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.
In 2019 Bleach* Festival was awarded Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award (Group Award)
In 2018, awarded Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production for TIDE, The Farm and Bleach* Festival
and creatives with more than 3,400 of these being Gold Coast locals
of reported economic impact
including World, National and State premieres and over 90 key commissions created
of combined media value