Oz Asia 2008 a success!
September 29th 2008 23:54
:
Adelaide Festival Centre
OZASIA FESTIVAL A GREAT SUCCESS
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director, Douglas Gautier, announced the 2nd annual OzAsia Festival to be a great success that was embraced by Adelaide and highlighted how South Australia is celebrating and strengthening the cultural and artistic links that exist between our nation and Asia.
"We are delighted with the way Adelaide audiences embraced the 2008 OzAsia Festival, not only was it a great cultural success but it also achieved 122% of its box office target, posting more than 20,000 total attendances across the two weeks a 33% increase from 2007. This is an exceptional result for a festival in its infancy, with 16 performances and workshops completely sold/booked out."
The 15 day Festival featured 48 cross-cultural performances, music, visual arts, film, cuisine, workshops and a full-day symposium.
Most importantly the OzAsia Festival reinforced its position as a festival for the whole community Lieutenant Governor of SA Hieu Van Le said "the Festival provides opportunities for engagement for people at all levels. Cultural engagement and the arts can help build bridges, understanding and tolerance like nothing else can. This is a notion that Asian cultures have understood for thousands of years.
The community was able to participate in the festival through many free events, performances, exhibitions and workshops. Evidence of its success was through the opening event, the Moon Lantern Festival on 14 September, which saw over 10,000 people converge on Elder Park to enjoy the free performances, eat moon cakes and watch the parade of 1500 school children and community group members with home-made lanterns. Overall the festival was an opportunity for everyone to engage with and learn about Asian culture'.
Undoubtedly one of the festival highlights was the keynote speech by the Hon Kevin Rudd MP Prime Minister of Australia who spoke about the challenges and opportunities for closer cultural engagement with Asia in the 21st Century. The PM keynote speech was attended by more than 900 interested members of the public including arts, Asia and political enthusiasts and opened a day of debate and discussion on a wide range of topics, from arts and storytelling to politics, philosophy and education, with a variety of guest speakers.
Sold out performances included the runaway hit, anime rock musical Once Upon a Midnight, the bilingual production which completely sold out every performance before opening night; culinary delight Two Chefs & 100 Cultures with renowned chefs Cheong Liew and Simon Bryant; the OzAsia on Screen film Sringaram - Dance of Love and workshops for secondary school students with Indonesian poet Sitok Srengenge, writer singer Jan Cornall and storytelling sessions and grass sculpture demonstrations with visual artist Jumaadi.
ETSA Utilities, Santos and Ironfish also embraced the Festival, ETSA Utilities CEO, Lew Owens said : 'through events like the OzAsia Festival as well as the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship program, we are doing everything we can to help the people of Australia and Asia connect through the arts and education. Because we know better than most that powerful networks rely on good connections'.
Damon Nagel Managing Director of Ironfish in Adelaide says '40% of our business is within the Asian market so our partnership with the OzAsia Festival was an obvious step and is in line with our overall organizational growth - it has provided outstanding mutual benefits."
David Knox, Managing Director of Santos says "As an Australian company providing energy for Australia and Asia, Santos recognises the importance of strengthening cultural understanding between our nation and Asia. The OzAsia Festival was a great opportunity to do this."
Mayu Kanamori Creator/Narrator from multi-media documentary performance Chika expressed the views of many of the artists in the Festival program "I like many of the artists in the OzAsia Festival am a first generation migrant from Asia. We can hear things that other people cannot - understand both languages and are culturally and artistically bilingual. We act like a bridge between cultures and that makes our art unique, The OzAsia Festival gives audiences a deeper and richer understanding of the country we live in and for that I am grateful."
The Festival ended on a high with the final spectacular dance drama Shaolin in Wind, an Australian exclusive providing a memorable ending to the 2008 event, with over seventy martial arts, acrobatics and classical ballet performers taking to the Festival Theatre stage
OzAsia Festival Executive Producer Jacinta Thompson said 'I would like to thank the public for embracing and continuing to build this unique international festival and I look forward to developing the program further for next year. The dates for the 2009 OzAsia Festival will be 3 - 17 October, 2009."
"This celebration of our continuing cultural engagement with Asia is on its way to becoming a beacon event in our country and on a regional basis. It is attracting the attention of artists across Australia as well as their collaborators in the region. We look forward to further engagement with general audiences, students, families, educators, politicians, Australian/Asian communities, academics and the corporate sector to further realise the importance of this festival and our connection with our neighbours."
