A Message from From Brett Sheehy Mike Rann Artistic Director Shedding sharp new Also, the Festival’s ethos Welcome to the 2008 Over the past 24 Festivals, creative light, spoiling of innovation – along with Adelaide Bank Festival Adelaide has seen a the senses, and bringing South Australia’s of Arts. wonderful celebration of together some of the international leadership in In the past few years there has music. This we continue for th world’s finest artists, the field of climate change been considerable discussion our silver 25 anniversary the 2008 Adelaide Bank – will be demonstrated by and debate about the shifting in 2008, undertaking an Festival of Arts promises practical measures to make landscape of Australia’s in-depth exploration of the to thrill and inspire us as this Festival environmentally international arts festivals, contemporary canon, with never before. friendly (see page 70 for more particularly about what Musical Mavericks, an Encompassing the best details). distinguishes each from examination of classical in theatre, dance, opera, I invite you to embrace this the others. music with Australia’s and literature, music, film and the latest impelling, absorbing the world’s greatest living I am happy to report that composers. visual arts, this 25th Festival incarnation of the Festival we are now one of the again makes Adelaide a place of Arts, and I look forward few festivals in the nation Presenting the compositions of of pilgrimage for art-lovers. to seeing you in Adelaide in which has retained a strong Pärt, Kats-Chernin, Gorecki, The enlarged program of 80 February – March 2008. dedication to producing works Farr, Adams, Sculthorpe, events and 280 performances across all artforms – opera, Hosokawa, Glass, Adès, is characterised by great classical music, literature, Golijov, Hindson, Westlake, breadth and artistic daring, visual arts and film included – MacMillan, Meale, and and it will so often use the and this dedication to the full Roumain in one Festival city of Adelaide and its spectrum of art sees us lead program is admittedly Mike Rann ambitious, but only through surrounding band of lush Premier of South Australia the way nationally in parklands as a stage. this regard. such an analysis of the Minister for the Arts contemporary classical The quality and renown of As well, we remain Australia’s milieu can we appreciate the the individual productions is ‘destination festival’ – the place direction in which this 21st matched by the international to which tens of thousands Century is heading musically. standing of some of the major of people make the biennial components of the Festival pilgrimage to experience the Other threads woven through – such as the unmissable best of current national and the 2008 program include Adelaide Writers’ Week, and international artistic practice. an exploration of light and the glorious explosion of With our sister festival – the enlightenment. sound and movement that is Adelaide Fringe – along with ‘Light’ through various visual WOMADelaide. WOMADelaide, the holistic arts projects including the festival experience which Festival-curated Speed of Light Adelaide delivers every two exhibitions across several years is unparalleled in this galleries, and Northern Lights, country. celebrating the entire North Terrace precinct as one of the great cultural boulevards of the world, complemented by events in every major venue along the strip. Cover Artwork features go, you little dynamo, go! 2007 by Michael Kutschbach. 1 And ‘Enlightenment’ through between Australian audiences corporate partners. These Symbols used in this Guide many of the works inspired and key artistic voices, far Adelaidians have given us by Eastern arts and religions, beyond any single festival immeasurable and unqualified Wheelchair Access with Akram Khan’s Sacred experience. support, and your Festival Monsters, Cohen and Glass’s As a metaphor for the depth of exists only because of them. Hearing Loop Buddhist-inspired Book of these experiences, we return Personally, I also want Longing, the Indian/Sri to celebrating the artwork of to thank my astonishing Premium Hospitality Option Lankan A Midsummer Night’s an eminent South Australian colleagues from the Festival Dream, the Mahavishnu artist for the Festival’s ‘look’. Team, and our Board, who Orchestra’s Meeting of the Our 2008 motto “What are over four years have given Fringe Benefits (Under 30) Spirits, and John Adams’ you seeing?” begins with our uncalled for commitment, Buddhist/Kerouac-inspired cover design – the ambiguous, loyalty, professionalism, General Admission Dharma at Big Sur to name biomorphic sculpture by wisdom and friendship. It’s but a few. Michael Kutschbach (go, you been an utter joy working Family Friendly We also look this year at work little dynamo, go). After a with them all, and one of from across every continent tradition of a two-dimensional the best experiences of my – and include theatre from image representing the life. And to the dozens of Signed Performance