As winter arrives, so too will Rising, a festival unique to Melbourne, comprising 225 events – including 22 commissions and 14 world premieres – featuring 801 local and international artists, who will take the city as their canvas, transforming its streets, gardens, carparks, waterways and rooftops in an explosion of culture aimed squarely at the heart of Melbourne’s night-time scene.
Gideon Obarzanek has spent his life immersed in the world of dance and theatre. “When I was a child, I did quite a lot of folk and Israeli dancing, and I grew up on a kibbutz in Israel until I was eight,” he told The AJN.
“I think my dancing really came, initially, from a cultural background, and then I moved into the professional world.”
Obarzanek – who founded the dance company Chunky Move in 1995 – has curated and directed several festivals and won numerous awards, and is bringing Rising to Melbourne, alongside co-artistic director Hannah Fox.
“We haven’t worked together in the past, but we’ve been in each other’s orbits for quite a while, and we have quite a few artistic colleagues who have worked with both of us in the past,” Obarzanek explained. “So, when the opportunity came to begin this new festival in Melbourne, we decided to approach it together as a dynamic duo rather than individual directors.”
A dynamic duo indeed.
Fox brings a wealth of experience in music and visual and public arts, while Obarzanek has, of course, dance and theatre.
Following a competitive process, Obarzanek and Fox landed the gig.
“A lot of the shows we’re presenting are actually things that we have produced, rather than a long list or catalogue of existing shows. And it really is designed to show off what we have right here in Melbourne, that can’t be experienced anywhere else. But at the same time, reconnecting to the world after a long time apart and bringing some great international artists and works,” Obarzanek said.
While the festival was due to debut in 2020 it was, of course, postponed due to COVID-19. So, while they didn’t plan it to be the case, Rising 2022 is actually the inaugural festival, three years in the making.
Obarzanek acknowledges that while we’re not out of the COVID-19 woods yet, there is a sense of freedom in the air, and festivals like Rising are the perfect way to dip your toe back into the arts and theatre world.
“I think we’re in a time of kind of a low-level anxiety, that is sort of in the background. And I think it’s really important for the city to come together after a long time apart,” he said.
“We were always planning and working on this festival during the pandemic, so a lot of our big-scale events are open. They’re along the river. They’re at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, in this big car park in Chinatown – really fantastic places unique to Melbourne. But also, big, and open spaces for people to come and enjoy, and be secure that they’re going to be having a great time in open spaces that are designed exactly for that.”
With 225 events, it can be hard to choose a favourite, but Obarzanek only hesitated slightly when he started listing his choices.
Of course, he mentioned The Wilds, which he described as “a microcosm of Rising” with shows, participation, food, and drinks, which can all be enjoyed in one place.
With his dance background, Obarzanek also mentions Multitud from Uruguayan choreographer Tamara Cubas, which is a performance very close to his heart. Cubas works with 70 participants from Melbourne with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities, to examine the power that lies within bodies and what happens when that power collides.
Obarzanek finally mentions powerful and mesmerising multimedia dance production, Jurrungu ngan-ga, describing it as “a beautiful First Peoples dance theatre performance that brings a great cast from around the country” and saying, “It’s not shy of its political position, but also has an extraordinary emotional impact in its performance.”
As to how the pair curated the exceptional program, Obarzanek explained it was a matter of three distinct themes. First, a sense of place, giving people a unique experience to Melbourne. Also, stories of “now” – what’s going on around the world that touch us all and concern us all.
And finally, new experiences.
“There’s a lot of commissions, there’s a lot of premieres. We wanted to really use public space, and we wanted to create large beacon kind of events and experiences that people who don’t necessarily feel that the gallery, the theatre or the concert hall are places that they frequent, could enjoy really high-quality works, events and shows,” Obarzanek said.
At the end of the day, Obarzanek and Fox simply want you to enjoy what’s on offer.
They want you to emerge from your hideaways, get lost and go deep, diving headfirst into the world of art and performance, visiting a city reawakened.
Rising runs from June 1-12. For more information and tickets, visit rising.melbourne
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