Next Wave Festival Announces Wildly Eclectic 2016 Program

Deaf dance works, feminist hip-hop, an ecosexual labyrinth and a 24-hour performance piece are among the most eye-opening works on the newly revealed lineup for this year's Next Wave Festival. Melbourne's biennial celebration of young and emerging artists, Next Wave 2016 is set to kick-off in venues around town on Thursday, May 5, with 36 world premieres across a wide array of disciplines. Let's get stuck in.

Diversity is clearly a major theme on this year's program, with a whopping 75 percent of projects led by women. Queensland artist Hannah Bronte will deliver a politically charged musical vision of an alternate Australia led by an entirely female parliament, while Nat Randall will spend a whole day and night on a performance inspired by the cult John Cassavetes film Opening Night.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists will likewise be well represented. Katie West from WA will examine the impact of colonialism through a work that incorporates native plantlife, while writer and performer Maurial Spearim has created a darkly-comic one-woman show told partly in the Gamilaraay language. The festival has also partnered with the Victorian Aboriginal Council for Languages on a series on Indigenous language workshops.

Further standouts include a dance work featuring both deaf and hearing performers, an audiovisual concerto from artist Dylan Sheridan, and a immersive, ecosexual (yes, eco) labyrinth in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Next Wave Festival will run from Thursday May 5 to Sunday May 22. For the full program visit www.nextwave.org.au.