Arts Centre Melbourne presents ILBIJERRI Theatre Company's production of BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Jacob Boehme's deeply personal, autobiographical work BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR arrives at Arts Centre Melbourne's Fairfax Studio for two nights only (20 - 21 August) as part of the Big World, Up Close series.

BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR explores the legacies and memories of bloodlines, the need for community, and what blood means to each of us - questioning how this most precious fluid unites and divides us.

Having been diagnosed with HIV in 1998, First Nations Australian choreographer, dancer and writer Jacob Boehme went searching for answers. Being a descendant of the Narangga and Kaurna nations of South Australia, he reached out to his ancestors. Through a powerful blend of storytelling, projection and movement, Boehme pays homage to their ceremonies whilst dissecting the politics of gay, Blak and poz identities.

"By sharing my personal story, unapologetically, of being Blak, gay and poz, BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR is an opportunity to create a space for our mob to have a voice in the dialogue around HIV. With rates of HIV detection among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 1.6 times higher than the average population, coupled with innovations in HIV prevention and treatments, it is time that our community have the conversation at a table we previously have not been invited to in this country. A conversation which up until now we haven't been brave enough to have," Boehme says.

BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR is a story of our need to love and be loved. Boehme's striking monologue uses humour and intimacy to reveal secret identities and deepest fears, seeking to invoke ancestral lineage in a contemporary quest for courage and hope.

Since premiering in 2016, this provocative work has gone on to win Best Independent Theatre Production at the 2017 Green Room Awards and tour major festivals and venues across Canada.

????½ "An entertaining, moving work that elicits as much empathy as laughter." - The Age

????½ "An impressive accomplishment on many levels. It's well-proportioned and beautifully crafted." - Limelight

"gives voice to experiences from communities we want to hear more about." - Australian Stage

Arts Centre Melbourne's highly acclaimed series Big World, Up Close amplifies vital voices in contemporary performance giving space for fierce storytellers to reclaim and reframe our view of the world today. These stories know no limits and are more urgent than ever. Woven from raw emotion, brutal truths and radical love each story speaks across the fault lines between ancestry and contemporary existence. This year, it turns the spotlight on First Nations artists from New Zealand, Canada and Australia, as well as those representing Cambodian, Malaysian and African diasporas - it's a fearless new world in the making.

About Jacob Boehme

Jacob Boehme is a Melbourne born and raised artist of the Narangga and Kaurna Nations, South Australia. Jacob is the founding Creative Director of YIRRAMBOI Festival, recipient of the 2018 Green Room Award for Curatorial Contribution to Contemporary and Experimental Arts.

Jacob is a multi-disciplinary theatre maker and choreographer, creating work for stage, screen, large-scale public events and festivals. Jacob has led the artistic direction of Tanderrum (Melbourne Festival), Boon Wurrung Ngargee(Yalukit Willam Festival), Thuwathu (Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair) and choreographed for the opening ceremonies of Dreamtime at the G, Hamer Hall, FINA World Swimming Championships and the World Cricket Cup. Jacob currently sits on the Board of Directors for Dance House and Polyglot Theatre and is a member of the Ministry of Culture Taiwan South East Asia International Advisory Panel. Jacob is currently the recipient of the 2018 Australia Council for the Arts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship.

Creative Team
Writer & Performer: Jacob Boehme
Director: Isaac Drandic
Choreographer & Rehearsal Director: Mariaa Randall
Sound Designer: James Henry
Spatial Designer: Jenny Hector
Video Artist: Keith Deverell
Costume Designer: Kelsey Henderson
Movement Coach: Rinske Ginsberg
Dramaturges: Chris Mead & Mari Lourey
Production Manager: Nick Glen
Stage Manager: Nathalie Devilliers
Tour Producer: Insite Arts

Arts Centre Melbourne presents ILBIJERRI Theatre Company's production of
BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR
by Jacob Boehme
Fairfax Studio | 20 - 21 August | 7:30pm
Duration: 55 mins (no interval)

Age Suitability: 15+
Warnings: adult concepts (sexual and drug reference), coarse language, loud music
Bookings at artscentremelbourne.com.au

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