Hijinx has announced a line-up of inclusive and disability artists from Wales, the UK, Europe and beyond who will come to perform at the Hijinx Unity Festival in Cardiff from 27th June – 3rd July.
The Festival brings a fantastic mixture of the best in international inclusive and disability arts. This year we have: crazy circus, roaming theatre, dancers and musicians, walkabout Shakespeare, spooky late-night cabaret, a tequila infused homage to Frida Kahlo and a two-foot tall mouthy puppet called Fred.
Performers from Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Ethiopia and the UK will perform at the Festival from 27th June – 3rd July in Cardiff’s vibrant City Centre, at the city’s award winning pub theatre The Other Room and at the iconic Wales Millennium Centre.
Hijinx Unity Festival is created by Welsh theatre company Hijinx to give a high profile platform to stunning work made by disabled and non-disabled artists working together as equals.
Through a high quality programme of performing arts, the Festival promotes positive images of disability and social inclusion to audiences and has grown to attract over 10,000 visitors a time since its creation in 2008.
Caroline Bowditch
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights of the 2016 line-up include a weekend of free performances on The Hayes, Cardiff City Centre on 2-3 July. Much of The Hayes, from Hills Street to Cardiff Central Library will be transformed into an eye-catching performance space that will see audiences immersed in dance, theatre, comedy and circus acts each day from 11am through to 6pm.
The weekend will include a walkabout production of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ by Cardiff based Taking Flight Theatre co; tyre-based zany circus with France’s Zim Zam; German theatre company Blaumeier-Atelier’s hilarious walkabout with ‘ The Chambermaids’; The UK’s Kazzum dancing with sofa’s in ‘Sprung’ andHijinx’s own pop-up theatre shows ‘The Pods’, to name but a few acts.
Wednesday 29th July offers two chances to see a free performance by world-leading, London based Candoco Dance Company performing a new love duet choreographed by Arlene Phillips CBE.
The Festival also offers a ticketed programme of performances at the Wales Millennium Centre from 29 June – 2 July, where audiences will be treated to a world premiere of Sweden based Moomsteatern’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s ‘A Dream Play’; powerful and fun Flamenco with Seville’s Compañía Danza Mobile; Glasgow based Caroline Bowditch’s award winning ‘Falling in love with Frida’, based on the life, love and legacy of painter Frida Kahlo andHijinx together with world-renowned Told by an Idiot’s late night daring cabaret, ‘Cabaret of Blood’ .
‘MEET FRED’ AT THE FESTIVAL
Following a successful Spring South Wales tour and prior to appearing at the Edinburgh Festival in August, the Festival will open with ‘Meet Fred’ by Hijinx in association with Blind Summit. “Highly entertaining, moving, and brilliantly produced” (Wales Arts Review), ‘Meet Fred’ is comedy theatre featuring a two-foot tall cloth puppet, who just wants to be part of the real world. Performing at The Other Room Theatre, dates are available from 23rd June to 2nd July.
SCHOOLS’ DAY
For the second time, the Festival includes a Schools’ Day for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils focussed on inclusive performance, to inspire the next generation about the abilities of people who live with a disability.
FUNDERS
The Hijinx Unity Festival is made possible thanks to funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and the Arts Council of Wales, giving audiences the opportunity to enjoy inclusive and disability arts from a large number of UK and international companies.
Ben Pettitt-Wade, Hijinx’s Artistic Director commented: Once again I am extremely proud of the programme we have pulled together; we hope there is something for everyone. I’m especially looking forward to our late night programme from 9pm in the National Dance Company of Wales’s Blue Room, because I know the shows from Caroline Bowditch and our collaboration with Told by an Idiot will be fantastic fun, but also we are having a bar installed in the space so you can enjoy the show with a drink at the end of a long day at the festival.
Louise Miles-Crust from Wales Millennium Centre commented: We are thrilled to be working with Hijinx on this year’s Hijinx Unity Festival. The line-up of UK and international acts visiting the Centre is once again of excellent quality. I’m particularly excited to see the world premiere of Sweden’s Moomsteatern’s atmospheric adaptation of August Strindberg’s ‘A Dream Play’ as well as the return of Compañía Danza Mobile, bringing their high-octane flamenco back to the Centre.
Tickets
Tickets are on sale now and are available from Wales Millennium Centre on 02920 636464 and at wmc.org.uk.
The Hijinx Unity Festival Ticket at £25 gives access to all four Festival shows at the Wales Millennium Centre and is available to buy in person at the venue or over the phone.
Tickets for Meet Fred are available from The Other Room at Porters on 0333 666 3366 and at otherroomtheatre.com.
For the full programme and more information on the Festival including information on accessibility, see www.hijinxunity.org.uk.