Looking back on the year that was, last December M10 undertook the execution of publicity – as agency of record for HOTA – Home of the Arts – for their bold and diverse 15-day cultural celebration – HOME.
The HOME series featured 20 exciting events and activities from December 1 to 15 and provided a place for people of all ages and backgrounds to come home and celebrate the end of the year.
The program was the first of its kind for HOTA and M10 worked alongside the programming and marketing teams over 3 months to cultivate over 60 PR opportunities to drive awareness of the many varied offerings.
This pastiche of arts, culture, performance and exhibition delivered a diverse experiential ‘punch’; a collaboration of multiple talents to draw together a program like no other on the Gold Coast.
Here are the highlights of the program…
The series kicked off on December 1 with the Gold Coast’s first Roots Music Festival featuring a star-studded line up of artists. Little Georgia, Karl S Williams, Boddy Alu and Band of Frequencies came together for one night to celebrate local musical talent, good food and cultural diversity.
The Hot Brown Honey gang packed a punch of womanpower and politics, before video DJ, Yo! Mafia brought the house down with an after party to remember.
The ultimate dance party, Dance Beneath the Stars, hosted by Everybody NOW’s Ian Pidd, saw HOTA lay out the dance floor and hang up the lights to surprise and delight guests with dance workshops, vintage dance and all-on-the-floor freestyle dance workshops with live music by Hot Potato Band.
Street theatre favourites, OSADIA, roamed the parklands over the 5 days picking participants to transform hair into sculptural works of art.
Local artists were celebrated inside the black box theatre with thought-provoking performances by, Mapped GC 2040, drag and burlesque smackdown, Rumble! and home-grown hilarious cabaret, The UnReal Real Housewives of the Gold Coast.
December 7 was a huge night with wildly popular New Zealand band, SIX60, performing their sold-out show on the Outdoor Stage to a crowd of thousands who were lucky enough to get a ticket!
HOTA was transformed into a skate mecca for Concrete Culture, a family event that celebrated the Gold Coast’s skate culture with workshops by Rock’n’Slide, demos by Precinct Skate Shop, an exhibition of women in skate by Yeah Girl, and live music by Radolescent and Perve Endings.
Another highlight of HOME was Deadly Hearts: A Celebration of Australian Indigenous Music, presented in collaboration with ABC Music. The concert featured a line-up of Australia’s best past, present and emerging artists, including Jessica Mauboy, Archie Roach, Aodhan, Selve, Kinship Collective and HVWKS.
An outdoor visual experience featured installations from the South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp Exhibition and local artist, Samuel Leighton-Dore, who literally wrapped up the summer festivities with HOTA’s 2019 Christmas Commission.
HOME culminated in a closing concert spectacular – Calling Home – which tolled the bells and transcended faith and traditions with Lior and Parvyn Singh, backed by the Camerata Orchestra, and directed by Benjamin Knapton. Audiences were invited to come together to celebrate multi-faith songs and rituals under the stars in a truly unique experience.
The HOME series was topped off with daily Artisan Markets, drinks at HOTA’s lawn bar, Christmas ArtLab’s for the littlies and much more.
HOTA will continue to deliver its multi-format series across 2020, delivering fresh new collaborations and cultivations soon to be announced.
Go to www.hota.com.au for the latest updates on programs, tickets and offerings.
For all media enquiries please contact Amy Stalinescu – amy@m10.com.au | 0411 789 195