MEDIA
SIGNATURE EVENTS
|
DATE |
EVENT |
TIME |
LOCATION |
|
Sun 27th
April |
Dancing on
Clouds
Acrobatic Lion Dance |
12:00 noon
-12:30pm |
Reddacliff
Place |
|
Mon 28th
April – Fri 2nd May |
Tai Chi in
the Park |
7:45am –
8:30am |
Forecourt
Grass Area |
|
Mon 28th
April |
Tai Chi
display |
12:00noon –
1:00pm |
Upper Queen
St Mall |
|
Mon 28th
April |
Lighting the
Lanterns
Traditional Light Offering Ceremony |
5:15pm |
Suncorp
Piazza |
|
Tue 29th
April – Sat 31st May |
One Road –
Many Paths
Photographic Exhibition |
10:00am –
4:00pm |
QPAC
Tony Gould Gallery |
|
Thur 1st
May |
Bodhi Tree
Ceremony |
1:00pm
|
Gallery of
Modern Art |
|
Fri 2nd
May |
Buddha
Birth Day Festival |
12:00noon –
9:00pm |
South Bank
Parklands |
|
Fri 2nd
May |
Welcoming
Ceremony |
7:00pm –
8:30pm |
Suncorp
Piazza |
|
Sat 3rd
May |
Buddha
Birth Day Festival |
9:00am –
9:00pm |
South Bank
Parklands |
|
Sat 3rd
May |
Official
Festival Ceremony |
7:00pm –
9:00pm |
Suncorp
Piazza |
|
Sun 4th
May |
Buddha
Birth Day Festival |
9:00am –
9:00pm |
South Bank
Parklands |
|
Sun 4th
May |
Fireworks
Spectacular |
7:30pm |
South Bank
Riverside |
SYNOPSIS – FREE Entry to
all Events
Dancing
on Clouds
Imagine
the sounds of drums, cymbals and gongs electrifying the air as two
colourfully decorated lions perform a series of graceful acrobatic
moves – two and a half metres above the ground.
Steeped in
ancient Chinese ritualistic tradition the lions dance is believed to
bring good fortune and happiness while driving away evil and negative
forces.
This lion
dance performance is among one of the most difficult dances to perform
because the dances not only need to coordinate their dance steps but
also make the lion look alive with grace and dignity and need to
maintain their stamina and rhythm to the constant beating of the
musicians’ instruments.
Tai
Chi in the Park
Tai Chi is a low impact exercise developed by the Chinese over one
thousand years ago. It consists of a series of slow, controlled
movements or postures and is usually practiced outdoors to take
advantage of the surrounding energy of nature.
Proudly
supported by Queensland Health and aimed at promoting the value of
exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle, every morning during the week
leading into the Festival (Monday April 28th to Friday May
2nd) the people of Brisbane are invited to Tai Chi in
the Park. Running from 7:45am to 8:30am this event will be
held on the grass square outside QPAC adjacent to the Victoria Bridge.
There
will be a FREE TAI CHI class in the Upper Queen Street Mall on
Monday the 28th of April at 12:00 noon.
On Friday, a Guinness World Record will be attempted as the largest
Tai Chi class in the Southern Hemisphere.
Lighting the Lanterns
The
sustainability of the environment is of growing concern to all as
there are global challenges that ultimately will determine the
liveability of the planet in the future.
The Buddha Birth Day Festival concerned about its own impact
on the environment is turning Buddha GREEN. The
initiative uses strategies that go beyond carbon footprint reductions
and is encompassing goals that promote innovative and practical action
that will reduce the Festivals environmental impact.
To kick off
the campaign, Bunnings has assisted in providing energy saving globes
to the 2,000 Chinese lanterns that are hung in the Parklands. On
Monday the 28th of April at 5:15pm in the evening a
blessing and lighting of the lanterns with a Traditional Light
Offering Ceremony will take place in the Suncorp Piazza.
One
Road – Many Paths
QPAC presents a photographic exhibition of Buddhist tradition by
Brisbane photographer Anthony Anderton.
The exhibition ranges from intimate, personal expressions of faith to
vibrant colourful festivals and religious
celebrations. The images were
taken on location across
Asia,
including Tibet, China, Laos, Cambodia,
Malaysia, Thailand and Burma.
Features of the exhibition include scenes from the colourful Tibetan
Great Prayer Festival and a view of the Buddhist
traditions of
Brisbane,
including A Day in the Life of a Buddhist
Monastic, photographed at
Brisbane’s Chung Tian Temple.
Bodhi
Tree Ceremony
Taiwanese
artist Lee Mingwei’s Bodhi Tree Project is a public art initiative
linked to the Cultural Centre redevelopment in 2006. The root of the
Bodhi Tree Project is in the sacred
Anuradhapura
Bodhi
Tree (ficus religiosa) and Mingwei’s desire to create a symbolic
gesture of good will, cultural exchange and the potential for ongoing
public involvement.
The Bodhi
Tree is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. It is the oldest depicted
tree in Indian art and literature and is described as the mythical
‘World Tree’ or the ‘Tree of Life’ of the Indian subcontinent.
The
sapling for the Bodhi Tree Project at the Cultural Centre originated
from a tree in Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya (Raja
Maha Temple) in Sri Lanka and will replace the screen in front of the
Gallery. The area will be known as the Bodhi Tree Terrace. The
unveiling will occur on Thursday the 1st of May with a
sacred blessing.
Buddha
Birth Day Festival
An estimated
200,000 visitors are expected to attend the 12th annual
Buddha Birth Day Festival. The Festival is a signature cultural event
for Queensland and is now one of the largest Buddhist celebrations in
the world.
Endorsing this year’s theme of
“Harmony in All”, the Festival promotes a peaceful existence and
appreciation of
Australia’s multicultural identity and focuses on generating community
and individual 'respect for life'.
Spread
over 12 locations throughout the South Bank Parklands, the Buddha
Birth Day Festival involves over 700 volunteers, 300 performers, 200
events, 2 performance stages, a fireworks display, 21 information and
meditation sessions including 2 multi-faith forums, 18 Cultural, Art
and Environmental activities for the children, a Children’s Amusement
Area with a number of rides, an Art Exhibition, an organised Festival
tour for over 1,000 school children, 50 food and merchandise stalls
and 4 Official functions including the Opening Ceremony on Saturday
night.
MEDIA
RELEASES
·
World’s
biggest Birth Day Celebration just one month
away April 2, 2008
·
Anthony
Anderton visits Chung Tian
March 25, 2008
FLYERS,
POSTERS & BROCHURES
FLYERS
·
Festival
(Back)
·
Festival
(Front)
·
One Road
– Many Paths
POSTERS
·
Meditation, Buddhist Talks & Forums
·
Program
Guide
BROCHURES
·
One Road
– Many Paths
·
Personal
Safety
·
FREE Tai
Chi
PICTURE
GALLERY
MEDIA
PARTNERS
·
ourbrisbane.com
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/
·
4KQ
http://www.4kq.com.au/
·
Brisbane Marketing
http://www.brisbanemarketing.com.au/
·
South Bank
http://www.visitsouthbank.com/
MEDIA
CONTACT:
Ralph
Smith
Marketing Director
Tel: + 61 7 3841-3511
Mob: + 410 00 22 66
Email: marketing@buddhabirthdayfestival.com.au
