Next Wave Festival 2016 Program Announced

Melbourne's biennial Next Wave Festival returns in 2016 and this year, 36 world premieres will feature across the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung lands from 5-22 May. 

The festival, which promotes work from young and emerging artists, has been curated in clusters of free and ticketed events. 

This year sees 75% of all projects led by women, while 20% of works will be led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

"There are many issues facing society which can be difficult to understand and live comfortably within," Artistic Director Georgie Meagher said. 

"We are embracing confusion and disagreement in this Festival, bringing together artists that push us to think about the relations between our lives, our politics and our universe."

Among this year's highlights include a personal meditation practise and delicate artworks by WA visual artist Katie West, Annaliese Constable's hilarious and brutally honest performance on parenting and childhood, Mummy Dearest, a cross-cultural work by deaf and hearing dancers from The Delta Project and a 24-hour performance by Nat Randall, who will repeatedly act out a single scene inspired by John Cassavetes' cult film, Opening Night, opposite 100 different male leads.

The 2016 festival will also feature a series of Indigenious language workshops and a new program for writers with disability initiative.

To check out the full program, head to the Next Wave Festival website.