MOON LANTERN
With family and friends gathering together, schoolchildren parading home-made lanterns, and performances by a variety of artists and local community groups, there is no better way to open the 2008 OzAsia Festival than with the Moon Lantern Festival, from 4pm - 8:30pm in Elder Park on Sunday 14 September.
The Moon Lantern Festival was recently awarded the 2008 Ruby Award for Community Impact for the 2007 event. The OzAsia Festival also received the 2008 Hong Kong Australia Business Association Award (SA Chapter) for importing of services.
Thousands of people are expected to converge on Elder Park to enjoy the day and watch the full moon rise. Bring the family along to this free event - Asian cuisine, moon cakes and lanterns will also be available for purchase. The full program for the Moon Lantern Festival can be downloaded from the website.
The festival has a number of Australian exclusives, such as heart-warming traditional Korean fairytale The Tale of Haruk (17 - 20 September), the fast-selling anime rock musical Once Upon a Midnight (23 - 25 September) and Indian music masters led by sitar star Purbayan Chatterjee in the Shastriya Syndicate (24 September), as well as the Chinese spectacular dance drama Shaolin in Wind on the Festival's closing night (28 September).
Other highlights include an evening of new classical music by Asian-influenced Australian composers, featuring well-known local musician and Artistic Director of Soundstream Contemporary Music Ensemble, Gabriella Smart, in Ecstatic Dances (23 September), and Chika, the true story of Japanese tourist Chika Honda who spent over a decade in an Australian jail for allegedly importing heroin - a crime she has always insisted she did not commit (26 & 27 September).
Other free/low cost events in the Festival include a variety of visual art exhibitions, performances and workshops. Registrations for the Home Sweet Home workshops from 17 - 19 September are essential and can be made by phoning (08) 8205 2220:
- Confluence, featuring drawings, paintings and terracotta work by Adelaide-based artists Gus Clutterbuck and Pramod Kumar. 10 September - 12 October
- Ose Tara Lia (I See Nothing), an exhibition of Indonesian artist Heri Dono's politically poignant yet humorous artworks in collaboration with local artists and emerging Indonesian artist Jumaadi. 13 September - 19 October
- Home Sweet Home, an exhibition of Jumaadi's grass puppets ('wayang rumput') leading from the Dunstan Playhouse Foyer to the Artspace. 13 September - 19 October. Jumaadi will also host Indonesian storytelling sessions and grass sculpture demonstrations in the Space Theatre foyer 17-19 September
- Adult writing and poetry workshops hosted by Australian writer/singer Jan Cornall and Indonesian poet Sitok Srengenge from the performance Take Me to Paradise. 25 September - performance on 27 September
- A performance on the Artspace Plaza incorporating large-scale projection, shadow puppets, traditional Gamelan music, dance and song, featuring Heri Dono, Jumaadi and Australian Indigenous performers. 26 September
- Demonstrations of Ikebana, the ancient art form of flower arranging, by Japanese-born, Sydney based Ikebana specialist Master Yoshiro Umemura. 26 and 27 September
On 20 September, 9:30am in the Festival Theatre, the Symposium keynote address will be delivered by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, (please note for the keynote address only, the venue has changed from the Banquet Room). During the rest of the day, in the Banquet Room a wide variety of local, national and international guest speakers will deliver presentations on topics such as the arts, government, politics, cultural studies and education. There is still time to register for the keynote address (essential) by emailing keynoteozasia@adelaidefestiva lcentre.com.au (limited to 2 per person).
The Mercury Cinema will host OzAsia on Screen, a selection of documentaries, shorts and feature films showcasing the scope of screen culture throughout the Asia Pacific region, from 17-24 September, and a sold-out crowd of over 300 enthusiastic diners will enjoy a feast by acclaimed chefs Cheong Liew and Simon Bryant at Two Chefs & 100 Cultures on 16 September.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier said, "With such a wide variety of Australasian culture on offer, there is something to suit everyone in this year's OzAsia Festival program. As we celebrate the merging and collaborations of many different cultures, it can only enable a deeper understanding which will strengthen our future relationships with Asia. I look forward to seeing you and your family in Elder Park this Sunday."
Booking for ticketed performances may be made at all BASS outlets or through BASS Dial & Charge on 131 246 or online
Bookings for OzAsia on Screen can be made through the Media Resource Centre on (08) 8410 0979 during office hours or at the door.
