Yours and Owls Presents: The Wollongong Fringe Festival 2016

PRESS RELEASE:

Forget what you think you know about Wollongong, it’s not all sand and waves (well it is that too, but it’s also so much more) & we want to show it off to the world! Brought to you by the fine folks behind the Yours and Owls Festival and Destination Wollongong we present to you, in its inaugural year, the 2016 Wollongong Fringe Festival!

Starting with the idea to celebrate Wollongong’s thriving cultural scene, by taking all the hidden gems and wealth of talent in the area and celebrating ittogether in one electric week of arts and wonder, taking over the town in all its thunderous & colourful beauty. The Wollongong Fringe Festival is anchored around the Yours and Owls Festival but by adding the fringe elements allowed the festival’s promoter to include a broader range of events and experiences that appeal to a wider audience – further shinning an even brighter light on Wollongong!

A note from Ben Tillman, promoter of Yours and Owls and The Wollongong Fringe Festival “It is both a celebration of what is going on within Wollongong, and also a perfect platform that allows us to bring some of the most interesting ideas and showcase them to an entirely new audience. This is us confirming Wollongong as a creative hub, a travel destination and a city that can and will host an internationally renown fringe festival – our way!”

Destination Wollongonggeneral manager Mark Sleigh saidThe Wollongong Fringe Festivalwas set to becomea creative lightning rod for the region. “Yours and Owlshas curated an edgy, authentic programthat is sure to pique the interest of the creative sector and challenge some of the out-dated perceptions of Wollongong. The fringe festival is an exciting venture thatcanevolve and expand over coming yearson the national stage and become synonymous with the region.”

From Wollongong’s Art Precinct to the Planetarium, The Fringe Festival program is 9 full days of unexpected experimental and interactive discovery for locals and visitors alike. The festival will open with an opening night party in Wollongong’s Art Precinct, following on with a showcase of local and international cult classics under the stars nightly, a 90’s night including tunes, trivia and an official pinball tournament hosted by the undisputed kings of 90’s morning TV Ryan & Jade from Cheese TV! The ‘gong will play host to an evening with everyone’s favourite hip scientist Dr. Karl, a preview of the trippy art installation Moon Beach, a theatrical and multi-media adaptation of local cartoonist Pat Grant’s award-winning graphic novel Blue, and a special night at the movies with the man himself, David Stratton. Plus, markets, a tonne of live music, art, theatre, experimental digital, tech installations and workshops. The Fringe Festival wraps up with the biggest party of them all, the Yours and Owls festival and the mini festival if you’re under 18!

This is just to name a few of the wonderfully whacky things happening in Wollongong over late September into October. The program will be growing check www.yoursandowls.com.au for more info, events & tickets.

Why not make a holiday out of The Fringe Festival and get lost in Wollongong? There are plenty of incredible accommodation options throughout the city for everyone’s taste and budget, from hostels, romantic beachside B&B’s to leisure resorts Wollongong’s got you! Check out accommodations options HERE.


The 2016 Yours & Owls presents ’Wollongong Fringe Festival’ Official Program:

The Opening Night Party

Fri Sep 23 – ‘Opening Night Party’ @ Arts Precinct
To kick off the fringe festival in style, we are chucking one hell of party at the Arts Precinct of Wollongong! There will be Parkside Dj’s, a half pipe with skate demo’s from Kingpin, Super Happy Fun Crew, Mondo Deluxe, Art Exhibitions, Extra planetary virtual reality expeditions, live street art presented by Verb Syndicate (the legends behind the Wonderwalls Festival) and interactive digital and tech installations.

The opening night party also marks the opening of the Yours and Owls Fringe Festival Outdoor Cinema. There is nothing better than a balmy night in Wollongong in September! Spring will be in the air so why not pull up your own patch of grass, grab yourself a giant beanbag (available and highly recommended) & watch some of your favourite old & new films under the stars, smack bang in the center of Wollongong. There will be delicious food available, market stalls and fully licensed bar. Does it really get any better?

Outdoor Cinema

Fri Sep 23 – ‘Big Boys Club’ @ Arts Precinct
Shot over the past 4 years, ’Big Boys Club’ is a film about genuine adults who continue to spend their weekends riding around on wooden toys. This film features the biggest of boys, and documents skateboarding in and around the Illawarra.’Big Boys Club’ features music by David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Nick Cave and The Smiths.

