HORIZON ON THE

Deb Caruso previews what’s on the horizon for the Sunshine Coast’s leading Arts and Cultural Festival.

Horizon Festival returns to full force in 2021 with a mind-blowing program that promises to be nothing short of spectacular!

In its sixth year, the Festival will build on its reputation as the premier Arts and Cultural Festival on the Sunshine Coast with a 10-day celebration of the arts, where local and national artists come together to offer vibrant, immersive and entertaining experiences for all ages, from Aug 27–5 Sept.

While the full festival program will be announced after this edition has gone to print, the sneak peek has me superexcited and you will be too!

Visual art, music, theatre, dance, words + ideas, film and creative workshops inspired by the stories and beauty of the Sunshine Coast will surprise and delight people of all ages. There are some big (and cheeky!) surprises planned as well as free community events that are totally world-class and designed to honour and celebrate our local community!

Enough teasing, here’s what I can say…

Venues will range from existing event

In 2020 with the restrictions of COVID-19, Festival organisers delivered what they could in a digital format. This had the added benefit of reaching a global audience and the elements that worked, such as Short Films and Conversation; and Spoken Word performances will continue to have an integrated digital presence with a line-up featuring inspirational stories; hysterical performances and heartwarming yarns.

The Festival Hub will be world-class and unlike anything seen on the Sunshine Coast before! Live music, DJs, food trucks and a fully-serviced bar will service the showcase venue that will be home to breathtaking, sassy and riotous world-class performances. I can’t officially say any more on the ‘brief’ lest I risk airing ‘dirty laundry’ (hint hint).

The kids are the big winners with an array of shows, activities and workshops for locals and their families to play, make, dance, sing, laugh and learn.

Common People Dance Eisteddfod will see the Sunshine Coast Dance Gladiators go head-on against other regions in a storm of sequins, sweat and spandex in one mighty dance battle-royale!

The brainchild of Rock Eisteddfod rejectee Neridah Waters, Common People Dance Project invites locals of all ages and all abilities to join the polyester and puffy sleeved-crew to participate in fun weekly dance classes that will culminate in a dance-off for all to witness.

Term Two starts on Monday 12 July with the weekly classes creating a series of over-the-top dance routines to some

For the full Horizon Festival program after 16 June head to www.horizonfestival.com.au or scan the QR code. For highlights and exclusive ticket giveaways be sure to follow @hellosunshinemag of the greatest hits of the ‘80s and ‘90s in homage to the legendary Rock Eisteddfods of decades past.

Up Next. Watch as age collides with experience in a joyous and revealing one-hour tell-all, where adults take a backseat as a powerful group of local youths drop some truths… and the mic.

Combining anonymous submissions with high-impact video, I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You is a unique theatrical experience – a conversation built around three key starting points: what you’ve been told, what you know to be true, and what you want to believe.

Built in collaboration with the awardwinning theatre team from The Good Room, a Queensland-based performance collective who use the anonymous experiences of ordinary people to create extraordinary theatre works, I’ve Been Meaning To Ask You, presented at The Events Centre will see young and old come together to tackle the big (and little) questions that life throws at us.

Continuing on from a hugely successful series in 2020, Homegrown 2021 will again place local artists at the front, providing a platform for sharing the stories important to the people and places of the Sunshine Coast.

Discover the joy of learning largerthan-life choreographed group routines and lose yourself in OTT dance mania! Registrations are now open.

I’ve Been Meaning To Ask You is a riotous theatrical experience full of questions asked by young people, and answered by adults, such as: Why do you have to go to work? How come adults drink to have fun? Is 50 too old to learn to surf? What was life like before the Internet?

The big, innocent and inane questions will be delivered in high energy performances by local children aged 9-to-13-year-olds and answered inside a theatre-turned-playground-turnedbattleground transformed by Generation

Following a call out for submissions last year for locals working in visual arts, dance, theatre and music; four incredible projects have been selected from the overwhelmingly high quality of presentations received. Which ones got the gong? Well, just like the rest of the Festival plans, the who, what, where and how will be revealed with the program launch. Check the Horizon Festival website, social media channels and subscribe to the e-newsletter for the latest and keep your eye on our social media pages to win exclusive tickets!

As the saying goes, “keep your eye on the horizon!”

REGISTER NOW! Common People Dance Eisteddfod

All ages and abilities have the chance to groove and prove that anyone can dance up a storm! It’s going to be awesome. There’ll be weekly rehearsals. There’ll be half time oranges. There’ll be dress ups. Grab your crew, bring your mum, or come along solo.

Wed 14 July-Wed 15 Sept.

$150 including a custom-made costume (under 12 yrs is free) www.horizonfestival.com.au