Griffith University will showcase its creative arts offerings at the George Town Festival in Penang, Malaysia, in August.
The Arts, Education and Law Group (AEL) are presenting The Griffith Creative Arts Room as part of the month-long celebration of arts and culture, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. This is the first time a university has been invited to be an official festival partner.
The world-class program offers something for everyone, with an eclectic mix of photography, performance, film and poetry.
Faculty and students from the Queensland College of Art, Griffith Film School, the Queensland Conservatorium, the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, and the School of Education and Professional Studies will represent Griffith University at the festival.
Pro Vice Chancellor (Arts, Education and Law) Professor Paul Mazerolle said Griffith’s involvement in the Georgetown Festival provided a unique opportunity for the University to showcase its expertise and depth in the creative, performing and visual arts.
“Griffith has great strengths in the creative arts, having recently been ranked number one in Australia,” he said.
“The chance to participate in the Georgetown Festival is a unique opportunity that we are very much looking forward to.”
A highlight for visitors will be the opportunity to see the world’s first full-length 3D printed dress and meet its maker, Dr. Samuel Canning, Senior Lecturer at the Queensland College of Art.
Dr. Canning’s stunning dress was featured on the Today Show in the US before hitting catwalks across Europe and Asia.
The high tech couture took 400 hours to design and comprised 25,000 to 30,000 individual pieces – a collaborative international project that highlights the incredible potential of 3D printing technology.
Professor Herman Van Eyken, Head of Griffith Film School, will be in Penang to launch Jalan On the Move, a program of films that showcases Griffith Film School’s connection to the Asia-Pacific.
It will include screenings from some of the region’s most respected film-makers and a series of workshops in virtual reality, motion capture, 3D animation and live action work.
Every picture tells a story at an exhibition by the QCA’s photojournalism students. Cambodia: Witness to Change is an eight-year retrospective that highlights the work produced by photography students during annual in-field trips to Cambodia.
The Queensland Conservatorium ensemble-in-residence, Ensemble Q, will perform and present a series of workshops and masterclasses with musicians of all levels and ages.
Ensemble Q co-founder Paul Dean will also discuss the world premiere of his opera, Dry River Run, which opens at the Queensland Conservatorium on 1 September.
Professor Donna Pendergast, Dean and Head of Griffith University’s School of Education and Professional Studies will be leading a workshop for teachers on Creativity, Neuroscience and Learning.