Research Seminar - Imagined pasts/imagined futures Seminar series Brisbane’s coming of age expo 88 to Brisbane 2032

Imagined pasts/imagined futures Seminar series
Brisbane’s coming of age expo 88 to Brisbane 2032

Presented by: Dr Sarah Thomasson

Date: Friday 23 October 2026
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Online via Zoom and in-person at the SCA Writer's Studio (Level 6, Michie Building)

Abstract

Brisbane, host of the 2032 Olympic Games, charts its transformation from a large country town into an international city through its staging of World Expo ’88. ‘Triumphal narratives’ champion this event for modernising Brisbane and promoting leisure and consumption by providing outdoor eating, extending shopping hours, and greening the city. They also exemplify what Martin Abbott and Jennifer Minner (2024) term ‘mega-event amnesia’ in that they allow civic elites to erase memories of the diverse communities who were physically displaced for new development. Expo also prompted the local arts scene to mature, with Brisbane Festival claiming it as an impetus for transforming from the community-focused Warana Festival into an international arts festival in 1996. Whether one-off or regular festivals, Brisbane’s events have proven a popular urban growth strategy for local authorities seeking to capitalise on the creative economy. In this paper, I interrogate Brisbane’s ‘coming of age’ story by critically examining the ideological role that these events have played in shaping the urban imaginary to prioritise tourism and consumption over social cohesion and diversity. Already, the need to transform the city’s physical infrastructure for the upcoming Olympics has prompted a public backlash, first against the expansion of the Gabba cricket ground and more recently against the new site at Victoria Park. Interrogating Brisbane’s history through the lens of its major events is a timely re-examination not only of civic attempts to control its development but also of local performances of resistance as Brisbane approaches and prepares for 2032.

Bio

Senior Lecturer Sarah Thomasson is a theatre and performance studies scholar and ARC DECRA fellow specialising in festival studies and digital humanities. Sarah’s current research project, funded by the Australian Research Council, explores the network of international arts festivals in Aotearoa and Australia and how they work collaboratively and/or competitively to support the flow of cultural production around the region and beyond.