New Annual in full swing ahead of grand finale

A nine-metre-tall version of the traditional playground swing will give locals and visitors a new perspective on Newcastle as part of the final weekend of New Annual.

The wheelchair accessible, free public art installation will be a feature of the festival in Wheeler Place from Friday to Sunday, allowing people over 10 years of age the chance to strap in and soar through the air in the heart of the city.

Senior Producer and Curator Adrian Burnett with SWING creator Ian Pidd in Wheeler Place.Over the weekend, Wheeler Place will also be home to the collaborative sculpture which has been created by participants at the Morphology workshops during this year's festival.

On Saturday thousands of people are expected to flock to Museum Park for Global Gathering, a celebration of diverse traditions, food, art forms, and cultural expressions that unite people from various backgrounds.

The free community event will showcase incredible artists such as Newcastle's very own Greek/Australian singer Maria Maroulis and the internationally renowned Jin Wu Koon dance troupe who perform their daring dragon and lion dancing on poles up to three metres high and two metres apart, utilising fire hoops and high wires.

The evening concludes with world music favourites Ghana Road Show who fuse circus acts with traditional African dance and rhythmic drumbeats, while Worlds Collide delivers a blend of seven cultures utilising hip hop rhymes, melodic hooks, languages and genres.

Senior Producer and Curator Adrian Burnett said New Annual is dedicated to amplifying diverse and multicultural voices and creativity.

"City of Newcastle’s New Annual is all about helping to foster a sense of community," Mr Burnett said.

"Last year almost 5000 people packed into Museum Park for Global Gathering to experience the immersive and joyful atmosphere.

"As part of our support for local arts performances five artists were selected from 55 submissions to share in almost $100,000 worth of funding to present as part of New Annual 2024.

"Art Thinking received a grant for their experimental interactive experience called INTRA Human x INTER Digital that explores the way platforms for communication influence social cohesion and can highlight, celebrate, or welcome diversity."

Art Thinking will conduct two-hour masterclasses on Saturday and Sunday at 6 Stewart Avenue, Newcastle West, providing a deep dive into the world of interactive media art.

At the University of Newcastle's Conservatorium of Music seven unique artists from diverse cultural backgrounds will take centre stage tonight and tomorrow night as part of The Cord.

The provocative new contemporary dance work by acclaimed First Nations choreographer Jasmin Sheppard is told through cross–cultural perspectives using physical theatre, found and verbatim text, ultimately what ties us all together.

Also tomorrow night Jeremy Goldstein will present his inspirational and award-winning performance event at City Hall known as Truth to Power Café.

The profound theatrical reflection on loss, hope, and resistance is told through image, film, poetry, music, and authentic stories in response to the question: ‘Who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?’

Honeysuckle Marina remains a hive of activity, offering a program of native food workshops, language workshops and knowledge sharing across the weekend as part of Ngiarrenumba Burrai (Our Country).

Ngumpi Kinyingarra Oyster House will continue to host Megan Cope’s daily 'Scrub Club' where audiences are invited to pick up a brush and contribute oyster shells for Cope's future oyster reef art projects.

The venue will be transformed into an outdoor dance party with a live laser light show when the Newcastle Art Gallery presents Friday Night Sounds with local DJ Jun Wan, who brings two decades of dedication to the world of electronic music.

Australian classical super-group, Omega Ensemble, will perform Concertante at City Hall on Saturday night in a raw and revealing arrangement for just ten musicians, unlocking surprising new emotive power and virtuosity.

City of Newcastle's UpStage at the Playhouse program continues at the Civic Theatre for the next three nights with Karma Kafé, with a large all-singing, all-dancing cast, live music, and the scent of roasted coffee, celebrating Newcastle’s lively café culture, centred around Darby Street's legendary establishment, Goldbergs.

Visit www.newannual.com for more details about the full program.