Sat Sep 24 – ‘Ex Machina’ @ Arts Precinct
Caleb, a 26-year-old programmer at the world’s largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world’s first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl.

Sun Sep 25 – ‘The Royal Tenembaums’ & ‘The Life Aquatic’ @ Arts Precinct
Three grown prodigies, all with a unique genius of some kind, and their mother are staying at the family household. Their father, Royal had left them long ago, and comes back to make things right with his family.

When his partner is killed by the mysterious and possibly nonexistent Jaguar Shark, Steve Zissou and his Team Zissou crew set off for an expedition to hunt down the creature. Along with his estranged wife, a beautiful journalist and a co-pilot who could possibly be Zissou’s son, the crew set off for one wild expedition.

Mon Sep 26 – ‘The Great Gatsby’ @ Arts Precinct
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby’s nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.

Tue Sep 27 – ‘Ghostbusters 1 & 2’ @ Arts Precinct
Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple

Five years after the events of the first film, the Ghostbusters have been plagued by lawsuits and court orders, and their once-lucrative business is bankrupt. However, when Dana begins to have ghost problems again, the boys come out of retirement only to be promptly arrested. The Ghostbusters discover that New York is once again headed for supernatural doom, with a river of ectoplasmic slime bubbling beneath the city and an ancient sorcerer attempting to possess Dana’s baby and be born anew. Can the Ghostbusters quell the negative emotions feeding the otherworldly threat and stop the world from being slimed?

Wed Sep 28 – ‘Kill Bill 1 & 2’ @ Arts Precinct
The lead character, called ’The Bride,’ was a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, led by her lover ’Bill.’ Upon realizing she was pregnant with Bill’s child, ’The Bride’ decided to escape her life as a killer. She fled to Texas, met a young man, who, on the day of their wedding rehearsal was gunned down by an angry and jealous Bill (with the assistance of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad). Four years later, ’The Bride’ wakes from a coma, and discovers her baby is gone. She, then, decides to seek revenge upon the five people who destroyed her life and killed her baby. The saga of Kill Bill Volume I begins.

The murderous Bride is back and she is still continuing her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill, and taking aim at Bill’s younger brother Budd and Elle Driver, the only survivors from the squad of assassins who betrayed her four years earlier. It’s all leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Bill, the Bride’s former master and the man who ordered her execution!

Music

Sat Sep 24 – ‘Verb Syndicate Block Party’ @ Rad
Verb Syndicate will be hosting a strictly limited capacity block party in Wollongong’s CBD. Location confirmed on the night via text message. Featuring a combination of street art and hip hop, the event will be a one-off party that you won’t want to miss. Only 100 tickets will be available.

Sat Sep 24 – ‘Joseph Tawadros’ @ Town Hall
At just 32 years of age, Joseph Tawadros has established himself as one of the world’s leading oud performers and composers. A virtuoso of amazing diversity and sensitivity, Joseph has performed in concert halls worldwide, dazzling audiences with his brilliant technique, passionate musicianship and his joyous style of performance.
His drive to push musical boundaries has led to collaborations with significant performers and a solid repertoire of innovative, original music. He has recorded 13 albums including and his latest offering World Music. Joseph has received 12 nominations and won three ARIA Awards for Best World Music Album.
Don’t miss this once off, rare and intimate solo concert in an evening of mesmerising and original music.

Sat Sep 24 ‘Moonbase Commander’ @ RAD
Arising from the darker and grimier side of the Sydney bass scene, Moonbase Commander is a producer known for his distinct sound that stands between the worlds of hip-hop, juke and beats. His sets are unrelenting displays of energetic movement, light and sound – a sight that blends effortlessly with his futuristic swag. Last year saw MBC getting mad props from Pitchfork after dropping a flawless collab with New Yorker Cakes Da Killa on ‘Serve It Up’, which features on his Southpaw EP, along side his solo banger ‘Southpaw’. MBC is currently working away on a bunch of new material, which he’ll hopefully be dropping at Rad!

