AD Jeff Khan launching Performance Space’s Liveworks program
This October, you’ll find us holed up in Carriageworks for a fortnight of performances, parties, installations and talks from some of the most exciting artists in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
It’s a packed program – check out the full thing here. Read on for a little taster of what we’re vibing on.
Angela Goh’s Uncanny Valley Girl | 18 – 21 Oct
A glimpse into the near future when fembots will inherit the Earth, complete with repurposed massage equipment and a banging soundtrack. For some this is pure horror – the female form, so long an object of fear and derision, and the rise of machines and AI. We caught the development of this at Vitalstatistix’ Adhocracy a couple of years ago, and we can’t wait to check out the final show after its FOLA premiere.
Nicola Gunn’s Working With Children | 18 – 20 Oct
Nicola returns to Sydney with her third show in Liveworks (after Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster and Mermermer) direct from a season at MTC, exploring the moral minefield of artists working with minors. Is it the sexualisation, commodification or fetishization of youth, or are you a sicko for suggesting that? Come have your brain playfully mangled in trademark Gunn-style.
Branch Nebula’s High Performance Packing Tape | 24 – 27 Oct
The title of this show pretty much says it all – Branch’s Lee Wilson tests the physical limts of an array hardware and stationary – and his own – in a thrilling and increasingly painful to watch performance event.
Angela Goh’s Uncanny Valley Girl
Branch Nebula’s High Performance Packing Tape
Screenshot from original Escape from Woomera game
Applespiel’s Return to Escape from Woomera | 24 – 28 Oct
Cast your mind back to the Howard era *shudder*…a group of programmers, artists and activists created an explosive game called Escape from Woomera. A political shitstorm erupted after it got Australia Council funding that the government then cancelled. Fifteen years later, the same tensions play out daily in our media and political discourse. Computer game design may have moved on, but Australia hasn’t, and people remain trapped in camps while our political leaders play to our basest instincts. Unmissable performance event combining gaming with live commentary from activists, artists and advocates.
Public Programs | Various dates
There are curator talks, workshops, and a bunch of other treats happening throughout the festival, including artbabes 110% messing with the famed architecture of Carriageworks to excellent effect.
Daniel Kok & Miho Shimizo’s xhe | Fri 19 Oct
Liveworks continues their commitment to programming excellent work from across the Asia Pacific with this immersive durational performance combining dance, installation and electronica to question pervasive gender binaries and imagine a bright, colourful and inclusive new way forward.
Realtime in real time | Sun 21 Oct
A celebration of the extraordinary contribution that contemporary performance journal Realtime has made to the Australian arts landscape. It’s loss continues to be felt across Australia and the world, and this event will bring back contributors, artists and academics from across its rich 25 year history.
Daniel Kok & Miho Shimizo’s xhe
Liveworks are upping the ante on parties this year, bookending the festival with the return of their epic 12 hour queer performance celebration Day for Night, and this year welcoming Hannah Bronte’s killer Fempre$$ party into the fold.
Fempre$$: Wishwitch | Sat 20 Oct
Putting First Nations women right to front of the floor, Fempre$$ parties have built up a committed following with events in Melbourne at Next Wave, in Brisbane and beyond. Hip hop, video installation, pop and First Nations cultures collide to explore states of trance and empowerment.
Day for Night | Sat 27 Oct
Long a mainstay on the Sydney party calendar, this year’s Day for Night puts queer elders in the spotlight. We are super-pumped for a collaboration between William Yang and Stereogamous, with William delving deep into his archives to bring out unseen images from a life spent documenting our queer community in Sydney. Full program announced soon.
