Festival of New Work will see five artists unleash new performance works on the Blue
Mountains Theatre stage from 4pm until late on Saturday 13 April following months of
creative development and rehearsals.
All artists presenting work are part of the City of the Arts First Nations Development
Residency or the Propel Projects Emerging Performers Residency.
Showcasing a range of artforms, the artists have had complete freedom to experiment and
create, and Festival of New Work will be their opportunity to premiere their performances.
Festival of New Work is the evolution of last year’s Propel Projects Showcase. With a fifth
artist in the line-up – the First Nations Development Resident Jo Clancy – plus Hub
activations and an afterparty, the program offers even more to audience members.
Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr. Mark Greenhill, said: “I am thrilled that Blue Mountains City
Council is supporting emerging artists to create, rehearse, connect and collaborate with
industry peers, and perform in a professional venue.
“By attending this showcase, you will be directly supporting a new generation of Blue
Mountains artists. You will also enjoy a fabulous evening of performances. I am excited by
the diverse talents of these artists and ask you to join me supporting their creative journey
by attending the Festival of New Work.”
Katrina Noorbergen, Acting Manager Arts & Cultural Services said: “This is the first ever
Festival of New Work in our region, offering a diverse cross-section of performance works
across folk music, immersive and participatory sound work, theatre making and First Nations
choreographic storytelling. This is an event you should not miss if you want to support these
amazing local artists at a crucial point in the development of their performance practice.”
The festival line-up includes:
First Nations Development Resident:
Jo Clancy \ Warriwal ~ Milky Way
Wiradjuri dancer and choreographer Jo Clancy presents Warriwal. Developed by Jo and
Dharug and Gubbi Gubbi cultural man Stuart McMinn, Warriwal is a window into songs
and dances that have been kept eternally and shared through the sky, the land, wind
and water. Powerful dance storytelling by a full First Nations cast.
Propel Projects Emerging Performers Residents:
Mx Robert Frost \ Resonant Frequency Scanning
Enter into an immersive soundscape to explore what resonates, as the theatre itself and
each person’s unique experience transform into a living instrument.
Old Folk \ ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Grown Jam
Sprouted from Old Timey music, Old Folk are making new Blue Mountains sound from
old Appalachian mountain roots. Old Folk are Isabelle, Sophia, Madison and John,
bringing big bass, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo.
Cecilia Morrow \ Cow
Cow is a dynamic staged reading of an in-development one-woman play. It follows
Daisy’s weekend escape to the countryside and her unexpected encounter with a
persistent cow, delving into grief, femininity, vulnerability and self-discovery.
Shana O’Brien \ Invisible Strings
What invisible strings connect us to people, places, our future and our memories? First
Nations visual artist/dancer and choreographer Shana O’Brien and Dust youth dance
company explore these ideas through movement and mixed media.
The event will also include interactive Hub activations by Robert Frost and the Wagana
Weavers:
Mx Robert Frost \ interactive electronic instrument playground
Play with absurd instruments that make silly sounds. Including electronic instruments
designed and built during the course of Robert’s residency, this activation is an
invitation to play without requirements or expectation.
Wagana Weavers \ Gulay-dhuradhu
Witness Wagana Weaver Amie Smith making a Gulay (fishing net) with young Wagana
dancers Bella and Charlotte.
General public tickets will be $42 and available from Wednesday 6 March from
or on 4780 5050.
The First Nations Development Residency is coordinated by the Blue Mountains City
Council’s Cultural Development service in partnership with the Blue Mountains Theatre, and
with generous support from the City of the Arts Trust. Warriwal’s creative development was
supported by the Mawambul project, which was funded through the NSW Government’s
Aboriginal Languages Trust.
The Propel Projects Emerging Performers Residencies are coordinated by the Blue
Mountains City Council’s Cultural Development service in partnership with the Blue
Mountains Theatre and MTNS MADE.
Photo: Propel Projects Emerging Performers Resident artist Mx Robert Frost, photographed
by Maja Baska.
