Spellbinding stories, fantastical performances and whimsical workshops await at GOMA’s Fairy Tales Festival
If you’re yet to experience GOMA’s enchanted new exhibition Fairy Tales, now is your chance! From Friday January 19, a fantastical three-day festival will weave its way through GOMA’s galleries, outdoor spaces and cinemas bringing a whimsical line-up of workshops, performances, storytelling sessions, screenings and, of course, an all-access pass to its blockbuster summer exhibition.
Taking place across three action-packed days, Fairy Tales Festival features more than 30 exciting events that explore our collective love for magic-filled fictional stories. Mums with bubs can kick off their day at with a baby viewing from 8:30–10:00 am, before the gallery opens its doors for the day. Once the gallery opens the real fun starts, with pop-up performances taking place from 11:00 am at the Maiwar Green Stage, storytelling sessions at the River Room from 10:30 am and drop-in workshops at the Bodhi Tree Terrace, Maiwar Green and Gallery 1.2 from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. There is also a low-sensory Fairy Tales viewing on Saturday January 20 from 8:30–10:00 am and a calm room available all day throughout the duration of the festival.
Get ready to sing along to captivating covers of fairy tale-inspired pop tunes with The Grates lead singer Patience Hodgson, alongside classical guitarist Joe Woods and harpist Lisa Kelly at Once Upon a Chime, or hear Cinderella’s evil step sisters’ side of the story in A Villain’s Tale. Drop in to Cinema B anytime between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm across the weekend to enjoy a screening of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, or create your own animal-inspired self portrait at an Animal Attributes drop-in session. There will also be a drop-in drawing sessions, storytelling by members of the Brisbane Fairytale Ring, hands-on collage workshops designed by artist Abdul Abdullah, whose work features in the Fairy Tales exhibition, a special one-off screening of Labyrinth for teens aged 13 to 19, and so much more!
Fairy Tales Festival is the perfect day out for the entire family, with activities available for all ages and abilities. “From babies and kids to teens and adults, there is an event for everybody to enjoy,” says GOMA’s Public Programs Coordinator Hannah Grzesiak. “It’s been an absolute delight curating this festival around the Fairy Tales exhibition. So many people can relate to fairy tales – everyone’s heard one, everyone’s told one – they are a great way for people to connect.”
With so much to see and do, we suggest you start planning your festival itinerary now! To view the full program, head to the Fairy Tales Festival webpage.
Image one: APT10 Festival / April 2022/ Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / Photography: K Bennett © QAGOMA
Image two: Once Upon a Chime at ‘Fairy Tales’, Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane, 2023 / Photography: N UmekCallistemon © QAGOMA
Image three: Patience Hodgson performs at GOMA Turns 10 Summer Festival / January 2017 / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / Photography: C Callistemon © QAGOMA
Image four: Visitors at APT10: Beautifully You Flag Making Workshop / April 2022 / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / Photography: K Bennett © QAGOMA
Image five: Storytelling held during the ‘Fairy Tales’ Opening Weekend / December 2023 / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / Photography: C Baxter © QAGOMA
Image six: Art Starters audiences / March 2023 / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / Photography: C Callistemon © QAGOMA
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.
