Summer sessions at Geelong Arts Centre

IN JUST one week Geelong Arts Centre will raise the curtain on its highly anticipated 2021 summer season, The Summer Sessions.

Proudly supported by the Victorian Government and Major Artistic Partner, Deakin University, the exciting event will run from February 5 to 20 and will include an array of dazzling performances and creative, educational activities outdoors as live arts makes its long-awaited return.

With 15 dynamic, dazzling acts from country to classics, right through to comedy, and a range of creative industries networking events, the dynamic Summer Sessions program has something for everyone, no matter their taste.

Hosted beneath the canopy of theatre’s iconic Big Top – located on the beautiful Rippleside Park foreshore – there will be stunning views, food truck with tacos and quesadillas from the team at Sidewalk Cantina, barbecue bliss slung by Adrian Lal and the team at The Gypsy’s Lunchbox, and a fully-stocked bar to enhance your entertainment experience.

If it’s fun for the whole family you are after, join Yella, Reddy and Blueno, as they help each other navigate the challenges little children face daily in A Day In The Life of You! or take the household wheelie bin to new heights with slapstick circus routine Trash Test Dummies. Popcorn and sweet treats will be available for the young (and young-at-heart).

Looking to laugh until you cry? Two of Australia’s funniest, Cal Wilson and Claire Hooper, are in red-hot form and ready to bring the funny back to Geelong for a live and hilarious comedy double header. Or, after the challenges of 2020, maybe you’re wondering if you are doing it right? In her comedic cabaret, I Have A Face, Jude Perl’s insight into her personal and relatable mental health struggles of being an adult will make you want to sing along, cry and laugh all at once.

Be mesmerised by the visceral physicality and ambitious concepts of stunning acrobatic group, One Fell Swoop Circus, as they uncover the intrinsic metaphor within circus to create a stark yet beautiful audience experience. Or perhaps something a little bit razzle dazzle is more your style.

A prolific original music and theatre creator, post-post-modern diva Meow Meow will hypnotise, inspire and terrify, while Geelong Arts Centre veteran and Australian Queen of Cabaret, Dolly Diamond, pays tribute to the queen of country music, Dolly Parton, with Parton Me.

Too many fantastic shows to choose from? Bundle and save with The Summer Sessions Flexi-Value Packages. Purchase two-plus shows to save 5 per cent or four-plus shows to save 10 per cent. There are also special packages available for Valentine’s Day – check website for details.

“We are thrilled and excited to showcase the creative talent of some incredible artists and safely celebrate this milestone of returning to live audiences
with generous support from the Victorian Government,” Geelong Arts Centre chief Joel McGuinness said.

Committed to providing a safe social experience, Geelong Arts Centre scrupulously adheres to COVIDSafe practices, including the mandatory wearing of face masks, provision of ample sanitisation stations and design of physically distanced performance spaces for audiences.

While physical distancing is imperative, arts lovers and theatre-goers can feel confident that Geelong Arts Centre staff have done everything possible to ensure a return to live arts is a sanitised, fun and social one.

Tickets to the Geelong Arts Centre’s Summer Sessions are on sale now – don’t miss out! Visit the website at geelongartscentre.org.au/summer-sessions-2021 to browse the stellar line-up and secure your seats.