Many major seasons are often held in Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Lyric Theatre each year, and many of these see QPAC fill the role of a venue for hire, with other producers responsible for the delivery of the production. This does not imply that QPAC doesn’t serve as a presenter and/or producer for a range of productions each year, either in standalone seasons or as part of one of their mainline events such as Out of the Box Festival and Clancestry. Yet, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, arguably the organisation’s flagship event – the QPAC International Series is set to return from 31 May 2025 to 7 June 2025. Once again bringing one of the world’s premier ballet companies to Brisbane, this time audiences will get to enjoy a return of Ballet Preljocaj, presenting the iconic work, Swan Lake. However, what if you reside in the region and cannot make it to Brisbane for the season?
For those unable to attend the Brisbane season in person, QPAC has announced an extensive free community engagement program to make Swan Lake accessible to audiences across Queensland. From Friday, 13 June to Sunday, 15 June, seventeen regional venues will host exclusive screenings of Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake, captured live at QPAC with accompaniment by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. These screenings, held in locations ranging from Maryborough and Mount Isa to Noosa and the Gold Coast, will provide a rare opportunity for regional audiences to experience an international ballet production, without the need to travel to the state’s capital. Venues interested in joining the broadcast network are invited to submit an expression of interest via QPAC’s website.
A full list of confirmed venues as of writing includes:
- Brolga Theatre, Maryborough
- Dalby Players Little Theatre, Dalby
- Forest View Residential Aged Care, Wondai
- Gladstone Entertainment Centre, Gladstone
- Kingaroy Performing Arts Centre, Kingaroy
- Leichhardt Centre, Miles
- HOTA Cinema, Gold Coast
- Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre, Mackay
- Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, Bundaberg
- Mount Isa Civic Centre, Mount Isa
- Nanango Cultural Centre, Nanango
- Proserpine Entertainment Centre, Proserpine
- Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland
- Roma Cultural Centre, Roma
- Studio 188, Ipswich
- The Clink Theatre, Port Douglas
- The J, Noosa
Those in Brisbane will have additional opportunities to take advantage of Ballet Preljocaj’s residency in Brisbane, regardless of whether you attend a performance or not. In collaboration with Alliance Française de Brisbane, QPAC will host a free public screening of La Force de l’âge (The Prime of Life) in the Lyric Theatre on Monday 2 June. Directed by Valérie Müller, the documentary follows more than 300 seniors as they audition to perform in a new work choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj at the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris. A panel discussion will follow the screening, featuring Müller and Preljocaj, along with Dance for Parkinson’s Australia’s Erica Rose Jeffrey and Queensland Ballet’s Zara Gomes. Moderated by ABC presenter Rebecca Levingston, this discussion will offer insights into the intersection of dance, aging, and community engagement. Free tickets will be available from 9 am on Friday 2 May.
Brisbane audiences attending the Lyric Theatre performances of Swan Lake can also look forward to a series of post-show conversations with Ballet Preljocaj artists and other experts from the fields of orchestral music, dance, and academia. These discussions will be held after select performances on Saturday, 31 May (1.30pm), Tuesday, 3 June (6.30pm), and Friday, 6 June (7.30pm), providing deeper context around the production’s development, themes, and choreography.
In addition to these audience-facing events, Ballet Preljocaj will work directly with the local dance sector during their time in Queensland. Dancers from the company will lead masterclasses for Queensland dance groups, helping foster artistic exchange and development within the state’s creative community.
In a statement, QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy emphasised the organisation’s commitment to ensuring the widest possible access to world-class arts experiences.
When we bring companies like Ballet Preljocaj to QPAC, which are the best in the world at what they do, we want to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to experience their work.
Angelin and Ballet Preljocaj completely throw out the rules of ballet, and whether you are witnessing their magic in the theatre or on the big screen, I am confident audiences will be challenged and inspired by this new interpretation of a masterpiece.
We couldn’t reach such broad audiences without the collaboration of our partner venues across Queensland; and we’re incredibly grateful for their shared passion for the arts and applaud their commitment to ensuring their communities can experience this internationally acclaimed company.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s Minister for the Arts, John-Paul Langbroek, echoed the importance of the initiative and its role in driving both cultural and economic outcomes for the state:
Since its inception in 2009, the International series has engaged almost 185,000 people and injected more than $32 million into Queensland’s economy
QPAC’s free program of community events will support audiences across the state to come together to engage with Ballet Preljocaj’s spectacular interpretation of Swan Lake.
The Crisafulli Government is committed to ensuring all Queenslanders have access to the very best arts and cultural experiences, particularly as we continue to build up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
