The 2014 Darwin Festival program is a living, breathing celebration of what makes Darwin the vibrant, beautiful, funny and curious capital of the Territory – this is 100% Darwin.
In what will be Artistic Director Edwina Lunn’s final year at the helm of the Festival, the 2014 program is 105 events over 18 days, traversing theatre, music, comedy, cabaret, dance and visual arts across 82 venues.
“The 2014 Darwin Festival program is one that revels in a Darwin that is prosperous and diverse in artistic flair, a Darwin that has a rich tapestry of tales to tell by people from all different walks of life,” says Lunn.
“We have a massive and ambitious show that casts 100 Darwinians as the storytellers of today; documentary theatre that harks back to Darwin in the early 20th century telling the stories of one unique entrepreneurial Japanese migrant; we have a very moving political dance show exploring the changing landscape of identity for indigenous Australians in the north of the nation; a break-dancing phenomenon from young people by our neighbours in Cambodia; a host of hot east-coast bands on the cusp of international stardom who cannot wait to dip their toes into Darwin’s music scene; famous and beloved Australian songstress Tina Arena in a huge free concert for all, and of course something that has become a shining light of the Darwin Festival, the third year of artistic contributions from the Bagot Community at the weekend–long Bagot Festival.”
Returning to this year’s Festival in the visual arts arena are the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA’s), the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and the ever‐popular Salon des Refusés – works submitted to the NATSIAAs that didn’t make the cut. This year also brings Urban Street Nightclub, a video and photography installation by Cambodian artist Lim Sokchanlina.
2014 Darwin Festival
7 to 24 August, 2014
Darwin
1. Lim Sokchanlina, Urban Street Night Club, 2013, edition of 5, digital c-print, 80 x 120cm
2. National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA)
3. Salon-des-Refusés. Photo by Mats Unden
