Show Notes
“Like anybody who puts any creative vision out into the world, there’s that moment when your heart skips a beat: Are people going to like this? Does it resonate? Does it do all of the things it needs to?”
Louise Bezzina knows a thing or two about creative programming. She’s produced work that required shark mitigation, always has a rain contingency and only weeks away from unveiling her inaugural Brisbane Festival program in 2020, watched as the COVID pandemic turned everything on its head. Undeterred, Louise and her team curated a reimagined Brisbane Festival, a beacon of hope in a challenging time.
On the eve of her third Brisbane Festival, Louise reflects on the inspiration and innovation that continues to shape the 2022 program. She discusses the challenges of presenting a Festival that truly reflects the essence of Brisbane, one she defines as “dynamic optimism”.
“You don’t want to be a cookie-cutter version of every other Festival or arts program. You need to find a way to give it a personality that feels distinctly of this place.”
In this episode, Louise reveals how she draws on instinct, local knowledge, community and connection to program a Festival of and for its time and place. Exploring her formative tenure as Founder and Artistic Director of Bleach – The Gold Coast Festival, Louise explains the origins of her fascination with developing site-specific work and commissioning performances in non-traditional venues
“That’s the great gift of a Festival: to push ourselves, to push artists, to push companies to make work that they couldn’t make at any other time of the year.”
Brisbane Festival returns to fill the city with three weeks of wonder, delight and celebration from 2 – 24 September 2022. For information and tickets, visit
brisbanefestival.com.au
Beginners’ Call records on Turrbal and Yugerra country in Meanjin, Brisbane. Brisbane Festival recognises the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples play in our creative, artistic and celebration spaces and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
Podcast Host: Adam Brunes (
Aruga)
What is Beginners’ Call?
Beginners’ Call takes audiences backstage and behind-the-scenes of Brisbane Festival, Queensland’s largest and much-loved celebration of arts and culture.
Meet the makers and hear from the artists; discover and critique new work; slip into the rehearsal room and stand in the wings as we give audiences unprecedented access to Queensland’s most anticipated event of the year.
Beginners’ Call shares the stories of actors and musicians, reveals the inspiration that drives creators and producers and explores the breadth and diversity of the 2022 Brisbane Festival program.
Quiet on set, the show’s about to start…