Crack Theatre Festival Set for Newcastle this October

This October, the ninth annual Crack Theatre Festival will take over vacant spaces in Newcastle to present a range of new experimental performances from across Australia including theatre, visual arts, dance, circus, comedy and much more!

Presented as part of the independent arts festival, This Is Not Art (TiNA), Crack Theatre Festival is an avenue for both emerging and established artists to present innovative works, all free of charge to audiences in non-traditional theatre spaces.

Celebrating diversity and eccentricity, this year's Crack Theatre Festival is a strong representation of what is at the forefront of live arts nationally, with 50 artists presenting 29 works. The 2015 program will include a diverse mix of performers testing original material, touring collaborative works and experimenting with new ideas.

The Crack Theatre Festival program also features free-to-participate-in professional development workshops, master classes, talks and artistic community-building opportunities. Highlights include a forum facilitated by culture writer Jane Howard on the politics of preserving performance through reviews, documentation and script publishing; and a workshop for writers led by theatre radical Rowan McDonald exploring Image Theatre.

This year will also see the launch of the 24 Hour Generator, an intensive theatre-making program facilitated by respected theatre-maker Chris Ryan, in which participants are tasked with creating a brand new work in just 24 hours.

"We're thrilled to be presenting the ninth instalment of Crack Theatre Festival at TiNA again this year,' said Crack Theatre Festival Co-Artistic Director, Finn O'Branagáin. 'The Festival has established itself as a not-to-be-missed event for all types of artists as well as those looking for inspiration or to strengthen their artistic networks."

Co-Artistic Director Hannah Strout added, "Over the four days, the Festival will be accessible to all as we take over Newcastle's streets, shopfronts and buildings. There will be something for everyone with a sense of adventure, from a horror story in a warehouse, a physical performance in a car park or an installation in a laneway. We thoroughly encourage everyone to come along, explore and be part of the Crack Theatre Festival community!"

The 2015 Crack Theatre Festival program is available at http://cracktheatrefest.com/crack-theatre-festival-2015/

What: The 9th annual Crack Theatre Festival

Dates: 1st to 4th October 2015

Where: Various venues across Newcastle as part of TiNA

Cost: All events free

Web: www.cracktheatrefestival.com