Anywhere Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anywhere Festival |
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|---|---|
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | initially Brisbane, now all over the country |
| Country | Australia |
| Inaugurated | 2011 |
| Next event | 17 July 2025 to 3 August 2025 |
The Anywhere Festival is an exciting yearly event in Australia. It brings amazing performances to places that are not traditional theatres. Imagine seeing a play in a park, a backyard, or even a lift! The festival started in Brisbane in 2011.
The main idea behind the festival is to take storytelling out of theatre buildings. It brings performances to where people live and hang out. This makes art more accessible and fun for everyone. The festival has grown a lot since it began. It now uses many unique spots around cities for shows.
The Anywhere Festival believes that theatre should not be limited. It should not be stuck in a building or follow strict rules about time or type of show. You can see exciting performances in all sorts of places. These include parks, backyards, bedrooms, and even on trains. The festival happens not just in Brisbane, but in other towns too.
Contents
Why the Festival Started
Bringing Theatre to Everyone
Paul Osuch is the person who created the Anywhere Festival. He explains that people wanted exciting theatre that did not have to be in a theatre building. He realized that even famous actors had trouble finding theatre spaces. This meant many other performers faced the same problem.
Breaking Free from Old Rules
Paul also felt that traditional theatre spaces could be too strict. They sometimes felt "elitist," which means they seemed only for a special group of people. This might have stopped many people from going. He thought that performances in theatres could feel a bit dull. Parking was often hard, and drinks were expensive. Also, seats could be uncomfortable for tall people.
Paul believed that traditional theatres stopped more people from enjoying shows. He wanted performances to be something easy to find in your own neighbourhood. He wanted people to feel they could just "pop along" to a show.
Where the Festival Happens
The festival is mainly held in Brisbane and Moreton Bay. Over the years, it has also taken place in other Australian cities. These include Mackay, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Frankston, Woolloongong, and Parramatta.
Festival History
The festival began in 2011 as the Anywhere Festival, Brisbane. In 2014, it changed its name to just "Anywhere Festival." This was to show that it was growing beyond just traditional "theatre" and beyond Brisbane. Paul Osuch created and directed the festival.
In 2014, the Anywhere Festival also started in Frankston. By 2015, it had expanded to include Brisbane, Mackay, Dysart, Middlemount, Moranbah, Parramatta, and Frankston. In 2017, the festival grew even more. It added Noosa and Sunshine Coast as new locations.
Past Festivals
2011 Festival Highlights
The first Anywhere Festival in 2011 featured many types of performances. These included cabaret, circus, comedy, drama, and kids theatre. Shows were put on by groups like Riot Stage, Flipside Circus, and Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble.
2012 Festival Highlights
The 2012 festival ran from May 10 to May 19. Many organizations and performers took part. These included Arts Queensland, Queensland Theatre Company, and Flipside Circus.
2013 Festival Changes
The 2013 Anywhere Festival became longer. It ran for twelve days instead of ten, from May 8 to May 19.
2014 Festival Growth
The 2014 festival ran from May 7 to May 18. It had 420 performances of 67 different shows. These took place in 27 suburbs of Brisbane. The shows included cabaret, circus, comedy, drama, and kids theatre. Pubs, hotels, shops, cafes, parks, churches, homes, and even a garage were used as venues.
2015 Festival Expansion
The 2015 Anywhere Festival ran from May 7 to May 24. It expanded to include Brisbane, Mackay, Mount Isa, and Cairns.
2016 Festival Dates
The 2016 Anywhere Festival took place from May 5 to May 21.
2017 Festival Locations
The 2017 Anywhere Festival ran from May 4 to May 21. It was held in Brisbane, with Sunshine Coast and Noosa joining as festival locations.
2018 Festival Performances
The 2018 Anywhere Festival ran for 18 days, from May 10 to May 27. It was held across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, and Noosa. More than 500 artists presented 370 different performances. These included cabaret, circus, comedy, drama, dance, poetry, and music. All these shows appeared in surprising places.
2019 Festival Shows
The 2019 Anywhere Festival ran from May 9 to May 26. It took place across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, and Noosa. There were over 500 performances of 96 shows in 101 different towns and suburbs. Many different production companies and artists performed.
2020 Festival Adaptations
The 2020 Anywhere Festival was planned for May 7 to May 24. However, it was cancelled because of COVID-19. Instead, a special "out of festival" season ran from June to September. It featured 21 shows in 32 towns and suburbs. These included online shows using Zoom and performances in driveways. This helped meet social distancing rules when theatres were closed. The idea of driveway performances even inspired the Brisbane Festival Street Serenade program.
2025 Festival Preview
The 2025 Anywhere Festival is scheduled to run from July 17 to August 3, 2025, in Brisbane. Some of the performances planned include "Hard Wat IV-Hope Renewed," "K Mak at the Planetarium," and "Smoke and Mirrors."
See also
