DEADLY FRINGE
Be among the first to witness brand-new, bold, boundary-pushing work by some of the fiercest First Nations talent in the country. The 2023 Deadly Fringe program brings together an exhilarating line-up of fresh work from celebrated independent artists.
These artists work in and across diverse genres, meaning there are no limits to what you might experience at one of their shows. You can feel the ecstasy of collective dance at an immersive queer art party inspired by iconic Blakfulla dancefloor culture, and then hold your breath at a fearless new circus about connection to land and spirituality. End an evening by getting your giggle on at a show-stopping new drag and burlesque variety night showcasing an all-queer, all-Blak lineup.
Don’t miss the very best new First Nations work in the country at Deadly Fringe.
Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland
7 Oct | The Substation
SELLING FAST
Get wild at this art and dance party takeover of The Substation, curated by Wiradjuri dance maker and Queer AF party creator, Joel Bray. Expect
kinky installations, an interactive art garden, pop-up performances plus a rotating roster of some of the best club DJs all night long.
Eulogiser Bunny
4–8 Oct | Festival Hub: Trades Hall
Dancing? Check. Murder Mystery? Check. This comedy-meets-performance-art show will have you loving a man you never knew and solving a crime you weren’t aware was committed, and it all happens while you attend the artist’s (faux) funeral.
What I know, How I See
4–22 Oct | Festival Hub: Trades Hall
What does ‘place’ mean to you? In this outdoor installation, ten First Nations photographers share their understandings of ‘place’ and all the political, cultural, philosophical, historical, and psychological implications that go along with it.
Dragon Hearts
4–8 Oct | Festival Hub: Trades Hall
Using over 100 draconic shadow puppets, Wiradjuri/Irish artist Bria McCarthy tells ancient dragon mythologies to explore eco-feminism, power, and what it means to slay a mighty creature in this mesmerizing light show.
THE BLAK LODGE
Meat Market | Cobblestone Pavilion
12–15 Oct
Wominjeka welcome,
To the Blak Lodge.
The Blak Lodge is a place of gathering, storytelling and listening after dark.
Be swept away by Of the Land on Which we Meet by Na Djinang Circus. Their aerial and acrobatic interpretations question what it means to be on ‘Country’ when walking on stone and cement make it hard to remember what it feels like to have earth beneath our feet.
Feel the power of Amelia Jean O’Leary and her experience reclaiming her autonomy, agency and ancientness through healing and expression in STAUNCH ASF.
Have your thoughts-provoked by the unique creations of Renay Barker-Mulholland in her first exhibition Burranba-y. She explores the deliberately slow creative practices of Blak, disabled, femmes, while critiquing the use of “fast fashion” and reclaiming what is often seen as waste.
Finally, enter the Church of Bizzi Body and Timberlina to indulge in the mesmerizing reimagining of the cardinal sins through drag, burlesque, sideshow, circus and comedy. The Deadly Sinners reclaims each of the seven deadly sins to fight back against the religious systems that mistreat both Queer and Blak peoples.
For four nights only, join us at the Blak Lodge.
