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String Symphony by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre | Image: Scott Belzner

As producers of one of Australia’s most exciting place-based contemporary arts festivals, we take pride in the role we play in creating experiences that are authentic to a place.

Placemakers* Gold Coast started as a small fringe festival alongside the World Championship Tour Quiksilver Pro surfing event, held on the Southern Gold Coast.

This festival, BLEACH* Surfing the Fringe, launched in 2012 as a pilot with a budget of $40,000 and attracted an audience of 30,000 over the 16-day duration. The founding director was Louise Bezzina. Its early success demonstrated the strong demand for the performing arts in the Gold Coast region and led to a commitment of ongoing funding and support from the City of Gold Coast.

From humble beginnings, BLEACH* Festival has become one of Australia’s leading and most exciting site-specific contemporary arts festivals and has attracted close to one million people (including Festival 2018, the Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival).

Just as our centrepiece project has grown and evolved over time, so too has our company. Bleached Arts Ltd was formed in 2015 to facilitate the growth of the Festival and sector. Our ability to adapt and respond to this growth continues as we evolve from Bleached Arts to Placemakers* Gold Coast.

Bringing arts & culture to the everyday

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we’re really proud of some other things we have achieved along the way, including these highlights

Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award

In 2019 Bleach* Festival was awarded Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award (Group Award)

Helpmann Award

In 2018, awarded Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production for TIDE, The Farm and Bleach* Festival

Employment of over 6,000 artists

and creatives with more than 3,400 of these being Gold Coast locals

More than $55M

of reported economic impact

More than 850 performances

including World, National and State premieres and over 90 key commissions created

More than $22M

of combined media value

Our partners

TEQ_CORE_WHITE

Placemakers* Gold Coast is supported by the City of Gold Coast as a foundation partner, the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy.

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Yugambeh Language Region and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People of the Gold Coast. We recognise their continuing connection and contributions to country and culture. We pay respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. 

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Placemakers* Gold Coast is supported by the City of Gold Coast as a foundation partner, the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Country on which we live and work. We recognise their continuing connection to place: to the land, the water and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

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