Festivals and conferences - News and events

Festivals | Conferences | Call for entries | Announcements

The Festivals and Conferences news page covers events with a mixture of art forms. For music festivals, see the Performance news page. For writers festivals, see the Language and Literature news page. See also Film and Digital Media festivals.

Festivals

SheppARTon Festival - Shepparton, Victoria

4–14 March 2010

The SheppARTon Festival, in partnership with the University of Melbourne, is now in its 13th year featuring a program of film, food, music, performance and art. The Shepparton community is renowned for coming together when times are tough and for welcoming people escaping oppression or conflict. Various locations.

2010 Darebin Community and Kite Festival - Northcote, Victoria

14 March 2010

The Darebin Community and Kite Festival will feature music, colour and entertainment. Children's activities will include face-painting, amusements, craft activities, entertainment and an animal farm. Performances will include various Melbourne artists, the Preston Salvation Army Brass Band, drumming and dancing from West Africa, a number of choirs joining together for the Darebin Big Sing and the Jelly Tub Rollers with some thigh-slapping 1930s hillbilly tunes. Other entertainment includes the Kite Flying Field, Darebin Youth and Games Village, La Trobe University Sustainable Living Village, a community market and dance workshops.

2010 Hunter Valley Steamfest - Maitland, New South Wales

17–18 April 2010

In 2010 Hunter Valley Steamfest celebrates its 25th anniversary with an expanded program. Steamfest seeks to keep the region's steam and rail history alive. The organisers are looking to compile as much living history of the event as possible, and invite any special Steamfest stories, images, newspaper articles or event programs that people would like to share. The best photos sourced will contribute to a special 25 year Steamfest Showcase and programs and other key material will be added onto the 'History' section within the Steamfest website.

Jane Austen Festival of Australia - Canberra

15–18 April 2010

The Earthly Delights Historic Dance Academy presents the Jane Austen Festival, featuring music, fashion (costume), drama, dance, food, craft (sewing), books, readings, song, and talks, at various Canberra venues.

Casino Beef Week - Casino, New South Wales

22 May – 1 June 2010

Casino Beef Week commenced in 1982 following a public meeting held to discuss options for an annual festival. As the local economy is largely dependent on the beef industry, the focus of the festival is beef. The theme this year is 'Wild, Wild West'. The first festival introduced the concept of cattle in the main street. Casino's main streets are closed for the festival and filled with food stalls, entertainment stages, whip cracking, wood chopping, junior stockman and lady competitions, street entertainers, art and craft exhibitions and more. The grand parade of colourful floats takes pride of place in the afternoon and the crowd disperses to the rodeo at the nearby showground or spills out of the pubs and clubs to enjoy live music and comradeship.

Darwin Festival - Darwin

12–29 August 2010

The Darwin Festival features local and touring performances and events including outdoor concerts, workshops, theatre, dance music, comedy and cabaret, film and visual arts. The 2010 festival will see the premier of some local works, including its flagship event for 2010—NT choreographer Gary Lang's new work Goose Lagoon. This weaves together ancient traditional dance, story and cultural expression with contemporary practices. Other productions will include a new production of the 2008 Festival highlight, Liberty Songs, and a preview of some Darwin Festival–produced works to be premiered in 2011.

Brisbane Festival - Brisbane

4–25 September 2010

For three weeks each September, over 1.5 million people enjoy the Brisbane Festival. The festival presents international and Australian artists and productions alongside free outdoor events, controversial home grown productions and cutting edge and offbeat material in theatre, music, dance, visual arts and conversation. The festival caters for a broad range of audiences. The opening will be noisy and colourful and aims to unite hundreds of thousands of people in celebration with music, visual spectacle and dancing. Various locations.

Escape ArtFest 2010 - Milton-Ulladulla, New South Wales

1–10 October 2010

Escape ArtFest is run by a dedicated group of artists, businesses and community members who work to provide the community with this celebration of the arts in the Milton-Ulladulla district. The festival will feature many events throughout the 10 day period, at a variety of local venues. In-keeping with the other celebrations around Milton this year (150th Anniversary), the 2010 festival theme is reflect. This, like all of the previous themes, is a starting point for inspiration only.

For more festivals see our Australian story on Festivals.

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Conferences

Arts-Activated Conference - Sydney

25–26 March 2010

The Arts Activated conference provides an opportunity for those passionate about the arts and disability sectors to come together to explore, debate, discuss and connect ideas and practice. Presented by Accessible Arts, the conference is for artists with and without a disability, arts workers, disability service providers, policy makers, funding bodies, festival organisers and volunteers, and cultural institutions. The conference theme, Arts – Access – Excellence, will feature in workshops, panels and performances with national and international speakers. Powerhouse Museum.

