Hundreds Of Teens Take Over Tarnanthi For Teen-Exclusive Event At AGSA

Neo Teen Takeover: Mix it Up will transform the Art Gallery of South Australia on Saturday 23 October, inspired by the collision of colour in John Prince Siddon's psychedelic artworks featured in Tarnanthi.

On the night, hundreds of teens will take to the Gallery in celebration of AGSA's Tarnanthi festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, for a huge creative program of art, pop-up performances, entertainment and artist workshops, curated by Adnyamathanha and Luritja artist Juanella McKenzie.

AGSA Director Rhana Devenport ONZM says, 'For Neo Teen Takeover: Mix it Up, not only will we hand over the entire Gallery to teens for exclusive access, but we've collaborated on an epic program of activations with South Australia's youth and arts focused organisations to inspire, educate and connect with our teenage audience.'

The program includes activations developed by some of SA's leading youth organisations including: Girls Rock!, Carclew, Young Adelaide Voices, Adelaide Central School of Art, SAYarts, Feast Festival, Commissioner for Children and Young People, batyr, FELTspace and more.

First Nations artist and Neo Guest Curator Juanella McKenzie combines ancient and modern practices to tell the stories of her people. Speaking of her program for Mix it Up, McKenzie says, 'I'm incredibly excited to be working with so many talented young creatives to present a vibrant night of First Nations language, jewellery, weaving, movement, bush tucker, culture and discovery. I hope everyone who partakes will carry the experience with them into the future, and be inspired by the rich history of the world's oldest living culture.'

On the night, guests can explore up-to-the-minute contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in Tarnanthi, join in a weaving workshop with Wangkanurru artist Marika Davies, learn contemporary dance from Barkindji dancer Adrianne Semmens, use native materials to make jewellery with Juanella McKenzie or join Carclew's First Nations music project BLKMPIRE for a DJ/MC workshop.

In the courtyard, youth music organisation Girls Rock! has programmed an unforgettable line-up of local music acts including Soil Soil, Charlee Watt, Verse Chorus Chaos, Rose Clouseau and Mum Friends. Feast Festival will offer a Queer Youth Drop-In Station, while teens can also connect with youth mental health organisation batyr at their drop-in space on the night. Elsewhere, teens can get crafty making custom badges with FELTspace inside the Tarnanthi exhibition or brush up on their acting skills in SAYarts' improv drama workshop.

As one of the first state galleries in Australia to offer a teen-exclusive program, AGSA's Neo events invite teens aged 13 to 17 into the Gallery with after-hours access and free, jam-packed evenings of artist-led workshops, live music and entertainment, six times a year. Made possible through the visionary support of The Balnaves Foundation, Neo has welcomed more than 7,000 teens to the Gallery since its inception in 2016, with the programming developed by a dedicated Neo Ambassador Committee to foster teen engagement and involvement with the arts.

The Balnaves Foundation Trustee Caillean Honor says, 'Neo offers a vitally important space for South Australian teenagers to connect with art and cultural experiences through art-led learning, engagement and experiences. The Balnaves Foundation is pleased to support the Neo program, which attracts an enthusiastic teen audience from across the state to AGSA six times a year.'

Neo Teen Takeover: Mix it Up is a FREE event for teens aged 13-17 on Saturday 23 October, 6-8.30pm. For further information or to register for the event, visit: https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/whats-on/ongoing-programs/neo

Places are limited, please book early to avoid disappointment. Please note that mask-wearing is mandatory for this event, please see AGSA's response to COVID-19 for more information.

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