Visit the website ozasiafestival.com.au for regular updates.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director, Douglas Gautier, announced the 2nd annual OzAsia Festival to be a great success that was embraced by Adelaide and highlighted how South Australia is celebrating and strengthening the cultural and artistic links that exist between our nation and Asia.
"We are delighted with the way Adelaide audiences embraced the 2008 OzAsia Festival, not only was it a great cultural success but it also achieved 122% of its box office target, posting more than 20,000 total attendances across the two weeks a 33% increase from 2007. This is an exceptional result for a festival in its infancy, with 16 performances and workshops completely sold/booked out."
The 15 day Festival featured 48 cross-cultural performances, music, visual arts, film, cuisine, workshops and a full-day symposium.
Most importantly the OzAsia Festival reinforced its position as a festival for the whole community Lieutenant Governor of SA Hieu Van Le said "the Festival provides opportunities for engagement for people at all levels. Cultural engagement and the arts can help build bridges, understanding and tolerance like nothing else can. This is a notion that Asian cultures have understood for thousands of years.
The community was able to participate in the festival through many free events, performances, exhibitions and workshops. Evidence of its success was through the opening event, the Moon Lantern Festival on 14 September, which saw over 10,000 people converge on Elder Park to enjoy the free performances, eat moon cakes and watch the parade of 1500 school children and community group members with home-made lanterns. Overall the festival was an opportunity for everyone to engage with and learn about Asian culture'.
Undoubtedly one of the festival highlights was the keynote speech by the Hon Kevin Rudd MP Prime Minister of Australia who spoke about the challenges and opportunities for closer cultural engagement with Asia in the 21st Century. The PM keynote speech was attended by more than 900 interested members of the public including arts, Asia and political enthusiasts and opened a day of debate and discussion on a wide range of topics, from arts and storytelling to politics, philosophy and education, with a variety of guest speakers.
Sold out performances included the runaway hit, anime rock musical Once Upon a Midnight, the bilingual production which completely sold out every performance before opening night; culinary delight Two Chefs & 100 Cultures with renowned chefs Cheong Liew and Simon Bryant; the OzAsia on Screen film Sringaram - Dance of Love and workshops for secondary school students with Indonesian poet Sitok Srengenge, writer singer Jan Cornall and storytelling sessions and grass sculpture demonstrations with visual artist Jumaadi.
ETSA Utilities, Santos and Ironfish also embraced the Festival, ETSA Utilities CEO, Lew Owens said : 'through events like the OzAsia Festival as well as the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship program, we are doing everything we can to help the people of Australia and Asia connect through the arts and education. Because we know better than most that powerful networks rely on good connections'.
Damon Nagel Managing Director of Ironfish in Adelaide says '40% of our business is within the Asian market so our partnership with the OzAsia Festival was an obvious step and is in line with our overall organizational growth - it has provided outstanding mutual benefits."
David Knox, Managing Director of Santos says "As an Australian company providing energy for Australia and Asia, Santos recognises the importance of strengthening cultural understanding between our nation and Asia. The OzAsia Festival was a great opportunity to do this."
Mayu Kanamori Creator/Narrator from multi-media documentary performance Chika expressed the views of many of the artists in the Festival program "I like many of the artists in the OzAsia Festival am a first generation migrant from Asia. We can hear things that other people cannot - understand both languages and are culturally and artistically bilingual. We act like a bridge between cultures and that makes our art unique, The OzAsia Festival gives audiences a deeper and richer understanding of the country we live in and for that I am grateful."
The Festival ended on a high with the final spectacular dance drama Shaolin in Wind, an Australian exclusive providing a memorable ending to the 2008 event, with over seventy martial arts, acrobatics and classical ballet performers taking to the Festival Theatre stage
OzAsia Festival Executive Producer Jacinta Thompson said 'I would like to thank the public for embracing and continuing to build this unique international festival and I look forward to developing the program further for next year. The dates for the 2009 OzAsia Festival will be 3 - 17 October, 2009."
"This celebration of our continuing cultural engagement with Asia is on its way to becoming a beacon event in our country and on a regional basis. It is attracting the attention of artists across Australia as well as their collaborators in the region. We look forward to further engagement with general audiences, students, families, educators, politicians, Australian/Asian communities, academics and the corporate sector to further realise the importance of this festival and our connection with our neighbours."
