Brisbane Festival starts in just a few days, and multiple dance shows this year are set to highlight the importance of diversity and representation in the arts.
One of those shows is Private View. Private View starts 18 September and aims to challenge myths and misconceptions about disability and sexuality. Billed as “an intimate exploration of unspoken stories and secret longing”, the show features dancers with and without disabilities from Restless Dance Theatre.
Private View invites audiences to become voyeurs; to observe people in their domestic spaces and discover their romantic dreams and hidden desires.
Director Michelle Ryan has spoken previously about the need to open up safe spaces to have conversations about sex and disability, saying “we have been trained not to talk about it”.
Private View is sensory friendly; book tickets at the Brisbane Festival website.
Another show, Lighting the Dark, was created by Chris Dyke, a dancer and choreographer living with Down Syndrome alongside dancers from Dancenorth Ensemble.
The show is described as a “profoundly moving and life-affirming adventure through the world” and features homages to Banksy, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.
The performances are sensory friendly and features a quiet room. Book tickets to Lighting the Dark here.