JAZZ, HIGH TEA, SWORDS AND SPANDEX Festival Of Arts Kicks Off This Week

The Mackay Festival of Arts has begun and the first week will be packed with the soulful Jazz Brunch, awe-inspiring circus Le Coup, the hilarious High Tea with Booff and plenty more.

The first official festival event will transform the MECC into a high-energy spandex romp on Saturday, July 1.  Werk It by Circus Trick Tease is an adults-only circus event that is known for its sass, swagger, colour and acrobatic feats.  

The Friends of the MECC Jazz Brunch, on Sunday, July 2, is a much more relaxed affair.

Mayor Greg Williamson said this year a sensational collaboration between Conjazz, the exceptional Australian jazz vocalist Gregg Arthur and renowned jazz pianist Peter Locke would have the crowd enthralled.

“And, of course, the array of delicious brunch delicacies never disappoints!” he said.

However, the Mayor said the hero event for the first week of the festival was the Whitsunday Wealth Festival Hub.

“The Civic Centre Precinct will transform into a hub of street food, craft beer and sensational entertainment from Monday, July 3, through to Sunday, July 9,” Mayor Williamson said.

“The shows at the Whitsunday Wealth Festival Hub are unlike anything we’ve had before,” he said.

“There’s a lot of excitement around having Le Coup in the Japanese-inspired Ukiyo tent.

“This is a show with a lot of really intense, death-defying stunts – they are swallowing swords, cracking whips and breathing fire.  

“It’s billed as ‘fight night at the circus’ and with the intimate atmosphere of the Ukiyo tent, audiences really will be ringside for the action.”

Festival and Events coordinator Sarah Porter said High Tea with Booff was also an intimate show – one that promised front row seats to every attendee.

“Each show has just 10 tickets; you are literally at a tea party with this eccentric, charming, larger-than-life character named Booff,” Ms Porter said.

“No two shows are the same – he goes off script, improvises and interacts with his audience in a way that is really original and hilarious,” she said.

“Grab your friends and come along, because High Tea with Booff is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.”

Also on show at the Civic Precinct is a captivating digital animation projection.

Crossroad Arts and local new media artist Donna Maree Robinson facilitated a series of workshops with students and community members from all walks of life to create an animated artwork called ‘Time of our Lives’ that will be projected onto the façade of Artspace Mackay.

The artworks are the participant’s interpretation of how they mark time and special occasions and features original artworks by local botanical artist Kate Brunner.

Time of our Lives will be projected from 6pm to 8pm every evening from July 3 to July 9.

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Le Coup will be performing death-defying stunts in the Japanese-inspired Ukiyo tent as part of the Festival of Arts

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