MOON LANTERN
With family and friends gathering together, schoolchildren parading home-made lanterns, and performances by a variety of artists and local community groups, there is no better way to open the 2008 OzAsia Festival than with the Moon Lantern Festival, from 4pm - 8:30pm in Elder Park on Sunday 14 September.
The Moon Lantern Festival was recently awarded the 2008 Ruby Award for Community Impact for the 2007 event. The OzAsia Festival also received the 2008 Hong Kong Australia Business Association Award (SA Chapter) for importing of services.
Thousands of people are expected to converge on Elder Park to enjoy the day and watch the full moon rise. Bring the family along to this free event - Asian cuisine, moon cakes and lanterns will also be available for purchase. The full program for the Moon Lantern Festival can be downloaded from the website.
The festival has a number of Australian exclusives, such as heart-warming traditional Korean fairytale The Tale of Haruk (17 - 20 September), the fast-selling anime rock musical Once Upon a Midnight (23 - 25 September) and Indian music masters led by sitar star Purbayan Chatterjee in the Shastriya Syndicate (24 September), as well as the Chinese spectacular dance drama Shaolin in Wind on the Festival's closing night (28 September).
Other highlights include an evening of new classical music by Asian-influenced Australian composers, featuring well-known local musician and Artistic Director of Soundstream Contemporary Music Ensemble, Gabriella Smart, in Ecstatic Dances (23 September), and Chika, the true story of Japanese tourist Chika Honda who spent over a decade in an Australian jail for allegedly importing heroin - a crime she has always insisted she did not commit (26 & 27 September).
Other free/low cost events in the Festival include a variety of visual art exhibitions, performances and workshops. Registrations for the Home Sweet Home workshops from 17 - 19 September are essential and can be made by phoning (08) 8205 2220:
- Confluence, featuring drawings, paintings and terracotta work by Adelaide-based artists Gus Clutterbuck and Pramod Kumar. 10 September - 12 October
- Ose Tara Lia (I See Nothing), an exhibition of Indonesian artist Heri Dono's politically poignant yet humorous artworks in collaboration with local artists and emerging Indonesian artist Jumaadi. 13 September - 19 October
- Home Sweet Home, an exhibition of Jumaadi's grass puppets ('wayang rumput') leading from the Dunstan Playhouse Foyer to the Artspace. 13 September - 19 October. Jumaadi will also host Indonesian storytelling sessions and grass sculpture demonstrations in the Space Theatre foyer 17-19 September
- Adult writing and poetry workshops hosted by Australian writer/singer Jan Cornall and Indonesian poet Sitok Srengenge from the performance Take Me to Paradise. 25 September - performance on 27 September
- A performance on the Artspace Plaza incorporating large-scale projection, shadow puppets, traditional Gamelan music, dance and song, featuring Heri Dono, Jumaadi and Australian Indigenous performers. 26 September
- Demonstrations of Ikebana, the ancient art form of flower arranging, by Japanese-born, Sydney based Ikebana specialist Master Yoshiro Umemura. 26 and 27 September
On 20 September, 9:30am in the Festival Theatre, the Symposium keynote address will be delivered by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, (please note for the keynote address only, the venue has changed from the Banquet Room). During the rest of the day, in the Banquet Room a wide variety of local, national and international guest speakers will deliver presentations on topics such as the arts, government, politics, cultural studies and education. There is still time to register for the keynote address (essential) by emailing keynoteozasia@adelaidefestiva lcentre.com.au (limited to 2 per person).
The Mercury Cinema will host OzAsia on Screen, a selection of documentaries, shorts and feature films showcasing the scope of screen culture throughout the Asia Pacific region, from 17-24 September, and a sold-out crowd of over 300 enthusiastic diners will enjoy a feast by acclaimed chefs Cheong Liew and Simon Bryant at Two Chefs & 100 Cultures on 16 September.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier said, "With such a wide variety of Australasian culture on offer, there is something to suit everyone in this year's OzAsia Festival program. As we celebrate the merging and collaborations of many different cultures, it can only enable a deeper understanding which will strengthen our future relationships with Asia. I look forward to seeing you and your family in Elder Park this Sunday."
Booking for ticketed performances may be made at all BASS outlets or through BASS Dial & Charge on 131 246 or online
Bookings for OzAsia on Screen can be made through the Media Resource Centre on (08) 8410 0979 during office hours or at the door.
Visit the website ozasiafestival.com.au for regular updates.
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David Jobling
