The 2015 Feast Festival line-up being unveiled today is shorter and sharper than previous years as a result of changes in the programming process, says general manger Cassandra Liebeknecht.

The state’s annual queer arts and culture festival attracted some criticism earlier this year with the announcement that it was making artistic director Catherine Fitzgerald redundant and moving away from a curated model.

However, Liebeknecht told InDaily the program for the November 14-29 event was “just as diverse and just as exciting as other years”.

It was put together by an LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) artistic committee chaired by cabaret singer and artistic ambassador Michael Griffiths.

“Through that process, we’ve ensured that we’ve kept high quality in relation to our shows, but that it also has that depth and breadth in the program,” Liebeknecht says.

“The program is sharper this year. It’s not as unwieldy.

“We have been financially challenged, but that’s a good thing, too, because it makes you look at where you actually spend your dollar and what you’re going to get out of it – what’s the return or what’s the risk?”

One of the big drawcards is previously announced headliner Conchita Wurst, the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest winner. She will perform for one night at a show titled The Art of Drag at a street-party venue in George Street in the West End, as well as appearing at a signing event for her book Being Conchita: We Are Unstoppable.

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Liebeknecht says the funds used to bring Wurst to Adelaide came from Events South Australia and were specifically earmarked for an international performer.

Although The Art of Drag hasn’t yet sold out, she says the show has already boosted Feast’s profile, with the announcement reaching around 350,000 people, according to the festival’s media monitoring.

This year’s opening night party, to be hosted by cabaret artist Yana Alana and featuring a performance by The X-Factor finalist Barry Conrad, will also be held on George Street.

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It follows the annual Pride March, which will include a contingent of “Marching Dunstans” dressed in safari suits or pink shorts and white T-shirts to mark the 40^th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in SA and other social reforms achieved under the leadership of former premier Don Dunstan.

History will be a strong focus during Feast, which coincides with the 2015 Australia’s Homosexual Histories Conference at UniSA and a talk by English writer, actor and TV host Stephen Fry, presented by the Don Dunstan Foundation.

“History is really important and not just queer history but for everyone to understand and to be more accepting,” Liebeknecht says.

“Next year is our 20^th anniversary so I think it’s important to see how far we’ve come as a state, which we’re very proud of, but also as a festival and as a community.”

The Feast Festival incorporates music, comedy and theatre shows, community events, visual art, film and “queer ideas” events.

Liebeknecht says highlights include the annual Picnic in the Park at Pinky Flat on the final Sunday of the festival, and Queer Station, a free, family-friendly event featuring live music sessions, food and fashion parades in Station Place, next to the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel.

The music line-up includes AIDS activist and composer Lyle Chan’s An AIDS Activist’s Memoir in Music, to be performed by The Acacia Quartet at the Adelaide Festival Centre, and Michael Griffiths’ show Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox, which was named best cabaret in the 2014 Adelaide Fringe.

The popular Comedy Mass Debate returns, and in honour of Conchita Wurst’s appearance will tackle the questions: “Hair vs Bare; Hairless vs Au Natural; High Maintenance vs Can’t Be Bothered”.

New in 2015 is a Diversity Hub at Venue 63, a café-theatre space on Light Square, which will host a number of transgender events, such as a Karaoke Karnivale with former world karaoke champion Michael Bates and a social media storytelling workshop.

The theme of this year’s festival is Come as You Are.

“It’s really to say just be who you are – be comfortable in your body, be comfortable with your sexuality,” Liebeknecht says.

“If you have a beard and you want to wear a dress – fabulous!”

Other program highlights include:

The Gloves are On: An entertaining discussion between Art Gallery of SA director Nick Mitzevich and “doyenne of decorators” Dr Gertrude Glossip on queer art and artists, to be held at the gallery.

Amelia Ryan is a Storm in a D Cup: Cabaret artist Amelia Ryan, who performed at this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival, parodies the likes 4 Non Blondes and Belinda Carlisle in this show, previously presented at Adelaide and Edinburgh Fringes.

Speak Out!: An interactive theatre show focussing on homophobia in high schools, to be presented at the Mt Barker Community Library by theatre producers Company ActNow.

Nungay Nites: An evening at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute featuring workshops, comedy, live music, drag and dance showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers.

Queer Living Books: An opportunity to engage in a half-hour conversation with what are described as “living books” – LGBTIQ people who will share their real-life stories.

Jolie: My Perogative: A singing, dancing, theatre performance by Mr Boylesque SA which is a tribute to a friend who died from AIDS.

Heavier than Air: A theatre performance animating transcripts from LGBTIQ teachers.

The 2015 Feast Festival program will be launched at a public event from 4.30pm to 5.30pm today under the canopy in Rundle Mall, with performances by artists from this year’s line-up. The full program will be available online after the launch.