Mon Sep 26 – ‘Guantanamo Baywatch’ @ RAD
Portlandian surf rockers Guantanamo Baywatch return to our shores this September with a new album in hand, an extra guitarist and an enormous sense of excitement to tour their second home once again.
Last year when Guantanamo Baywatch made their debut visit to Australia, they really solidified their reputation for loose and wild shows. Their renegade energy and “don’t give a shit” ’tude left a trail of followers, broken hearts and a mountain of empty beer bottles in their wake. Since their last Australian tour, Guantanamo Baywatch have had a busy 12 months. They released their sophomore album, “Darling… It’s Too Late” to cult-rock accolades; With a knack for serving up legit surf rock, while fucking with various sub-genres, the trio of guitarist Jason Powell, bassist Chevelle Wiseman and the happiest drummer we’ve ever seen live, Chris Scott, will unleash their newly inducted second guitarist, Jordan Owens on their Australian fans to make this even more wild than you initially thought possible.

Tue Sep 27 – ‘Into it. Over it’ @ Rad
Chicago’s blissfully unguarded, INTO IT. OVER IT. has announced his first ever Australian visit, with a run of intimate solo shows along the East Coast. Into It. Over It. (IIOI) is the musical namesake of prolific indie rocker, Evan Weiss. For the past decade, the erudite and gregarious, Weiss has been relentlessly touring and writing. His emotive vocal, earnest lyrics, and prolific abilities have earned IIOI cult-rock hero status throughout North America and beyond. Though, it wasn’t until their second album, 2013’s Intersections, which caught the attention of notable outlets such as SPIN and Pitchfork, that IIOI rose to widespread prominence and saw them play, Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and Summerfest to name a few. Their latest release, 2016’s Standards, recorded and produced by John Vanderslice (Spoon, Mountain Goats, Death Cab For Cutie), is where we find Weiss striking a fine balance between tightly woven riffs and propulsive song writing.

Thu Sep 29 – ‘Cheese TV’ @ Rad
Calling all 90’s babies!

Two of the most familiar faces to absorb any motivation we might have had to get up and get ready for school, will once again be joining forces to bring you a night of cheezy nostalgia. Ryan & Jade will be appearing live at Rad Bar in September and will be serving up a banquet of 90’s trivia, 90’s tunes, 90’s games, cheezy cocktails, cheezy jokes & cheezy platters. There will also be an official pinball comp happening throughout the night.

Come and indulge in your childhood…

Fri Sep 30 – ‘Sons of the East’ @ Rad
Sons of the East are an indie-folk band from the Northern Beaches of Sydney Australia, comprised of Nic Johnston, Dan Wallage and Jack Rollins.
Their sound is a motley acoustic-electric mix driven by soulful vocals, resulting in modern alternative folk that draws on everything from Neil Young and Johnny Cash to Fleetwood Mac and The Kinks but somehow winds up feeling like home. Working off what they call the ’tear-jerkers’ and the ’boot-stompers’, the Sons’ legendary live show has made them a favourite of venues and music festivals through out Australia. Sons Of The East’s first EP – released in 2013 and debuted at #10 on the Australian Album iTunes chart. Their 2015 follow up Already Gone, an 8-track follow up record that again charted in the top 10 Australian Album iTunes charts and launched a highly successful national tour. In 2016 the band further demonstrated their diverse songwriting abilities in a collaboration with U.S. based DJ producers BUNT, with the release of the track ‘Coming Home’.

Art / Theatre

Fri Sep 23 – Oct 2 ‘A Snapshot of Athens in the Greek Debt Crisis’ by Dave Sullivan @ Town Hall Underground
A collection of video and stills amidst the public riots in Athens during the Greek Debt Crisis

Fri Sep 23 – ‘Polygon Door Installation’ @ Secret Location (Free)
Five of Polygon Door’s drawing artBots will dance and sing collaboratively to create a large scale emerging audio/visual work. Watch this piece develop as the robots engage in a collaborative dance over the course of the evening.

Fri Sep 23 – ‘Polygon Door Workshop’ @ Secret Location
Come and play with Polygon Door’s custom built Artbots – programmable robots that draw. In this workshop you’ll use the switches and dials on our drawing robots to create a series of unique robotic sketches. You will then plug the robots into computers and start hacking their code to create your own drawing algorithm. A great way to explore the relationship between creativity, code, electronics and robotics.

Sat Sep 24 – ‘Hand and Heart Shall Never Part’ @ City Gallery
Between 1975 and 1994 two friends – artist, designer and gay activist David McDiarmid and acclaimed fashion designer Linda Jackson, collaborated on Linda Jackson’s designs for Jenny Kee’s Flamingo Park boutique, in Sydney, and later Linda’s ’Bush Couture’ label. Curated by cultural historian Dr Sally Gray, the exhibition will trace the ideas and working methods that inspired this fashion collaboration.

