Critical Path Celebrates 20 Years With Free Three-Day Festival EVERY WILD IDEA

Critical Path, Australia’s leading centre for choreographic research and development, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a free, three-day festival titled Every Wild Idea, taking place Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16, 2025 at The Drill, the organisation’s heritage-listed harbourside home in Rushcutters Bay.

Since its founding in 2005, Critical Path has been a cornerstone of innovation in contemporary dance, providing space and support for professional artists to explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of choreographic practice. “Critical Path was established to fill a recognised gap in the independent dance sector in NSW,” said Artistic Director Agnès Michelet. “Twenty years on, Critical Path stands proud as a unique and significant contributor to the dance scene in Australia.”

The festival opens Friday, November 14 (7–9pm) with live performance and improvisation curated by Azzam Mohamed, known for blending street, club, and African dance forms. Seven artists will create and perform in real time as audiences are invited to roam freely through the space, witnessing creativity unfold.

Throughout the weekend, audiences can experience the premiere of Breakthroughs, a new documentary by Deborah May, exploring the creative process of five leading Australian dance artists. The film draws from Critical Path’s extensive archives alongside new footage to illuminate the often unseen moments behind artistic breakthroughs. “Dance is ephemeral,” said May, “and though documentation is vital, it’s rarely shared. Breakthroughs brings that hidden work to light.”

The celebration continues Sunday, November 16 (11am–1pm) with the launch of Critical Dialogues #16, a special anniversary edition of the organisation’s publication, alongside Vignettes flickers fades — a collaborative archival performance by Ira Ferris and Tammi Gissell. The event includes a music performance by Alexandra Spence and a dance performance by Ryuichi Fujimura, evoking the sensory landscape of The Drill Hall itself.