BLAKOUT 2.0

Date

Fri 2 - Sat 3 May

Venue

The Uncle Jack Charles The Merlyn
Malthouse
113 Sturt Street, Southbank, VIC 3006

BLAKOUT is an illustrious celebration of queer First Nations, Pasifika and Southeast Asian communities living in so-called Australia.
Dance
Music
World Premiere

Green room Award winner for Best Outstanding Ensemble at YIRRAMBOI 2023, BLAKOUT returns to YIRRAMBOI, boldly redefining shared queer and cultural experiences.

Weaving together ancestral knowledge and storytelling from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations, transcending borders to Global First Nations communities, the opulent nations of Southeast Asia, to the archipelagos of the Pacific, and back to the vibrant ballroom scene in Harlem, New York, this cabaret will showcase blak and brown queer excellence.

This ground-breaking global iteration blends contemporary art practices, weaving movement, ballroom, culture, music and storytelling into a mesmerising showcase of identity, resilience and undeniable essence.

BLAKOUT 2.0 celebrates the integrations of identity and queerness with unapologetic vibrancy and innovation for a night centred around cultural queer liberation.

Platforming global connections across the Pacific to Turtle Island, BLAKOUT 2.0 features special international guest artist Waawaate Fobister, the renowned 2-Spirit Anishinaabe dancer, playwright, and performer from Asubpeeschoseewagong.

Performance Details

Venue

The Uncle Jack Charles The Merlyn

Malthouse

113 Sturt Street, Southbank, VIC 3006


Dates & Times

Fri 2 May 9pm Sat 3 May 9pm 60 minutes, no interval


Tickets

Blaktix $20 General $45 YIRRAMBOI Fan $65 Ticketing & Accessibility enquiries Venue Phone: (03) 9685 5111 Venue Email:  boxoffice@malthousetheatre.com.au 

Artist Information

Curator and Director

Ella Ganza, Samoan


Lead Choreographer 

Joshua Taliani, Bidjara/Kullali/Wakka Wakka


International Guest Artist

Waawaate Fobister, Anishinaabe


Lead Producer

Alekisio Ngauamo, Tongan


Artist Bio

House of Alexander House of Alexander is Meanjin’s trailblazing ballroom house, founded in 2019 by Ella Ganza (mother of the House of Alexander) with Joshua Taliani (father of the House of Alexander). Voguing ballrooms were born in the vibrant streets of Harlem, New York by black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities out of oppression. Today, ballroom is more than a competition. It’s a way of life and an act of survival for marginalised voices in our community. The House of Alexander brings ballroom to the thriving Meanjin scene to empower and reclaim the autonomies of our people, celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes and all gender identities.

The audience will have both sitting and standing options.

  • Auslan Interpreted

    Auslan Interpreted

  • Accessible Bathroom

  • Wheelchair Accessible

    Wheelchair Accessible

  • Relaxed space available

Co-commissioned by YIRRAMBOI 2025 and Arts Centre Melbourne.

Presented by YIRRAMBOI, in association with Malthouse Theatre.

We thank the Canada Council for the Arts for supporting BLAKOUT 2.0’s International Guest Artist. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

This production contains smoke or haze, coarse language, strobe lighting, adult content and very loud or dynamic sound. Recommended for audiences 18 years and older.

Partners