vertigo. Since the initial launch of Vertigo in October 2023, the team sought to make the experience accessible to wheelchair users and those with more complex mobility needs. A specialised team, including CEO of Sporting Wheelies and inclusion advocate Dane Cross, along with Occupational Therapist and wheelchair user Timothy Lachlan, was assembled to conceptualise and construct a lightweight wheelchair tailored for elevating individuals for high-altitude adventures such as Vertigo. Kate Gould CEO and Artistic Director of Brisbane Powerhouse said Vertigo’s creator John Sharpe had a vision for the experience to be the same for people with mobility issues and those without”. “Achieving that vision has been a greater challenge than anticipated, requiring prototyping new wheelchair designs, and lifting techniques. To see wheelchairs finally raised up the wall of Brisbane Powerhouse is exhilarating,” said Gould.   Access Vertigo has been developed to accommodate various types of disabilities for those who use a wheelchair, such as spinal cord injuries, amputees, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, scoliosis, spina bifida, and stroke. A comprehensive outline of who can take part in an accessible dining at Vertigo can be found on the Vertigo website.   Learn more about Access Vertigo – https://lnkd.in/gCU4aW-c Vertigo is supported by Brisbane City Council; Department for Tourism and Sport; and Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, an Australian Government Initiative.

As part of Brisbane Powerhouse's OHM - Festival of Other Music, QUT (Queensland University of Technology) students were given the incredible opportunity to engage in a workshop led by French AV artists Franck and Antoine. Leaders in their fields, composer Franck Vigroux and installation artist Antoine Schmitt combine analogue instruments and visualised algorithms to seamlessly mesh the worlds of colossal sound and video. Spanning multiple disciplines, the workshop provided students with invaluable insights into Franck and Antoine’s creative processes, their groundbreaking software, and their portfolio of past and ongoing projects. Attendees also had the opportunity to experiment with Antoine and Franck’s own AV software UPI Skecht developed by Xenakis. In partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane Powerhouse is proud to offer this enriching opportunity for students as they continue their exploration into the arts and technological space. QUT Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice

Did you catch Vertigo featured in Brisbane Economic Development Agency's new tourism campaign? Brisbane Favours the Bold aims to redefine perceptions of Queensland's thriving capital as the River City continues to entice domestic and international travellers. Brisbane Powerhouse CEO and Artistic Director, Kate Gould, says she is thrilled to see Vertigo, Australia’s first vertical restaurant, featured in this campaign. "This new campaign encapsulates many of Brisbane's bold new activities and highlights a city constantly adapting to meet the interests of new audiences."

Sailing across oceans to perform this March, the 70-tonne ship, Arka Kinari, is more than art. It is an environmental conscience sailing with the message of climate change. Initially built in 1947, Arka Kinari spent three decades as a fishing and diving boat. By 1986, a new owner transformed the steel vessel into transport for sightseeing cruises of the Baltic Sea, before leaving it in a Netherlands boatyard in 2019 to be forgotten. This would change when musicians Grey Filastine and Nova Ruth decided to upcycle the 70-tonne boat and transform it into a sustainable home, their transportation and performance stage. By day the ship hosts workshops on environmental sustainability and conversations with local communities. As night falls, Arka Kinari transforms into a captivating stage for a free performance by Filastine and Nova featuring their collisions of psychedelic beats, Javanese post-folk and analog synths. Their music and cinematic visuals are a powerful call to action for climate change, as they envision a future beyond the carbon economy and entirely reimagine the music-touring model. Reclaiming the more than 70-year-old ship as Arka Kinari, Filastine and Nova have now sailed over 50,000 nautical miles in the pursuit of performing to the world alongside a crew of musicians and eco-warriors, living and performing entirely with solar and wind power. Arka Kinari brings two FREE performances for the whole community to New Farm Park this March. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g7fAb3Bv

With the announcement of Courtney Act as Melt Open ambassador, Brisbane Powerhouse was thrilled to launch a new Melt Open website built by the team at Flip. The website encapsulates everything the new open-access LGBTQI+ festival promises to be: curious, celebratory and provocative. "We love working with the Brisbane Powerhouse team because every project we get to work on together is an opportunity for us to step into an entirely new universe and create," said Creative Director, John La Motta. "Melt Open was no different and the brief felt like an invitation to the best party in town. For us, every individual contributes towards the enrichment of our world with beautiful diversity. We wanted to embody this in our design with dithered imagery, pixel iconography and a vibrant palette - where individual elements converge to create a unified whole." Check out the Melt Open website here - www.meltopen.org Melt Open is produced by Brisbane Powerhouse and supported by Tourism and Events Queensland, and Brisbane Economic and Development Agency.

Brisbane Powerhouse is gearing up to host Yothu Yindi at OHM Festival 2024, marking their highly anticipated return to the Brisbane stage. As we get ready to welcome them, it's worth reflecting on the extraordinary journey that propelled a band from a small Yolŋu town in Northeast Arnhem Land onto the global stage. As the airwaves of 1990s Australia pulsed with the beat of Yothu Yindi’s platinum hits like ‘Treaty’ and ‘Djapana’, for the first time, the words of a 60,000+-year-old culture reached every radio, TV set, car ride and corner of the nation. For all the epic tracks they’ve produced in their three decades as a band, ‘Treaty’ has a legacy unrivalled by any other song in Australian history. Read the epic origin story of 'Treaty' that traces back to a 1988 music festival, 80km south of Katherine.