The full performance program for Asia TOPA (Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts) has been unveiled. Returning after a five-year hiatus and taking place from 20 February – 10 March 2025, Asia TOPA is a city-wide celebration that will bring the very best of Asia-Pacific arts, culture and ideas to Naarm/Melbourne.
The triennial includes three public programming streams: Performance, Nightlife and Knowledge. The headline program for Asia TOPA, the Performance stream features 33 performances, of which 18 are world premieres and 18 have been commissioned as new works by Asia TOPA and Arts Centre Melbourne.
Highlights of the performance program include: Milestone an unmissable triennial opening night performance at Hamer Hall celebrating the work of William Yang, one of Australia’s pioneering Asian-Australian creatives; U>N>I>T>E>D a new international dance and music collaboration at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Gapu Ŋupan (Chasing the Rainbow),a groundbreaking cross-cultural collaboration featuring First Nations artists from Arnhem Land and Taiwan.
Music lovers won’t want to miss Ane Ta Abia, a one-time choral concert featuring artists from Papua New Guinea and Australia, blending powerful vocals with rarely-heard traditional music.
The festival’s innovative Opera for the Dead by Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim explores universal themes of loss and remembrance through an immersive, multimedia performance inspired by Chinese mourning rituals. For an exploration of sound, Water Song by Sunny Kim’s Ensemble Ochaye uses Korean, Chinese, and Iranian instruments in a sonic tribute to water at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Dance takes the spotlight as well. The Pulau (Island) performance, inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s Dots Obsession, is a must-see blend of movement and visual art in the National Gallery of Victoria.
Theatre enthusiasts will find Asia TOPA 2025’s lineup rich with bold, evocative performances that challenge and entertain.
A Nighttime Travesty brings a fresh take on vaudeville through a First Nations lens, blending satire, music, and powerful social commentary in a production that has garnered rave reviews since its debut.
Another theatrical highlight, The Robot Dog, is a darkly humorous glimpse into a future shaped by technology, created by Hong Kong-born artist Roshelle Yee Pui Fong and Luritja writer Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan. This play delves into the ethics and absurdities of artificial intelligence in an all-too-believable world.
At Footscray Community Arts, One Day We’ll Understand explores memory, family legacy, and identity through multimedia storytelling, using archival footage and live music to bring a personal yet universal narrative to life.
The theatre program is further enriched by Tiny, Fluffy, Sweet, an adorable yet insightful commentary on internet culture and society’s fascination with cute animals, directed by Ran Chen. Each production brings a unique voice and perspective, offering audiences a chance to connect with diverse stories and thought-provoking themes, making Asia TOPA 2025 a must for theatre lovers.
For families, Goldfish promises a mesmerising puppetry experience crafted with disaster recovery materials unique to Melbourne. Whether through music, dance, or interactive installations, Asia TOPA 2025 is a vibrant celebration of Asia-Pacific art and an invitation to experience Melbourne’s cultural dynamism.
Asia TOPA’s Nightlife program – a late-night collision of contemporary art and club culture – will be announced next month on 10 December 2024. The triennial’s Knowledge program – artist-in-conversation and workshop events – will be announced on 14 January 2025.
For more information visit asiatopa.com.au.
