ArtsLab 2020:
Behind Closed Doors
26 February – 1 March
107, Redfern
107 Redfern St, Redfern
Shopfront Arts Co-op presents ArtsLab: Behind Closed Doors, a festival of 5 new works by emerging artists. From disclosures in public toilets on a Friday night, to what happens in our lounge rooms, to the secrets our families hold close, to the voices that are not heard, to what it means to be a man – This year’s ArtsLab artists will explore the personal vs public persona. Through the use of installation, film, theatre, documentary and pop culture, our artists will leave you questioning what stories and secrets we all hold near and how we would be perceived if they were made public.
The Season Pass is the best way to experience ArtsLab 2020 to catch every show. A Season Pass also grants exclusive access to our Industry Afternoon and after party!
Wednesday – Friday 6.30pm / Saturday – Sunday 2pm
| AMPLIFIER by Tall Jan What happens when you give a different face to the marginalised voice? Using audio from self-conducted interviews, this video artwork challenges the viewer to recognise experiences which are often ignored and to question the ethics of allyship. It’s time to listen closely. Tall Jan is being mentored by Bhenji Ra. (Warnings: Adult themes, coarse language, sexual references. 15+) Video screening from 10am daily. Q&A with Tall Jan: Sat from 3.30pm, Sun from 2pm | LITTLE JOKES IN TIMES OF WAR by Charlotte Salusinszky It was a common Hungarian custom that even in the darkest of times, when two friends met in the street they would ask each other, “Do you want to hear a little joke?” This devised solo performance by Charlotte Salusinszky chases after her grandmother’s anger in the moment that ensured their family’s escape from Hungary in 1956, and pieces together the repercussions of this event on her grandmother and herself. Charlotte is being mentored by Deb Pollard. (Warnings: Adult themes, references to suicide. 15+) Wed-Fri 7:30pm, Sat-Sun 5:30pm |
| PLASTIC SLIPPERS by Bill Chau Chinese culture was not always met with open arms and a friendly chat with the neighbours, rather swept to the side, quietened by the loud laughter of suburban dinner parties and backyard cricket matches. Come explore the nuanced beauty of Chinese- Australian culture and watch as Bill questions what it means to grow up in an immigrant family in his 2020 installation, Plastic Slippers. Bill is being mentored by David Capra. (Warnings: Loud Noises, Coarse Language, Incense. All ages) Installation open from 10am daily. Q&A with Bill: Sat from 3.30pm, Sun from 2pm | STRIPPED by Luke Standish Have you ever wondered what’s behind the doors of Australia’s male stripping industry? Part theatre, part documentary, Stripped unveils lived experiences of male exotic dancers. From a hen’s night with 10 drunken women to providing the boyfriend experience, there is more to male stripping than just taking your clothes off. We will unpeel perceptions and expose the lives behind these vulnerable, strong, and extraordinary men. Luke is being mentored by David Williams. (Warnings: Haze, coarse language, loud noises, sexual references, partial nudity and erotic themes. 18+) Wed-Fri 9pm, Sat-Sun 7pm |
STALLS by Lily Hensby and Lana Filies
Through a series of short, sharp scenes, four actors will embody around twenty different characters – a woman who has run out of toilet paper, someone vomiting into a commode and a story about poo. Like light refracting off a single stream of wee, each scene exposes a different facet of world within the public toilets. A quick-fire play, Hensby and Filies’ STALLS is a relieving experience, creating an un-constipated kaleidoscopic view of the private and not so private universe within public urinals. Lily and Lana are being mentored by Lally Katz.
(Warnings: coarse language, simulation of poo, vomit and wee, simulation of drug and alcohol abuse, mature themes, violence, sex themes, haze.)
Wed-Fri 6:30pm, Sat-Sun 4:30pm
Industry Afternoon, SAT 29 FEB – 2pm onwards
Your Season Pass grants you exclusive access to the Industry Afternoon. Join us for industry arts panels and Q&As with the artists as well as Speed Dating with leading arts organisation representatives after the shows.
- 2PM – Panel: Artslab Artists and their Mentors. Join us for a discussion with the 2019-20 ArtsLab: Behind Closed Doors artists and mentors, to find out the twists and turns of their artistic journeys.
3:30PM – Q&A with Bill Chau and Brendan Donnellan. Two of the Artslab artists for this year have created installation works. Take this opportunity to ask any burning questions about their artworks and processes.
8:00PM – Industry Speed Dating. After seeing the 3 shows, stick around for free networking drinks with leading arts organisation representatives.
Accessibility:
All performances are wheelchair accessible. Find out more about accessibility at 107 in Redfern. All Wed 26 Feb performances are AUSLAN interpreted.
