Brisbane Festival

In February 2024, multicultural artist, Grace Lillian Lee, was invited to travel to Paris to meet the Jean Paul Gaultier and attend his atelier. In this meeting of great minds, discover what happened next... Jean Paul Gaultier and First Nations artist Grace Lillian Lee showcase a cross-continental collaboration of profound proportions in the Australian Exclusive of Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show. The famed French designer carves out an opportunity in his runway cabaret to showcase the work of a local designer from the location of the show’s respective international destination. For Brisbane Festival, upon Artistic Director Louise Bezzina’s recommendation and having been deeply moved by Grace's work - calling it art of the highest order - himself, Jean Paul Gaultier personally invited Grace to Paris to exchange ideas and artistry, to inform the ultimate creation on display in the runway cabaret. Grace, known for her contemporary take on traditional weaving, was given creative freedom by Gaultier, resulting in a piece that beautifully marries her signature style with new, innovative techniques - merging Indigenous artistry with high fashion and some iconic Gaultier references, sparking broader cultural conversations and shining a light on Australia’s extraordinary Indigenous design. Despite coming from opposite sides of the world, they found parities in their practice and attitudes - after taking a look at Grace Lillian Lee’s wearable grasshopper weaves Gaultier exclaimed, “it’s a corset!” Jean Paul Gaultier is also known for his advocacy that beauty is multidimensional and Grace Lillian Lee acknowledges “the fact that [he] creates space for everyone shows how much he honours and respects culture". Audiences only have a matter of days to witness this piece in person before Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show completes its Australian Exclusive run this Sun 15 Sep.

"To Gary McQuinn, the international producer of [Jean Paul Gaultier's] Fashion Freak Show, Brisbane already had clout. Asked whether it was an Australian cultural powerhouse to rival Sydney and Melbourne, his answer was a strong yes, emphasized with an expletive." Thanks to the The New York Times, read the full article online: https://lnkd.in/dh79nRKw

From fluorescence to fashion to fireworks, our 2024 season has officially opened with a bang. We cannot wait to continuing spreading joy and the power of art over the next 20 days of 1000+ performances all across the city. Explore the full program on our website. brisfe.st/home

As we open our extraordinary festival, I’m thrilled to share the excitement that has been building over the past few days. This week, I found myself immersed in the magic unfolding at South Bank's ANZ Festival Garden. The South Bank Piazza has undergone a remarkable transformation—no longer the space we once knew, but now a grand theatre ready to host Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show, an Australian Exclusive that will captivate us all. The culmination of years of work is coming to life before our eyes. I was also fortunate enough to witness a full run of Trent Dalton's Love Stories, and it is nothing short of spectacular—funny, deeply moving, and a testament to the incredible talent involved. At Brisbane Powerhouse the epic set build for the award-winning sci-fi masterpiece Volcano is in full swing, and The Stores building is morphing into a stunning gallery space for The Dream Weaver: Guardians of Grace - showcasing the breathtaking work of Grace Lillian Lee. And Lightscape? It’s even more beautiful than I imagined. The contributions from Queensland First Nations artists are truly the soul of the trail. As we open the festival, I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve created together. With love, Louise Bezzina Artistic Director, Brisbane Festival

We're thrilled to be hosting one of our free outdoor Serenades concerts at Brisbane's newest green space - Victoria Park. Learn more about Brisbane City Council's iconic new parkland for Brisbane residents brisfe.st/victoria-park

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have treated Murray Bail and opera fans alike to the full soundtrack of Jonathan Mills' Eucalyptus — The Opera: recorded from Perth Festival. You can listen here: https://lnkd.in/erMrj8de See it live at Brisbane Festival this September: brisfe.st/eucalyptus

We are very excited to present our inaugural Accessibility Guide. In keeping with the values and goals detailed in our Disability Inclusion Access Plan, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible celebration of arts and culture. Brisbane Festival would like to acknowledge the assistance and input of the many contributors to the creation of this document. These contributors include members of the disability community, employees of Brisbane Festival, and employees of Access and Inclusion Partner, CPL - Choice, Passion, Life. As well as the many artists and artsworkers, whose incredible works are featured in this guide. We also acknowledge Adelaide Fringe for providing such an inspiring example this year! We hope you find our Accessibility Guide useful. View it digitally, print out your own, or request a printed copy via our website: brisfe.st/accessibility

Come play a key support role in our Partnerships & Engagement Team. From admin, to internal and external communications, to events, to reporting, the Partnerships Assistant will support the management of a corporate partnership portfolio of 65 partners across all sectors, and their contracted deliverables, events, and entertaining. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eYRfrwJ3

Last Thursday, we celebrated the launch of Brisbane Festival's Reconciliation Action Plan: Innovate. In this time of great importance in our country's path towards reconciliation, our inaugural RAP is a step forward in this journey for Brisbane Festival. It outlines our commitment and our vision for growing together with the First Nations peoples on this country. You can read our full Reconciliation Action Plan for 2024 via our values webpage: https://brisfe.st/values

Volunteer with us! Brisbane Festival boasts a rich history of volunteerism, with the Volunteer Program playing a vital role in its success. Without the dedicated efforts of volunteers, the festival would be unable to present such an extensive range of events throughout Brisbane. We celebrate culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Our vision is to have a team which reflects the breadth and diversity of Brisbane’s population. We encourage people with different abilities, skills and experience to apply. Our volunteers gain events industry experience, contribute to the local and international arts community, network with arts professionals, make new friends, and shape the vibrant Brisbane Festival atmosphere! Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gsvkhPR