Sat Sep 24 – ‘Die Roten Punkte – Super Musician By Otto & Astrid OOOO @ Merrigong Theatre
The award-winning, post-punk musical cabaret comedy sensation is coming to Wollongong!Otto & Astrid are Berlin’s Prince and Princess of art rock and Europop. They are Die Roten Punkte (The Red Dots), self-proclaimed “Best Band in the World”!Orphaned as kids, the brother and sister duo found shelter in a Berlin squat and never rockin’-well looked back.The lipstick-smeared, tantrum-loving duo are truly one of a kind. Astrid’s avant-garde style and legendary antics inspire both reverence and fear, while Otto’s dynamic stage presence brings to mind a whirling dervish on meth.Having recently opened for Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra in Europe, Australia and USA, and with a string of sell-out shows in Edinburgh, Montreal, New York and Dublin, Die Roten Punkte’s SUPER MUSICIAN is a wild, rock ‘n’ roll cabaret ride, full of hilarious, truly catchy and award-winning pop songs. It’s one of the most irreverent and funny gigs you are ever likely to see

Thu Sep 29 – ‘Enough Said’ @ Janes
Pizza. Beer. Poetry.
This month, Enough Said Poetry Slam is hosting a heat for the Australian Poetry Slam (APS)! They will be sending the slam winner to Sydney for the NSW Final to slam with poets from communities all over the state. The winner of the APS National Final goes on an international poetry tour! Find out more at www.australianpoetryslam.com

Thu Sep 29 – 30 – ‘Carnival of the Animals’ @ IMB Theatre
The world-renowned Circa carnival comes to town with whimsical tales of creatures of land and sea, who tumble, fly, leap and spin their way through the many wondrous worlds of the animal kingdom.
Zebras juggle and flip. Kangaroos skip and somersault. There are elephants with street-cred and rhythm – even dinosaur bones shake, clatter and roll to the music. In a delightful salute to feathers, fur and fins, Carnival of the Animals whisks you away on a thrilling circus escapade inspired by the classic music of French composer, Camille Saint-Saëns. Circa’s extraordinary acrobats bring this classical music suite to life for a whole new generation of circus, music and animal lovers.

Thu Sep 29 ‘Book Reading – Blue’ @ Arts Precinct
A reading of Pat Grant’s award-winning graphic novel Blue. This is a live, mixed-media experience with comic-book art projected on the big screen, actors reading the voices and a live musical score. Producer Gabriel Clarke said: “How would I describe the show? It’s a little bit like reading a comic, it’s a little bit like going to see a band, it’s a little bit like listening to a podcast.”

Sat Oct 1 – ‘Hand and Heart Shall’ @ City Gallery (Not Ticketed)
Paintings depicting country by Indigenous artists from Papunya, Yuendumu, Utopia, Hermannsburg, Bathurst and Melville Islands in the Northern Territory and the East Kimberley and Balgo Hills in Western Australia, and the New South Wales South Coast. Artist, curator and academic Garry Jones contemplates the meaning of Country for Aboriginal Australians as expressed in contemporary art practices, and as seen in Country. It will consider the ways in which Aboriginal concepts of Country contrast with Western concepts, and why contemporary Aboriginal art has been critical in advancing mainstream understanding of the enduring relations Aboriginal people have with the land.

Sat Oct 1 – ‘While Locality Falls Country Endures’ @ Wollongong City Gallery
Paintings depicting country by Indigenous artists from Papunya, Yuendumu, Utopia, Hermannsburg, Bathurst and Melville Islands in the Northern Territory and the East Kimberley and Balgo Hills in Western Australia, and the New South Wales South Coast. Artist, curator and academic Garry Jones contemplates the meaning of Country for Aboriginal Australians as expressed in contemporary art practices, and as seen in Country. It will consider the ways in which Aboriginal concepts of Country contrast with Western concepts, and why contemporary Aboriginal art has been critical in advancing mainstream understanding of the enduring relations Aboriginal people have with the land.

