New year, new talent – Metro Arts has unveiled its absolutely chockers 2021 program
Opening its new location in West Village in mid 2020, Metro Arts has maintained its stellar reputation of providing some of the best and boldest in arts and entertainment, from cabaret and contemporary dance to poetry and dazzling visual arts. This year, the colourful arts precinct is pulling out all of the stops to continue to deliver some top-tier events to Brisbane art lovers. Here’s a taste of what’s on Metro Arts’ calendar from January through to June …
Despite event cancellations and lockdowns, 2020 was a massive year for Metro Arts and ushered in a new era for the creative institution. With hopes to be even bigger and better, this year’s jam-packed program kicks off in February when female creatives take the lead with Playlab Theatre’s ecological-focussed production Rising, which will be followed by a breathtaking treasure chest of works from Hive Collective, spotlighting a wealth of homegrown female playwrights and creatives. May will see the ground-breaking participatory performance piece Fertile Ground be brought to the stage, which will be followed by Catarina Hebbard directing Alice Birch’s heart-wrenching showcase, Anatomy of a Suicide. If that wasn’t enough girl power, it’s also been announced that local pop group Pink Matter will be Metro Arts’ Company in Residence for 2021 and all-female collective Polytoxic will also be returning to create new performance works.
The artistic goodness continues inside Metro Arts’ three gallery spaces, which will showcase a free program of constantly revolving art exhibitions and installations. Gallery One will come alive with a solo exhibition by Warraba Weatherall, continuing his exploration of legacies of colonialism from an Indigenous perspective, whilst Ursula Larin’s A drowning Sim’s cry for help will be on display alongside David Attwood’s Garfield-themed The Last Bastion of Laziness and Spencer Harvie’s fantasy-inspired Dungeon Master drawing (a must see for D&D players). In March CTRL + ALT +DEL: Shift will be making waves, continuing a series of exhibitions aimed at uniting culturally diverse creatives.
Key artist-run initiatives will also feature across the galleries including Outer Space, STABLE and Nextdoor alongside Old Haunts by ANTHEM, working to elevate the voices of culturally diverse artists. Moving beyond the walls of Metro Arts, two dedicated satellite venues – Norman Park Substation and Teneriffe’s Ferryman’s Hut – will provide space for seven Artists in Residence to work and create remotely. Talk about a massive year!
Want to dive back into the arts again? Peep the full 2021 program of free and ticketed events at the Metro Arts website. Be quick, there are limited tickets to each event!
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.