Creative3 - Brisbane

14 April – 16 April 2010

Creative3 is an international forum which aims to empower individuals and organisations to harness the power of creativity, investment and enterprise to build a successful creative business through practical learning and application. It is for those who are involved with, support and service the creative industries. Particular emphasis is placed on the areas of film and television, new media, design, and music. All delegates to the forum are invited to pitch for the creative investment pitch prize of $100,000+. Queensland University of Technology.

Junction 2010: 7th Regional Arts Australia National Conference - Launceston, Tasmania

26–29 August 2010

Junction 2010, the seventh biennial Regional Arts Australia national conference, is presented in partnership with Tasmanian Regional Arts and the host community Launceston. The core themes of the conference are Footprints (shaping identity and celebrating diversity), Threads (collaboration on beliefs, ideas, and meaning), Resilience (building capacity and resources) and Momentum (commitment to change).

Call for entries

There are currently no calls for entries listed.

Announcements

New Festivals Australia grants

17 November 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced funding of $420,500 for arts and cultural activities at 27 community festivals around Australia. 'Festivals in outer regional and remote communities will have the opportunity to add special arts and performance projects to their programs, such as dance workshops, storytelling, circus arts, puppetry and film,' Mr Garrett said. 'These new projects add exciting elements to the celebrations and help regional tourism, as well as community spirit, in these towns.' Mr Garrett welcomed the Indigenous-related theme of several of the festivals, including Merge Ahead at Palmerston festival in the Northern Territory, which also has a youth focus.

For more information see our Australian story on Festivals.

Key online resources

Film festivals

• Flickerfest International Short Film Festival - Sydney (January)
• Short & Sweet - Sydney (January - February)
• Tropfest - National (February)
• Adelaide Film Festival - Adelaide (February - March)
• Sydney Film Festival - Sydney (June)
• Revelation Film Festival - Perth (July)
• Melbourne International Film Festival - Melbourne (July - August)

Digital media

• Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth - Perth (September - November)

Writers festivals

• Perth Writers' Week - (February)
• Sydney Writers' Festival - (May - June)
• Noosa Long Weekend 2007 - (June)
• Canberra Readers and Writers Festival - (June)
• Byron Bay Writers Festival - (July)
• Melbourne Writers Festival - (August)
• Brisbane Writers Festival - (September)

Jazz festivals

• Eltham Jazz and Blues Heritage Festival - Victoria (January)
• Illawarra Annual Easterfest Jazz Festival - Wollongong (April)
• Valley Jazz Festival - Brisbane (April)
• Melbourne International Jazz Festival - Melbourne (May)
• Merimbula Jazz Festival - New South Wales (June)
• Noosa Jazz Festival - Noosa (August - September)
• Wangaratta Jazz Festival - Victoria (November)

Folk festivals

• Cygnet Folk Festival - Tasmania (January)
• Illawarra Folk Festival - New South Wales (January)
• Cobargo Folk Festival - New South Wales (February)
• National Folk Festival - Canberra (Easter)
• Uranquinty Folk Festival - New South Wales (October)
• Yungaburra Folk Festival - Queensland (October)
• Woodford Folk Festival - Queensland (December)

Festivals - New South Wales

• Sydney Festival - Sydney (January)
• Flickerfest - Sydney (January)
• Big Day Out - National (January - February)
• Mardi Gras Film Festival - Sydney (March)
• Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - Sydney (March)
• Thirroul Seaside & Arts Festival - Thirroul (April)
• Sydney Film Festival - Sydney (June)

Festivals - Victoria

• The Melbourne International Comedy Festival - Melbourne (February - April)
• Melbourne Moomba Festival - Melbourne (March)
• Melbourne International Film Festival - Melbourne (July - August)
• Apollo Bay Music Festival - Apollo Bay (April)

Festivals - South Australia

• Adelaide Festival of the Arts - Adelaide (February - March)
• Adelaide International Film Festival - Adelaide (February - March)
• Adelaide Cabaret Festival - Adelaide (June)

Festivals - other states

• Ten Days on the Island - Tasmania (March - April)
• The Taste Festival - Hobart (December - January)
• Festival of Darwin - Darwin (August)
• National Multicultural Festival, Canberra - Canberra (February)
• National Folk Festival - Canberra (March)
• Perth International Arts Festival - Perth (February - March)