+ The Un-Label-able

Sep 23 – Oct 2 – ‘Virtual Reality Installation’ @ Town Hall Underground
Discover the world of virtual reality! Take a tour through the Yours and Owls virtual reality music festival

Sep 23 – Oct 3 – ‘Le Glanuer’ @ Arts Precinct (Not Ticketed)
A creative, vibrant, eclectic market on the south coast, home of local art, craft, design, food, music & sweet vibes! Le Flâneur is ready to welcome Spring,gathering up some delightful foodie friends for the Fringe Festival! The team will be bringing you some deliciously decadent goodies, served to you as you revel with friends under the stars!

Fri Sep 23 – ‘Kingpin, Super Harry Fun Crew & Mondo Deluxe Skate Demo’ @ Arts Precinct
Check out riders from Kingpin, Mondo Deluxe, & Super Happy Fun Crew as they hit the 6ft Half Pipe in the Arts Precinct.

Fri Sep 23 – ‘Eat Street’ @ Lower Mall (Not Ticketed)
Eat Street in Wollongong is a weekly night, hot food market in Crown Street Mall, with a strong focus on international foods that are healthy and made with love. With weekly live music performances and fun cheap street eats, the Eat Street market draws on the university/youth crowd and after 5 workers in the CBD

Sat Sep 24 – ‘Creative Coding’ @ iAccelerate
Jetpack Beluga tackles creative coding and has broken this big topic down into tasty little code snacks for all levels. Come along to find out what creative coding is all about and join in on a workshop that suits your flavour: Artbots with Polygon Door, Game Development using Unity with Devika and NodeSchool with NodeGirls. Have no idea what this means? Perfect. This sounds riiiiiiight up your alley.

Sun Sep 25 – ‘Bush Tucker Tour + Cooking Demonstration with Clarence Slockee & Fred’
Clarence Slockee has worked as an education officer and Indigenous culture advocate at Sydney Botanic Gardens for over a decade. He is more commonly recognised as a host of ABC’s Gardening Australia. Join Clarence for a guided tour of Wollongong Botanic Gardens, Bush Tucker Garden and soak up some indigenous culture as he shares his extensive knowledge of native plants. The tour will be followed by a traditional cooking demonstration with Fred from Fred’s Bush Tucker the art of the original Australian BBQ as we learn how to cook whole Barramundi wrapped in Gymea lily and lemon myrtle and smoked in paperbark. $5 from every ticket will be donated to support a local indigenous youth program.

Mon Sep 26 – ‘Moon Beach’ @ Wollongong Planetarium
Ever wondered why music is a universal language? The answer it turns out, lies in the oldest part of the brain, the part responsible for our emotional world. To help you understand the relationship between those incredible spine tingling musical experiences and the affect it has on human emotions, the team at Yours and Owls have put together a mind blowing art installation for the 2016 Yours and Owls festival.
Set inside a giant geodesic dome, Moon Beach is an extraterrestrial planetary experience, an immersive augmented reality that uses Fulldome projections and specially commissioned musical compositions by three of Australia’s most promising artists in the electronic music genre. Moon Beach invites us all to lose our imagination in space, in search of a deeper understanding of the power and mystery of music and its affect on the human soul. Limited tickets are available for an exclusive preview screening at Wollongong Planetarium.

Wed Sep 28 – ‘Walk, Beer Eat Tour’
A walking tour of 3 beer loving waterholes with the infamous James “Koots” Cayley as tour guide and host. Punters will have the chance to try the Rocks brewing co.’s full range of boutique beers + delicious snacks at each location.

Fri Sep 30 – ‘Dr Karl’ @ Arts Precinct
Everyone’s favourite celebrity scientist will be coming to the ‘gong to do what he does best – making science sexy! Karl popularises science on ABC radio stations across Australia, and on the BBC, for several hours each week. Many of you would be familiar with the original talkback programme each Thursday on triple j. Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, filmmaker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at The Children’s Hospital in Sydney. Dr Karl is currently the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, where his ‘mission’ is to spread the good word about science and its benefits.

Sun Oct 2 – ‘NRL Grand Final Streaming’ @ Arts Precinct
After a long season and thrilling Finals series the NRL’s two best teams will duke it out for rugby league’s ultimate prize.Grab a Beanbag and a beer and watch the Footy Final on the big screen.

We invite you all to get your shimmer on and join us as we bring together not just the best of our coastal town, but Australia and the world and open the doors to our Wollongong!