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

High&Dry Festival 2009 - St Albans, New South Wales

27–29 November 2009

This three-day festival features arts, music, interactive installation, twisted sculpture and cutting edge theatre.

Woodford Folk Festival - Woodford, Queensland

27 December 2009 – 1 January 2010

The Woodford Folk Festival is an event of international standing. Held over six days and six nights it presents more than 2000 performers and 400 events with concerts, dances, workshops, forums, street theatre, writers' panels, film festival, comedy sessions, acoustic jams, social dialogue and debate, a children's festival, art and craft workshops and late night cabarets. The festival features Australian performers and a gathering of international guests. Woodford.

Peats Ridge 2009 festival - Glenworth Valley, New South Wales

29 December 2009 – 1 January 2010

This festival features two hundred bands performing across ten stages. There are theatre, cabaret and comedy programs, a children's festival and dozens of free workshops. Glenworth Valley.

Taste Festival - Hobart

28 December 2009 – 3 January 2010

The 2009/2010 Taste Festival will celebrate the highest quality Tasmanian food, beverages and local produce with an exceptional multi-arts, culture, community and sports program.

Sydney Festival - Sydney

9–31 January 2010

Marked by exceptional dance, theatre, music and film, the program of the 2010 Sydney Festival introduces a wide range of creative talents making their Sydney debuts, as well as welcoming back some old festival friends. Various locations.

National Multicultural Festival - Canberra

5–7 February 2010

The 2010 Festival will begin with Carnival in the City and a Multicultural Marketplace on Friday evening. Program includes Food and Dance Spectacular, Greek Glendi, Contact Canberra and Chinese New Year celebrations. Various locations.

Festivale - Launceston, Tasmania

12–14 February 2010

Festivale 2010 will offer a menu of quality Tasmanian food and wine mixed with music, dance and street theatre. Festivale will feature 70 Tasmanian-grown and Tasmanian-made food and wine stalls and performances by The Black Sorrows, Russell Morris and James Reyne along with local bands. City Park.

Adelaide Festival - Adelaide

February – March 2010

The Adelaide Festival offers a jam-packed program across every genre for the festival's 50th anniversary, with plans to present over 250 performances, events and exhibitions in 33 venues throughout Adelaide. Various locations.

SheppARTon Festival - Shepparton, Victoria

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.

For more festivals see our Australian story on Festivals.

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Conferences

There are currently no conferences listed.

Call for entries

Junction 2010: 7th Regional Arts Australia National Conference - national

Entries by 10 December 2009

Expressions of interest are invited for creative concepts, projects, ideas, workshops, interactive events and presentations that respond to the conference core themes. These are Footprints (shaping identity and celebrating diversity), Threads (collaboration on beliefs, ideas, and meaning), Resilience (building capacity and resources) and Momentum (commitment to change).

Festivals Australia

Entries by 15 February 2010

The closing date for applications for the next round of Festivals Australia funding is 15 February 2010, for projects commencing on or after 1 July 2010. Festivals Australia is an Australian Government program which funds Australian regional and community festivals to present quality cultural projects. Funding is available to add a new or special sort of cultural activity.

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)