Festivals and conferences - News and events

Events | 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.

Events

Testing the Fibre exhibition, Alice Springs Beanie Festival - Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Festival 26 - 29 June 2009, exhibition 26 June - mid August 2009

The Alice Springs Beanie Festival is a community-based event that aims to develop Aboriginal women's textiles, promote women's culture and the beanie as a regional art form, as well as promote handmade textile arts. Each year over 500 entries are received for the Beanie Competition.  They come from all corners of the globe including from workshops conducted in remote Central Australian Indigenous communities.  This is a marvellous showcase of people's amazing talents, passions and eccentricities with countless hours going into each beanie.  Some beanies are for sale and some will be chosen by the Beanie Festival Committee to join the travelling exhibition that can be seen at various venues around Australia. Araluen Arts Centre.

Cooktown Art Festival - Cooktown, Far North Queensland

14–16 August 2009

The Cooktown Art Festival presents the work of the local painters, sculptors, wood carvers, potters, photographers and other artists. Local musicians and poets will also perform and a poet's breakfast will be held for the general public. Various locations.

Reggaetown - Tjapukai, Queensland

5 September 2009

Reggaetown is a multicultural one day event showcasing established and emerging Island Roots music artists and styles from Jamaica, Africa, the Pacific Islands and Australia & the Torres Straits. Reggaetown celebrates the tropical lifestyle and surroundings of Queensland with a blend of traditional and contemporary cultural performances, markets, workshops and films. Tjapukai.

Spring Migration - Albury, New South Wales

1–6 September 2009

Spring Migration is an annual Gay & Lesbian event offering program for all people to enjoy, regardless of their sexuality. The festival will feature live music, Unite the Clans dance party, DJs, fashion shows, wine tours and the Who's yer daddy Sunday market. Yackandandah.

Brisbane Festival 2009 - Brisbane

12 September – 3 October 2009

Brisbane Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals. The festival will features international and Australian artists and productions, free world-class events, emerging fringe theatre, and fireworks. Conversation and debate will fill the theatres, parks and suburban streets for Brisbane Festival 2009. The festival combines with the former annual Riverfestival to make it one of the most inclusive and diverse arts festivals in Australia. Various locations.

Escape ARTfest 2009 - Southern Shoalhaven area, New South Wales

2 - 11 October 2009

ARTfest 2009 is a celebration of all things community and reflects the appreciation of our own creative, inspiring, beautiful and healthy culture. The festival includes visual arts, literature, music, film and youth events. Various locations.

Kurrajong Scarecrow Festival - Blue Mountains, New South Wales

24–25 October 2009

Kurrajong Scarecrow Festival will provide entertainment for the whole family including Koomurri Aboriginal Performers, buskers, scarecrow cup race, dog fancy dress competition, children's activities and Don's backyard's television presenter, Don Burke, will promote his latest book. Memorial Park, Old Bells of Line Road.

Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival - Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales

23–25 October 2009

Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival has an array of Australian and international folk performers. The program includes musicians, buskers, dancers, poets, workshops, folk dances, blackboard venues and special school concerts. Various locations.

For more festivals see our Australian story on Festivals.

^ Go to top

Conferences

Queensland Regional Arts and Culture Conference: ARTSpeak 2009 - Beaudesert, Queensland

18-20 November 2009

ARTSpeak 2009 will bring together more than 200 arts participants and practitioners from across Queensland and will be a valuable opportunity to explore new ideas and partnerships to ensure all Queenslanders have access to arts and culture. The four ARTSpeak themes will be: encouraging community participation and engagement through arts and culture; building strong communities; supporting vibrant regional arts and cultural practice; and activating creative spaces.

Call for entries

There are currently no call for entries listed.

Announcements

Minister Garrett announced funding for Australian festivals

16 June 2009

Nearly 30 regional and community festivals around Australia will share in more than $350,000 under the latest round of Festivals Australia funding announced by Arts Minister, Peter Garrett. Festivals Australia is an Australian Government program which funds Australian regional and community festivals to present quality cultural projects.

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)
• Dubbo Jazz Festival - New South Wales (August)
• Noosa Jazz Festival - Noosa (August - September)
• Big River Jazz Festival - Rockhampton (September)
• TAC Wangaratta Festival of Jazz - 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

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

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)