Brisbane Festival at Metro Arts

Discover what lies over the rainbow with two technicolour works sparking joy throughout Metro Arts’ new home at West Village during Brisbane Festival. 

Brisbane Festival, in partnership with West Village and Metro Arts, presents the world premiere of Brainbow Magic, a fluorescent art installation by Japanese-Australian artist Hiromi Tango bringing comfort and colour to visitors from 4 – 26 September. 

The vibrant work is complemented by Ms Tango’s outdoor masterpiece, Rainbow Circles (Healing Circles); a collection of luminescent rainbow arches that transforms the lush gardens of West Village known as ‘The Common’, into a space of joy and wonder.  

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina said visitors would be mesmerised and uplifted by the way Ms Tango incorporates light, colour, and contour through her joyful art.  

“Hiromi has dedicated her creative practice to generating healing conversations through arts engagement and demonstrating how artistic elements can help improve mental wellbeing, reduce anxiety and ease feelings of isolation,” Ms Bezzina said.  

“Hiromi’s sensory work is both healing and transformative and we are so thrilled to present it at a time when people are still processing the difficult emotions and experiences of a global pandemic. 

Brainbow Magic and Rainbow Circles (Healing Circles) anchor a kaleidoscope of performances, installations and exhibitions at the brand-new home of Metro Arts; Brisbane’s champion of contemporary art. 

Metro Arts CEO and Creative Director Jo Thomas said Metro Arts, which celebrated its 40th birthday this year, remained committed to supporting, programming and promoting local and independent artists across art-forms.  

“In partnership with Brisbane Festival, Metro Arts has curated a vibrant program of new dance works, exhibitions, spoken word and contemporary theatre,” Ms Thomas said. 

“Metro Arts is Queensland's leading incubator of new work and with our new home in West Village, we are looking forward to creating more great work with more artists and welcoming everyone to our incredible housewarming party.” 

Saddle up for Cowboy, an interactive, solo contemporary dance work by Michael Smith of Gold Coast-based dance and theatre collective, The Farm. 

Set in an imagined sweeping landscape of a classic old western and featuring a mesmerising original score composed by Ben Ely (Regurgitator), Cowboy plays the Metro Arts’ New Benner Theatre from 4 – 6 September. 

Acclaimed poet Anisa Nandaula blends poetry, dance and a live percussive score in the premiere of How to Spell Love; an examination of love, relationships and life as a migrant woman in contemporary Australia at the New Benner Theatre from 17 – 20 September. 

Future Ancestors is an original short-form performance work by three spoken word artists – Ethan Enoch-Barlow, Meleika Gesa-Fatafehi and Naavikaran – addressing the complexities of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Pasifika and Indian communities on 6 September. 

Uplifting and empowering, The Type uses street dance and hip-hop music to reflect the experiences of professional girl gang Pink Matter when it comes to representation, body image and the cut-throat nature of the dance industry.  

This world premiere production grooves into Metro Arts’ New Benner Theatre at West Village with evening and matinee performances from 10 – 13 September. 

A Connective Reveal – Community, an exhibition by Brisbane-based artist Robert Andrew, combines natural materials and contemporary technologies to explore the interconnections, links and layering within local communities.  

Assembly Now transforms Metro Arts’ Gallery into a light and sound-reactive environment and immerses visitors in a work that promises interactivity and unexpected encounters. 

The participatory installation is created by British-Australian artist Sally Golding in collaboration with electronic musician and creative technologist Spatial and runs across the Festival. 

Be the hero of your own story in Counterpilot’s Avoidable Perils, a social experiment filled with cartoon chaos, hungry sharks, molten lava and deadly laser beams making its Queensland premiere at West Village, West End from 4 – 19 September. 

The multimedia production is projected onto the Peter’s Ice Cream Factory façade and its outcome is determined by the heroism of an audience armed only with their wits and smartphones.