South Africa and India, dance Festival, we take you for Adelaidians who have made from Israel, opera and visual the first time into the third me feel welcome from day art from Argentina, visual dimension with a sculptural one, and whom my partner art from Taiwan, Chile and object to surprise, confound and I now count amongst our Russia, and an exploration of and delight. friends for life – my deepest fundamentalist religion across In asking “What are you thanks. the globe. seeing?” I’d encourage us all To our audiences, those of you Your Festival again debuts to see not only the new, but who take the plunge every for Australia the work of a also to see ‘anew’ – looking at two years with trust and faith number of extraordinary the world around us in a new in your Festival, thanks for artists, as I believe is our light. having me and I hope my brief. It also contributes to Finally, as I farewell Adelaide colleagues and I have done Australia’s critical ongoing for now, I want to thank a you proud. dialogue with a number of number of people whose And now, come aboard, open key international artists and support has been invaluable your eyes and your hearts, and companies, among them during my four-year tenure. see. Just turn the page and let Thomas Ostermeier and the The Premier, Mike Rann, there be… Schaubühne of Berlin, Marius and his Government have von Mayenburg, Akram relentlessly worked to ensure Khan, Sylvie Guillem, Lloyd your Festival is worthy of Newson and DV8, Leonard South Australia carrying the Cohen, Russia’s AES+F Group moniker of the “Festival State”, and many of our Musical as have the Adelaide City Mavericks. These on-going Council, and the members and conversations ensure the staff of Adelaide Bank, and development of deeper more than 50 very generous relationships, and a legacy, 2 World Premiere Free Spectacle Every Night The Electric Canvas Australia Celebrating one of the acclaimed The Electric Canvas Event information most beautiful cultural will transform their facades. North Terrace Cultural boulevards in the world Through a constantly changing Precinct, Adelaide for the duration of the array of perfect, jaw-dropping Every night of the Festival Festival, the city’s historic architectual projection, 29 February–16 March, architectural icons will reflecting the heritage and 9pm–2am be painted with light and function of these beautiful FREE coloured with life. buildings, Colonel Light’s 19th- The State Library of South century vision will become a Australia, The South 21st-century vision in light. Australian Museum, The Art Gallery of South Australia on North Terrace are the sandstone cornerstones of With thanks to The State Library of our culture, illuminating South Australia. and enlightening each generation. For two weeks, they themselves will take the spotlight every night of the Festival from dusk till 2am, the artists from the internationally Ignition! Free Festival Opening All of Adelaide, the “City of Light”, is invited to leap into the 2008 Festival in glorious fashion with the ignition of the public light installation Northern Lights. In preparation for Ignition! on 29 February, North Terrace will be closed to traffic from 6pm. From 6pm to 9pm you are invited to re-discover North Terrace’s public institutions, sampling Festival exhibitions and events in State Library of South Australia (page 44), Flinders University City Gallery (page 55), South Australian Museum (page 52), Migration Museum (page 53) and Art Gallery of South Australia (page 57). Also visit The Imaginary Menagerie – A Musical Circus at Elder Hall, where classical music, jazz and computer technology combine in three 20 minute sets from 7pm onwards. Then at 9pm, gather along North Terrace and brace yourselves for the theatrical igniting of Northern Lights, from the smallest spark, growing into a unique pyrotechnic display, all synchronized to a live soundtrack of beats and rhythms performed by DBR & THE MISSION (see page 9). USICAL 4 MAVERICKS Australian Premiere International An Opera in Three Images 2007 Grammy Award – The Spanish Civil War, Graeme Murphy, and 1936: one of the 2,137 featuring an international Best Classical Composition civilians in Granada cast including Jessica murdered by the Fascists Rivera and Kelley O’Connor. 2007 Grammy Award – was Federico Garcia Lorca, Golijov’s mesmerising score is Spain’s revered poet, saturated with Spanish music Best Opera Recording musician and playwright tantalisingly mingled with the who dared to speak of rival Christian, Jewish and “Golijov will change the way music freedom. Muslim influences of Iberia. Ironically, the spot where he Ainadamar relates the story is played and heard.” was killed was an ancient through Margarita Xirgu, the New York Times well named Ainadamar, the actress who collaborated with ‘Fountain of Tears’. Lorca’s life Lorca and tried to persuade inspired many artists, among him to escape with her to Latin them the brilliant Argentinian America just before his fatal composer Osvaldo Golijov, arrest.