2 June 2023

Pop Up Party in Haig Park tonight bringing drag, cabaret, music and fire

| James Day
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Woman arching her back with a flame coming off her belly with a set of open curtains revealing a carousel in the background.

At their first show in Garema Place, audiences laid witness to a fiery display from circus performers who’ve headlined shows across the country. Photo: Jazida Productions.

The third instalment of Jazida Production‘s free Pop-Up parties is happening tonight at Haig Park. The event’s performers have already toured the country, earning a mass of praise at the Adelaide Fringe Festival before coming back to the capital to bring a litany of entertainment options.

Region spoke with its curator and MC Rachel Reid about what people can expect at this jam-packed event and how they can get involved.

READ ALSO Reconciliation Day celebrations bring thousands to Arboretum in winter sunshine

The events became possible after a recent grant from the ACT government with the intention of “drawing people into the city by creating memorable experiences”, as Rachel puts it.

“Nothing brings the community together better than live art and it’s my absolute favourite way to light up the city in a way that appeals so many people, no matter their walks of life!”

Woman dancing on top of a giant martini glass with curtains and a carousel in the background.

Amongst the performances is n acrobatic dance around one giant Martini glass. Photo: Jazida Productions.

Two events have run already in Garema Place (21 April) and Glebe Park (12 May), so organisers know their show will wow the audience. Along with a DJ Dance Party, there’ll be a full one and a half hour show with a rotating cast of performers adept in a variety of art forms.

So far the party has shown Canberra audiences fire eating, drag, cabaret, hip-hop, belly and fan dancing, as well as a flash mob which attendees can volunteer and prepare for ahead of time thanks to their series of instructional choreography videos.

“It’s not just kids who join either, there’s a few adults who really take the time nail that boogie which has been super fun and wholesome”, says Rachel.

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There is also, for the first time, an interactive arts and crafts element to the party where people can decorate a thematically designed chair and archway. This is left behind in each location for a few weeks as a dedicated community artwork. Rachel says,

“The theme tonight is nature, so people have a variety of tapestries like leaves and branches to design the pieces.

“We also have a beautiful First Nations singer performing specifically for Reconciliation Week tonight. She’s been with us throughout all the events and continues to dazzle us with her voice.”

A mother and her child weave ribbons through a chair in Garema Place.

The last party at Garema Place had a rainbow theme as seen here with the array of colourful ribbons decorating the chair as a community art piece. Photo: Jazida Productions.

On top of everything else there’s a game where, if an audience member correctly guesses the song played by the DJ, they will win a goodie bag, spin a wheel and choose who performs next.

Beyond this evening’s event at Haig Park, which kicks off at 5pm and is expected to finish around 8:30pm, there will be another party at Garema Place (23 June) and Civic Square (14 July). To find more information on the event you can visit Jazida Production’s website here.

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