Tuesday, 16 June 2009

FestiVAL 09 launched

Shangri-La Conference and Events Manager, Jillian Causer, welcomes
Cairns Mayor Val Schier to the Pier and hotel for the launch ceremony.


Festival Cairns 2009 has been launched, at a selected special invitation-only event at Shangri-La.

Many of the media weren't even invited, thanks to lack of co-ordination between the Council media team and external event PR consultant. Some things don't change.

However this year's programme is a great deal different, and not before time.

Festival Cairns will run between Friday 21 August and Sunday 6 September.

The Festival website was also launched today.

The theme this year is "Telling our Stories", which his appropriate for the kick off with an inaugural Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. Three weekends are incorporated into the Festival’s 16 days, ending with the 20th anniversary celebrations of Carnival on Collins on Sunday September 6.

“For the past 47 years Cairns has held a festival to celebrate our culture, unique tropical lifestyle, talents and multicultural diversity," Mayor Val Schier said. "This year we have taken Festival Cairns back to its community roots under the direction of the Cairns Regional Council to ensure a reinvigorated program with a comprehensive line-up of free and ticketed events combining art, music, dance, film and large public events,” Schier said.

“With this Festival we can differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world because let's face it - this is best place in the world to be and we have a unique history and culture that makes it even more exciting."

“I am pleased to say we have achieved our aims by keeping Festival Cairns 2009 community-focused with a great percentage of the program taken up with local content. Also, we have managed to attract top entertainers and celebrities who will add national appeal to our unique event," Val Scier says.

WHAT’S NEW IN 2009

- inaugural Cairns Indigenous Art Fair on the opening weekend of August 21-23. with incredible talent Aurukun Songmen, King Kadu (Ricardo Idagi) and the Ariu Poenipan
dancers from the Torres Strait, Will Kepa, Uncle Seaman Dan, Zennith and Christine Anu.


- the Grand Parade which attracts crowds of 35,000, has been moved to a new timeslot at the beginning of the Festival Cairns celebrations on August 22, instead of the end. New creative director from Scott Maidment and his team who are responsible for Adelaide’s Fringe Festival parade.

- Free family events new to the program include a beach party at the Esplanade Lagoon with a "dive-in movie" on a giant inflatable screen.

- Market Square, City Place and an Esplanade Stage at the Lagoon have been designated Festival hub sites with entertainment every day and night of the Festival.

- Walking around the city you might discover a music or visual elements, from brightly painted pianos for anyone to play, roving ukulele player or street performers.

- enjoy Night Light–Short Films in the City, a series of local, silent films which will be projected on to existing walls, floors and interesting spaces around the city.

- Foodie events have been expanded this year with celebrity chef Gary Mehigan from TV’s Masterchef, giving free cooking demonstrations using local seasonal produce and seafood at The Pier’s Farmgate Markets.

- Also new to the program is the Taste of Palm Cove on August 23.

- Bird Tour Walks have been added, with 25 guided walks and events

- Joining Festival Cairns for the first time are existing festivals Tropic Pride and the Illumination White Party, is for gay and lesbian family and friends, on August 30 at AJ Hackett’s Smithfield.

- a special under 18 community concert will be held at the PCYC in Manunda on August 21.

INFO
Belinda Griffin, Festival Cairns Coordinator
Tel 4044 3593 / 0407 966 530

1 comment:

KitchenSlut said...

"Foodie events have been expanded this year with celebrity chef Gary Mehigan from TV’s Masterchef, giving free cooking demonstrations using local seasonal produce and seafood at The Pier’s Farmgate Markets."

Actually they are diminished if the website is accurate, but thats not a bad thing as the appalling “Food Wine and Jazz” (sic on all counts) on the Esplanade seems to have been canned thank Christ after last years bloody value absent shocker which the Compost claimed as a raging success?!

Quality would be good but there doesn't seem to be much assurance of that here either, although I wish the Farmgate market well.