A 3-DAY FESTIVAL CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF CRITICAL PATH
Critical Path celebrates two decades of choreographic innovation in the Drill Hall. Throughout the weekend, we open our doors for all curious minds to witness artists at work, experience dance archives in sound and motion, and to come together to celebrate our incredible dance community.
DATES
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER
7PM-9PM
SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER
11AM-3PM
SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER
11AM-3PM
LOCATION
THE DRILL HALL, CRITICAL PATH
1C NEW BEACH ROAD, DARLING POINT, NSW, 2027
GADIGAL & BIRRABIRRAGAL COUNTRY
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE
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FRIDAY 14 November
EVERY WILD IDEA
Live Performance
7pm-9pm
Curated by artist Azzam Mohamed
7 artists in 7 spaces in real-time ideation
Every Wild Idea is a one-night only performance event activating the entire Drill Hall building as a living laboratory. In the spirit of experimentation, research and risk-taking, 7 artists will improvise, research and create in real-time while audiences are free to roam and witness the energy of process-in-action.
MORE ABOUT EVERY WILD IDEA
SATURDAY 15 November
BREAKTHROUGHS
Premiere Screen Installation by filmmaker Deborah May
Screening Friday 7-9pm, Saturday 11am-3pm and Sunday 1pmm-3pm
Artist Talk & Readings on Saturday 15 November
What happens when we follow a flash of inspiration over time? The moment when memories, cultures and fragments of practice connect with renewed vitality. For artists committed to a lifetime of exploration, these moments provide energy to transform. The rehearsal room holds the vulnerability of these ideas in motion. Witness 5 dancers in the Drill Hall at Critical Path, as they approach their practice through the lens of the ‘Breakthrough’. Featuring Breakthroughs from:
Henrietta Baird
Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal
Martin Del Amo
Rhiannon Newton
Rosalind Crisp
SUNDAY 16 November
“Vignettes flickers fades” by Ira Ferris
Publication Launch & Archival Sound Project
11am-1pm
Join dance and multimedia artist and writer Ira Ferris for the launch of the special edition of Critical Dialogues #16, celebrating 20 years of Critical Path. The publication launch is accompanied by the archival project “Vignettes flickers fades” including a sound montage created with musician and sound artist Alexandra Spence. The launch will include:
- Conversation between Ira Ferris and Tammi Gissell
- Performance by Alexandra Spence
- Performance by Ryuichi Fujimura
MORE ABOUT “Vignettes flickers fades”
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EVERY WILD IDEA is free to all.
Critical Path has spent two decades transforming the historic Drill Hall into a sanctuary for choreographic innovation. As we celebrate our twentieth anniversary, we stand as Australia’s only dedicated centre for choreographic research. The impact of this commitment resonates throughout Australia’s contemporary dance landscape. We are at the forefront of new choreographic ideas, supporting artists in those precious moments when concepts first take shape and innovative forms of expression emerge.
All funds raised will directly support artists in our 2026 program.
DONATE HERE.
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This event is proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, and Woollahra Municipal Council’s Cultural Grants Program.
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IMAGE CREDIT: Gok-Lim Finch and Sophie Dumaresq during the FORBIDDEN development at Critical Path in 2025 with Lucy Doherty, Eden Swan, Tay Haggarty and AnSo. Photographer Estelle Yoon. Photo courtesy of Lucy Doherty.
IMAGE ID: An image taken at nighttime outside The Drill Hall on lawn beside the harbour. A person stands holding onto a large yellow ladder. Another person is captured in flight diving off the ladder into an inflatable baby pool.