Brisbane Dada

Brisbane Dada (2005)

In 2005, feeling a little bit settled in Brisbane, after a year and a half, we decided once again to shake the Dada tree and see what fell out. With a kickstart from Brisbane City Council (Creative Sparks Grant), we invited some new friends from theatre, visual arts, movement, circus and of course music to participate in a series of Dada and Fluxus inspired events at the Zoo, Queensland Music Festival, and the Judith Wright Centre.

Clocked Out presented Zoo Dada, a multi-arts event featuring rare Dada and Fluxus pieces alongside new, original works by Brisbane's most daring performing and visual artists. Zoo Dada subverted, challenged, confronted, and just poked fun at any and all conventions of art and life. Zoo Dada was multi-layered and chaotic, offering surprising juxtapositions and unexpected happenings. Featuring Dixiedada and her Washboard Band, world premiere of The Pineapple Queen, Dada Drumming, Movement in small spaces with Inflatables, Kurt Schwitters' 1932 classic Ursonate, Optical Juggling, and just in case that wasn't enough, Melbourne avant-hip hop from Old Des Peres!

Who: Playwright Norman Price Performer Lisa O'Neil Mover Jan Baker-Finch Artist Sandra Selig Juggler Davey Sampford Musicians John Rodgers, Erik Griswold, Vanessa Tomlinson, Ba Da Boom, Old Des Peres Photos Sharka Bosakova.
What: Dada inspired performance event.
When & Where:
30 Jun 2005 @ The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

Dada Drumming was a collaboration of composer Erik Griswold, artist Sandra Selig, and Ba Da Boom percussion ensemble (under the direction of Vanessa Tomlinson), which brings together a number of diverse influences including Dada performance, optical art, kinetic sculpture and contemporary percussion. Conceived as a large-scale, site-specific installation, Dada Drumming interacted with the flagcourt of Southbank. The installation functions not merely as a backdrop for the percussionists, but rather as a "meta instrument," visually amplifying the performers' gestures into giant wave-like shapes.

Who: Artist Sandra Selig Composer Erik Griswold Director Vanessa Tomlinson Musicians Ba Da Boom.
What: Site-specific installation and performances.
When & Where: 20 & 22 July @ Queensland Music Festival

Dada Cabaret was an inter-arts series featuring rare Dada and Fluxus pieces alongside new, original works by Brisbane's most daring performing and visual artists. Each week for four weeks we presented works designed to subvert, challenge, confront, and poke fun at all conventions of art and life. Some highlights of the series included Samuel Beckett's "Quad," Jan Baker-Finch's evolving "Life of the fox," compelling improvisations by Lawrence English, Sandra Selig, Elliott Dalgleish and Joel Stern, and the unfolding drama of Norman Price's gripping serial The Pineapple Queen.

Who: Artist Sandra Selig Musicians Lawrence English, Joel Stern, Elliott Dalgleish, Vanessa Tomlinson, Miranda Sue Yek, Erik Griswold Playwright Norman Price Performers Lisa O'Neil, Jan Baker-Finch, Sharka Bosakova.
What: Interarts series inspired by Dada and Fluxus.
When & Where: 29 Jul, 5, 12, 19 Aug @ Judith Wright Centre