The
Midsumma Festival which in 2023 is offering over 200 events showcasing queer culture, kicks off on 21 January. As Australia's largest arts and cultural precinct, it's fitting that the
Abbotsford Convent should host a broad selection of Midsumma events, from dance parties to creative rope workshops to cabaret.
Some of the highlights of the Convent's Midsumma program are outlined here.
A COMPOSTING CABARET
Following a sold-out show at last year's Midsumma Festival, colourful showgirls Androgyny and Betty Grumble are back to bring audiences their colourful version of cabaret. Rekindle your grown-up hearts with a dive into dance to embrace your disco destiny.
Colourful and energetic showgirls Androgyny and Betty Grumble bring you A Composting Cabaret. (Image credit: Alexis Desaulniers-Lee, @alexisdleaphotography.)
takes place on
27-28 January. Tickets are
$25/$20.
Click here to buy your tickets.
BLANKE POP ARTS PARTY
This wild performance art party features disco and house music, and glowing blacklight immersive installations. Described as a rebel rave for misfits and queers, Blanke promises a welcoming, unhinged event with excellent music pumping. It's a neon playground to dance, chill and love openly.
Blanke Pop takes place from
2pm - 10pm on Saturday 28th January. Tickets are
$30/$20.
Click here for tickets.
Blanke Pop - a wild performance art party. (Image credit: Telepathic.)
Asphyxia is a Deaf artist living with a chronic illness, which is the focus of her musical performance, Stranger Than Usual. The performance provides an insight to Asphyxia's experience being Deaf, queer and chronically ill. Despite being Deaf, Asphyxia writes her own music. She aims to find ways to make music accessible to people with hearing impairments.
Asphyxia aims to find ways to make music accessible to people with hearing impairments.
is a bilingual show presented in Auslan and English. If you are d/Deaf/hard of hearing, this show is an opportunity to explore how music can be made accessible. If you are hearing, this performance will give you an understanding of how Deaf people experience music.
Stranger than Usual will be performed from
2-4 February. Tickets are
$28/$18. You can purchase tickets
here.
FOUNTAIN
Fountain is a new orchestral arrangement of Max Lawrence's music, performed with
Forest Collective. A company with an increasingly large following, Forest Collective explores an urgency for fluidity in our interactions with ourselves and environment. Naarm-based queer non-binary artist Max Lawrence blends electronic textures and jazz sensibility with larger-than-life art pop songwriting.
Max Lawrence's music is performed in Fountain. (Image credit: Max Lawrence.)
plays from
3-5 February. Tickets are
$20 - $34.
Click here to purchase your ticket.
ROPETIMESThis is a workshop in rope bondage and navigating intimacy, pleasure and consent. Ropetimes returns to Midsumma after a sell-out workshop in 2022. Facilitated by acclaimed artist and ropeworker, Luke George (Still Lives - NGV/Rising) this is an introductory rope bondage class for beginners and anyone who wants to learn, practice and play.
Ropetimes - a workshop in rope bondage and navigating intimacy. (Image credit: Luke George.)
Ropetimes takes place on
4 February. Tickets are
$40/$30. You can purchase tickets
here.
All performances take place at various locations within the Abbotsford Convent precinct,
1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford.
If you'd like to browse the full program of
Midsumma 2023, you'll find the program
here.
