Doing nothing becomes a competitive sport

01-06-2025

A competition to see who's best at doing nothing will be one of the highlights at the Melbourne Rising Festival. The Space Out event will last 90 minutes and participants have to excel at doing nothing while treating it like a competitive sport. In a world that glorifies hustle culture and productivity, this is encouraging the opposite. First held in 2014, South Korean artist Woopsyang set up the exhibition when she herself was struggling with burnout. It has since gone viral around the world travelling to Taiwan, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo and now Melbourne. The Rising Festival celebrates new art, music and performance in the city. Culture 101 speaks to co-artistic director, Hannah Fox, who saw the Space Out event in Tokyo and has brought it to Melbourne.

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Guy Sebastian performs a song from his new album

RNZ News

3 days ago

RNZ News

Guy Sebastian performs a song from his new album

He is undoubtedly one of Australia's most successful artists and, after a five-year hiatus, Guy is back with a new album 100 Times Around The Sun. He joins Jesse to chat about the record and perform his song 'Maybe'. Guy Sebastian Photo:

RNZ News

5 days ago

RNZ News

Update on Oz with Brad Foster: The Crowded House battle

Australian radio station Triple J has compiled a list of 100 Hottest Aussie Songs as voted by the public. Crowded House's 'Don't Dream It's Over' came in at number 5. When will Australians understand Crowded House is a New Zealand band? Crowded House Photo: supplied

Running Into The Sun - National Theatre Tour Launched Today

Scoop

24-07-2025

Scoop

Running Into The Sun - National Theatre Tour Launched Today

Winner of BEST THEATRE at the 2024 Melbourne Fringe returns home TICKETS ON SALE NOW Melbourne-based, New Zealand theatre crew a2 Company are bringing their breakout work Running into the Sun home to Aotearoa. The show had a breakthrough season at the 2024 Melbourne Fringe, winning the notable combination of Best Theatre and Best Emerging Company out of more than 400 Australian and International shows. Written by Ben Ashby (former Artistic Director of Long Cloud Youth Theatre) and developed by the a2 Company ensemble, Running into the Sun is a one act play with a three piece jazz band and four contemporary dancers. The story follows Mary (Jasmine Susic) and Ash (Ben Ashby) at their university graduation house party, as they navigate an unexpected pregnancy and a flash flood hits their hometown. 'messy, joyous, heartfelt and completely off the chain.' - 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival: Judges' Picks. Running Into The Sun is a bold and empathetic work exploring what it means to be young and managing personal crises against the increasingly surreal backdrop of international climate disaster, political instability, and live-streamed war. After their success in Melbourne the a2 Company are excited to bring this show back home. 'This show could not be more specific to the New Zealand experience', says Ashby. 'I was at my Aunts house in MacAndrew bay, writing about the characters learning of a flash flood in their home town, and I got an emergency alert, telling me I was stranded, because the only road back into Dunedin had been closed due to slips. - At least I got a lot of writing done that weekend!' TICKETS ON SALE NOW Wanaka Hāwea Hall: 7 September TICKETS Christchurch Chch Arts Centre: 9 - 14 September TICKETS Auckland Basement Theatre: 16 - 20 September TICKETS Wellington Te Auaha: 1 - 4 October TICKETS a2 Company was founded in Te Whanganui a Tara - Wellington by Ben Ashby (Artistic Director Long Cloud Youth Theatre 2020-2023) and Nadiyah Akbar (Footnote NZ Dance, Movement of the Human, Joel Bray Dance). The a2 Company ensemble for the 2025 Aotearoa Tour of Running Into The Sun is: Choreographer Nadiyah Akbar; Dancers Nadiyah Akbar; Alec Katsourakis, Jasmine Susic, Luke Romero; musicians Toby Leman, Lennox Grootjans, Seth Boy; actors Ethan Morse, Ben Ashby; and designer Asha Barr.