A creative arts gathering bringing together the circus, flow arts, performance and visual arts communities to network, socialise and share skills, 4-8 March 2021. The event will encourage participation from the local community, joining together with the larger arts communities, and re-igniting tourism and business back to regional Australia. It will also provide work for artists following loss of business due to CV19.
Family-friendly and community-driven, it will offer a comprehensive program of workshops (open to everyone), shows and fire spinning from top-level performers, a kids workshop program, a chillout art space, a dragon art bus stage, communal meal times, group site rubbish clean-up and inclusion of the local Indigenous culture.
Attendees will buy supplies from local shops and engage local services, and GLOW Fest will contract local suppliers where possible, stimulating the economy. Discounted day tickets will also be available for locals to attend events Friday-Sunday.
* Regional Australia already suffered from the bushfires – the area GLOW will be held in lost 18,000 sq km of wildlife habitat and 176 homes. Waves Campground, GLOW’s venue, experienced their worst summer season ever, with only a quarter of the usual business.
* 44c of every tourism dollar goes to regional Australia (Tourism Research Australia) – it is vital we bring back business and tourism to these areas.
* The current drought, now considered the worst in history (NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment) has made another substantial impact on regional Australia.
* Artists are some of the hardest hit by CV19 cancellations – this will revive jobs and interest in the sector
* The circus community has long been a place where people of all ages and experience can join together to play, create, motivate and excite without judgement. This could be the gateway to opening up NSW and QLD to broadening their arts culture and fostering talent amongst city and rural folk alike.
Funds raised through ACF will contribute to the overall budget of GLOW Fest, which at approximately $60,000, needs all the help it can get! Costs include infrastructure, crew and performer wages, and hiring the dragon art bus.
This project is an initiative by Sophie deLightful, an independent circus arts producer and performer. Sophie’s income is based on earnings from the arts, which has been receiving less governmental support over the last year, and has also been impacted heavily by the bushfires and now CV19.
The driving factors behind continuing to plan this event through CV19 are to:
Give artists a light at the end of the tunnel
Support the arts
Be ready with a fully planned event once the pandemic passes
The end result? A wonderful space where people can come together after the hardship of the bushfires and CV19 to celebrate the arts, feel a sense of community and re-invigorate regional Australia.
Find out more at www.facebook.com/sophiedelightful or email glowfesthelp@gmail.com
