Photo: Jess Gleeson

Sydney Opera House Announces Digital Performance Series Liminal

The Sydney Opera House has announced Liminal, a new contemporary music film series that will feature unique live performances from eight Australian artists, premiering via the Opera House’s online streaming platform, Stream and Facebook and YouTube channels. Each performance in the series has been filmed at the venue’s iconic Joan Sutherland Theatre, which was transformed into a 360-degree blank canvas tailored to each artist’s performance. Sydney studio Subversus were brought in to direct and produce each performance, with dramatic lighting turning the space into a synesthetic light box, according to the Opera House.

For the series, the Opera House has enlisted a diverse range of artists across multiple styles, with the likes of Young Franco, Budjerah, BLESSED and Ninajirachi among those confirmed. The lineup is filled out by performances from The Necks‘ Chris Abrahams, EGOISM, Maina Doe and Liz Martin Band.

The Opera House’s Liminal series will kick off this Friday, 12th November with an acoustic set from rising Bundjalung singer-songwriter Budjerah. New performances will arrive every Saturday, Thursday and Friday night throughout November, wrapping up with a performance from Young Franco on the 27th.

“As we move into a post- lockdown world, we do so with a mix of trepidation and excitement, hovering in a state between before and after. Whilst this ‘liminal’ space can feel unsettling, it nonetheless highlights new approaches to old endeavours. Liminal talks directly to this state,” said Stuart Buchanan, Head of Digital Programming at the Sydney Opera House.

“With the incredible vision of Subversus, the Joan Sutherland Theatre has been reconceptualised to stage performances in a radical new way. Co-curated by Opera House Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, our line-up of local artists has responded with fresh and inimitable approaches; delivering a debut season of breathtaking works that are neither live performance nor music video; but exist somewhere in the space between.”

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