University ignites for Festival opening

Brett Sheehy, Artistic Director of the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, outside the University of Adelaide's Elder Hall in preparation for tonight's opening of Northern Lights.
Photo by Russell Millard, courtesy of The Advertiser.
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Bonython Hall under the Northern Lights
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Friday, 29 February 2008

The University of Adelaide is sharing centre stage in tonight's official launch of the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts.

The Festival begins with the ignition of the public light installation Northern Lights, which features the beautiful North Terrace cultural boulevard, including three of the University's historic buildings - the Mitchell Building, Elder Hall and Bonython Hall - as they've never been seen before.

From tonight and every night throughout the Festival, the buildings will be "painted with light and coloured with life", along with some of the city's other historic architectural icons, the State Library of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, and the Art Gallery of South Australia.

It's all thanks to artists from the internationally acclaimed The Electric Canvas, who are transforming the facades of these familiar buildings.

Tonight's Ignition takes place at 9.00pm, with North Terrace closed to traffic from Kintore Avenue to Pulteney Street from 6.00pm.

From 6-9pm tonight, Festival exhibitions and events will be held at various locations on North Terrace including, in Elder Hall, 'The Imaginary Menagerie - A Musical Circus'.

Classical music, jazz and computer technology combine in an exploration of the outer limits of contemporary musical performance featuring staff, students and graduates of the University's Elder Conservatorium of Music.

Jazz saxophonist Derek Pascoe and composer and new media artist Luke Harrald will be joined by an imaginary menagerie of performing emus, robots, genetically engineered mutants and some of Adelaide's leading contemporary musicians in a musical circus that will surprise, amaze and delight.

The Imaginary Menagerie will be held tonight, Friday 29 February, in three 20-minute live performances at 7.00, 7.40 and 8.20pm in Elder Hall. Admission is free.

Throughout the Festival, Northern Lights starts at dusk and runs until 2.00am, and continues each night until 16 March.

Northern Lights is free and open to the public, and is supported by the State Library of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.

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