Darebin Arts Announces 2019 Speakeasy Season

Celebrating its sixth birthday in 2019, Darebin Arts Speakeasy season features contemporary and challenging performances by leading creatives including Fleur Kilpatrick, Jessica Wilson, David Woods, Lemony S Puppet Theatre and Joseph O'Farrell.

"Darebin Arts Speakeasy presents creative and challenging contemporary performances by emerging and established artists. We are delighted the Darebin Arts Speakeasy program has quickly established a strong reputation for presenting thought-provoking, vibrant works that are reflective of our community's concerns and celebrations and Darebin City Council's values. As the Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre and the Darebin Arts Centre transition into spaces that are dedicated to artistic practice, Council is thrilled to present an inclusive program with works led by young people, artists with disability and more. The decision to make these iconic venues dedicated art centres enables creative collaborations, engagement and partnerships between artists, communities and audiences; ensuring a vibrant, viable and sustainable creative culture within Darebin." said City of Darebin Mayor Susan Rennie.

The season begins on March 2 with Let's Take Over, a one day arts festival taking over the Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre, entirely produced, programmed and delivered by 10 incredible young people aged 15 - 25. Originating at London's Battersea Arts Centre, and given a Darebin twist, 10 talented young people have been given a brief, a budget and support to create and produce their own monumental one day festival.

Following that, Darebin Arts Speakeasy welcomes the world premiere of Fleur Kilpatrick's Whale from 1 - 11 May, a post-dramatic play, which takes its audience on an transformative journey from Town Hall meeting into the belly of a whale.

With a focus on climate change, the value of life and our impact on our environment, Whale explores theatre's vital responsibility to grapple with Big Ideas. In our post-truth world of frozen sharks, heat waves, sacred lands disappearing and an Immigration Minister joking about "water lapping at your door", the topics explored in Kilpatrick's work have never been more current.

Part David Lynch thriller, part Fright Night drive-in flick, Joseph (JOF) O'Farrell's THE CABIN! is a horror show written by kids, for adults and can be seen from 3 - 13 July.

Performed by two straight-laced adults, five demonic children and a disgruntled teen guitarist providing a live soundtrack, it has been created by JOF in collaboration with over 200 primary school students from the UK and Australia. Everything from the set, characters and sound has been designed by primary school students for their adult audience in this gory spectacular!

On 13 and 14 July, Jessica Wilson's work, I See You Like This takes place in the foyer at Darebin Arts Centre. How does your child see you? With our ever-growing appetite to document our lives through photos and selfies, children are so often the reluctant subjects of their parent's cameras; asked to smile, look natural, look that way, and come in closer. I See You Like This turns the camera around, allowing your child to view you as the subject through the lens of their own imagination. Each child artist chooses an object, which best represents this adult subject, before art directing a creative portrait directly onto their parent's face! Each artwork is captured by a professional photographer in a special studio and can be taken home to share.

Late October sees the arrival of an epic narrative of vast and imperfect comedic proportions, A Normal Child (23 October - 2 November) which navigates the intricacies of disability representation in a daring, funny, and complex work.

Examining the right to begin and end life from the perspective of the disability sector, the performance tackles issues of euthanasia, sex, abortion and IVF through an absurdist comedy lens. A Normal Child is led by self-nominated "noddies" and "masters of the absurd", co-Artistic Directors of Ridiculusmus, David Woods and Jonathan Haynes, and features the Disability Slapstick Plan, an ensemble of four Melbourne artists with different physical abilities.

Through puppetry, the visual acumen of Kyoko Imazu and the extraordinary musicianship of Susannah Espie, Taking the Waters (20 - 30 November) explores the complex and emotional experience of being a carer for the dying.Three sisters gather together after many years apart. One of them is dying. In this complex world, old patterns of behaviour play out, old wounds are re-exposed and ultimately, a new reality where three becomes two must be found.

Created in collaboration with internationally celebrated artist Kyoko Imazu and singer-songwriter Susannah Espie, Taking the Waters by Lemony S Puppet Theatre is a visually stunning, aching and humorous examination of the absurdity of life and death.

An extra special addition to the Speakeasy season, which will get everyone up and dancing, will also be announced at the launch on February 12.