Delight in Desert Festival
The Red Centre’s beloved Desert Festival returns for a celebration of art, music, dance and culture, taking place at the beautiful Olive Pink Botanic Gardens.
By Betty Sweetlove
EXPECT A WHIRLWIND of multi-arts experiences themed around powerful voices, positive growth, and alternate realities. From immersive installations to musical and physical theatre workshops, enjoy a spectacular line-up of desert talent.
Inspiring this year’s theme are the local artists developing fresh new festival works.
“I took some inspiration from the Project Seed works that were already in development and these budding ideas around town,” says Creative Director Kim Haworth.
“Common themes that kept coming up were this perception of time and reality, and how they’re different in different spaces.”
Project Seed provides dedicated support to get new works onto the stage each year.
“It’s supporting local artists, supporting local arts workers and contractors, but then also bringing in other artists for mentorship. It’s about building communities of practice, sharing all of these experiences and skills,” says Festival Producer Zoe Blow.
“I think that's probably where the festival provides something that other events don't, in skills and mentoring.”
Amongst the stunning debut performances is Clown by Kate Emery.
“Kate’s previous show was really well received when it had a performance at Desert Festival last year, and they've taken this development as a chance to sort of really dig into, like, what can I do in this space? It’s really exciting,” says Haworth.
Ashleigh Musk and Ivan Trigo Miras also debut their collaborative installation, CRISÁLIDA, which blends video, objects, and sound.
“I don't think they've done a project like this together in this particular art form, but it is obviously blending skills that they already have in this new, exciting way. We saw a preview for that last week, and it looks really special and meditative and soft,” Haworth says.
Visual art lovers can join powerhouse creatives Stick Mob Studio at their immersive exhibition, Portals - Transformative Encounters.
“They're going to do another graphic novel launch as part of it and a comic art making workshop as well as their exhibition, which is taking what's usually on the page into a 3D format. It’s very cool,” says Haworth.
With workshops running all weekend, why not pick up a new skill at this year’s festival?
“The Saturday programming showcases Sleep D and electronic production more broadly. We’ve got some Synth School workshops happening, so people who might not necessarily usually have access to electronic instruments can come in and learn and delve a bit deeper into the genre,” Haworth says.
Not to mention the powerful line-up of interstate artists making their way to the desert.
“We've got [Territorian] Emily Wurramara and Dallas Frasca, who will be mentoring the Music NT Desert Divas, and they'll be performing as well,” says Haworth.
“Coloured Stone will help close out the festival and be a big celebratory moment.”
Celebrate the bounty of the Centre, the fruits borne from Project Seed, and delight in desert culture.
Desert Festival 2024
WHEN FRI 27 – SUN 29 SEP
AT MPARNTWE/ALICE SPRINGS
INFO desfest.com
Festival Highlights
Synth School
Plug into the world of electronic music in this fun workshop series led by Desert Festival artists. Learn the basic skills of electronic sound production and get to know how to use synthesisers. No experience needed.
WHEN MON 16 & TUE 24 SEP WED 2 & THU 3 OCT
COST $10
Exhibition Opening: Portals - Transformative Encounters
Head to Watch This Space to meet the incredible Stick Mob Studio team, Seraphina Newberry, Alyssa Mason, Wendy Cowan and Declan Miller. Their evocative exhibition celebrates the power of collaborative storytelling and the launch of their new graphic novel.
WHEN FRI 20 SEP | 6-8PM
COST FREE
Deadly Funny: Comedy Workshop & Performance
First Nations comedians and storytellers share five minutes of hilarious material. Workshop registrations are open for entrants to polish their skills with a seasoned pro!
WHEN FRI 27 SEP WORKSHOP 3-5PM SHOW 5.30-6.30PM
COST FREE
Mparntwe/Alice Springs Stomp
Join Brisbane-based physical theatre company Zen Zen Zo as they share their specialty training methods in this action-packed workshop. Led by company founder, Dr Lynne Bradley, registrations are open to all performers, directors, teachers and emerging artists.
WHEN SAT 28 SEP – WED 2 OCT
COST $160 WEEKEND | $190 3-DAY $280 5-DAY
Header & inset: Lisa Hatz
