The eclectic international programme takes its inspiration from Africa, Asia and America.

Ahead of the full programme announcement on June 25, some details of new Artistic Director David Berthold’s highly anticipated inaugural selection for the 2015 Brisbane Festival have been revealed, promising a programme “that will circumnavigate the globe transporting audiences to Africa, Asia, and America.”

Berthold is well known for championing new work during his tenures at La Boite Theatre Company and Sydney’s Griffin Theatre Company, so it’s unsurprinsing that Australian and world premieres feature heavily. Four shows, never before seen in Australia, will explore the complex history of Africa’s Congo region, including the world premiere of Prize Fighter, a modern-day fable of a Congolese boy orphaned by war and forced to become a child soldier.

Three more productions, being staged exclusively in Brisbane, take their inspiration from the cultural and historical tradition of Singapore to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city’s independence in 1965.

There will also be groundbreaking new work from the United States, where audiences will experience a new dance form that promises to “confront issues of social injustice, from police brutality to the prison system’s failures.”

In addition to the eclectic international programme, the 2015 Festival will also see an expanded presence on Brisbane’s South Bank, with more bars, food stalls and events than any previous year. The centerpiece of this is a new pop-up “big top” venue, featuring three stages and unique food experiences.

A more familiar pop-up venue will be returning to the riverside, The Spiegeltent, which will once again be home to the Festival’s live music and late-night cabaret events. The festival climaxes on Saturday 26 September with the hugely popular firework and pyrotechnic closing event, the Sunsuper Riverfire.

Full details of the Brisbane Festival 2015 Programme will be announced on June 25.