Jonathan Holloway looks to “the bigger picture” with Taylor Mac, Under Siege and a Requiem for Cambodia on the bill.

Jonathan Holloway has unveiled the programme for his second Melbourne Festival saying that he has chosen a number of works that look to “the bigger picture”. Writing in the Festival brochure, he says: “Speaking on behalf of civilisation for a moment (if I may), the last couple of years – globally – have not been our best.”

“There has never been a more important time for us to rise above the day-to-day, to look up and take in the horizon and the skies, to remember and celebrate where we all are on this massive journey…. This year’s Melbourne Festival brings together works of scale and intensity that encourage us to see all of humanity, where we have come from, and what incredible things we are capable of.”

^{Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. Photograph © Teddy Wolff}

Among the large-scale works on the programme are Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, which unfolds over six concerts and 24 hours, Chinese dance spectacular Under Siege (brought to Australia in...