Conference and festival program launched
The official program for Junction 2010 was unveiled today in Launceston, Tasmania.
From August 26-29, 1000 delegates from across Australia will discuss and celebrate best practice regional arts in an action packed conference program including six plenary's, fifty seven break-out sessions and a hands on stream including weaving, knitting and walking tours. The informal format PechaKucha twilight sessions and the open space forum ‘'the future is now: Regional arts practice ten years from now'' will ensure maximum delegate interaction and dialogue.
Speaking at the launch RAA Vice President Lee Cole said: "Moving through the conference themes of footprints, threads, resilience and momentum Junction 2010 will explore the impact and importance of the arts to the one in three Australians who live regionally".
Presenting at a Regional Arts Conference for the first time is noted international speaker Francois Matarasso from the UK, an independent researcher and writer specialising in community cultural practice; Italian born Ernesto Sirolli, a noted authority in the field of social enterprise and sustainable economic development and Mark Pesce, known internationally as the man who fused virtual reality with the World Wide Web to invent Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VMRL)
Keeping with the conference philosophy of ‘'part conference, part festival, all art'' is the Junction Arts festival that envelops and intersects the conference program. Being held from August 25-30 across numerous locations in Launceston, the festival has been programmed to maximise the dialogue and interaction between delegates and community members with 44 events of which 38 are free and many are participatory.
Speaking about the festival Artistic Director Ian Pidd promises that "if you take a walk in the city during the event you will certainly come across things to intrigue, stimulate and delight you - up trees, in parks, on street corners."
Junction arts festival features art drawn from across Australia and the world with two international collaborations; the award winning Canadian company Mammalian Diving Reflex and acclaimed Indonesian architect Eko Prawoto. Interstate offerings include Car-cophony by Matthew Timmis (SA), Landed by illumination artist Cindy Drennin (SA), The Outhouse by TRAX (NSW), Wiltja Wiltja by Wilurarra Creative Centre (WA) and Couches by Barking Owl Theatre (VIC). It also features world premiers by Tasmanian artists including new work by Stompin, the Tasmanian Leather Orchestra, Marcus Tatton and the Tasmanian Writers Centre. Back by popular demand are Sex Death and a Cup of Tea by Tasmanian Theatre Company, The Knitting Room by Uniting Aged Care and Jane Franklin by Silkweed. Each evening "The Junc Room", the festival club in the city centre, will feature a terrific music program ranging from surf pop to hip hop, and a selection of eclectic cabaret and theatre works from across Australia.
In closing, Lee Cole said that "Junction 2010 is not only for people who work in the arts, but for anybody who has a passion for the arts, or simply wants to learn how the arts can add to the vitality and viability of a community".
The registrations for the conference are now open with special early bird offers till June 18.
Posted Tuesday, 13 April 2010, 03:35 PM
