At the time, the Gold Coast was considered a cultural desert, but a collective group of the city’s creatives believed the contrary, and so the beginnings of BLEACH* Festival was born in 2012. Ten years later and nearly one million attendees, BLEACH* has firmly established itself as one of the most exciting regional arts festivals in Australia today. Under the helm of new Artistic Director Rosie Dennis, it continues to break boundaries in 2021, promising a wildly diverse and cutting-edge program of contemporary art, music and performance framed by the magnificent, world-renowned Southern Queensland coastline.
In just a decade, BLEACH* has established itself as arguably Queensland’s most significant art events outside a capital city and the Gold Coast’s signature arts festival. It has been brilliantly re-defining the core elements of the Gold Coast region and highlighting the rich diversity of local artistic talent, as it continues to break new ground to become one of the country’s most exciting place-based festivals.
This year, BLEACH* will be held from 12 – 22 August across the Gold Coast from the hinterland to the ocean, alleyways and gardens. At a time when many still feel distanced, BLEACH* encourages locals and visitors alike to ‘listen to your heart.’ The festival will transform the city’s beachside esplanades, abandoned buildings, vacant blocks, Botanic Gardens and hinterland hideaways into 11 days of pulsating live music, performance and contemporary art installation.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be celebrating the 10th BLEACH* Festival!” said Dennis. “Featuring the work of more than 355 artists, this year’s Festival theme is ‘Listen To Your Heart’ – and that’s exactly what we’ve done to create a program of experiences that reflect our contemporary Gold Coast.”
She continues, “Building on last year’s success, we have once again created a program that defies outdates stereotypes to reflect the Gold Coast of today. As locals, we know that the region is made up of a diverse range of fantastic local artists, as well as art-loving audiences that are seeking art and culture experiences that challenge, confront, engage and delight. We are pleased to once again be sharing contemporary stories that resonate with local communities and the world around us.”
The Gold Coast’s signature annual arts and cultural celebration will feature four main hubs: the beachside haven of Burleigh Heads, The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, the Southport in the heart of the city’s CBD and the historical suburb of Mudgeeraba amidst the winding roads at the foothills of the hinterland. The reach of the festival will also extend across cultural corridors at Dust Temple – Currumbin and the newly opened HOTA (Home of the Arts).
Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said BLEACH* Festival connected people with arts and cultural experiences. “This signature arts festival started as a small fringe event in 2012, and now in its 10th year, it has become one of Australia’s more exciting place-based festivals. The Queensland Government’s ongoing support for BLEACH* recognises the crucial role of the arts in our lives, the importance of telling stories that are unique to Queensland, and significant cultural tourism outcomes that events can deliver for local communities.”
This year’s BLEACH* Festival will be held 12 – 22 August. You can sign up for the latest festival news, special offers and 2021 program announcement at www.bleachfestival.com.au.
Share this:
