Festival Hits New High
Story & Photo: Hamish Richardson
15 October 2008
IT’S done - dried, framed and hung.
It featured over 70 events, dozens of venues and hundreds of volunteers, artists, musicians, writers and supporters.
Escape artFEST, for those locals who may not have ventured out much in recent weeks is the local, month-long festival that celebrates art in all its myriad forms, our artists in all their glory and the whole community in a hands-on, must-see, something-for-everyone program.
"I think the main thing that I want to stress is the wonderful cooperation that allows such a diverse festival to not only exist, but also to flourish," said Escape artFEST president, Julie Sydenham, yesterday.
"For this period of time the businesses, sponsors, artists, employees, volunteers, residents, visitors, schools and other community groups all support artFEST. Without all that involvement it just wouldn’t happen.
"It is truly a community achievement."
Increasingly artFEST is providing economic windfalls for the area as support and interest in the festival stretches beyond local boundaries.
Over the last few years the festival has attracted a growing portion of both its audience and exhibitors from outside the area said Julie.
"Visitors from Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne are all showing that the festival is on the radar out there."
"I get the feeling that this year it really has gone to a new level.”
Shops in Milton reported great business coinciding with the Milton Music Fest, Settlers Fair and Gallery Crawl, and feedback from Ulladulla businesses was very positive following the Escape artFEST film festival, the mass drum jam and the one-day Harbour Art n About festival, "one of this year's highlights", reported Julie.
"We also had a lot of sales from different exhibitions, which is fantastic - artists affirmed in what they're doing."
But beyond the increasing financial benefits for the area, Escape artFEST, first and foremost, provides nourishment in ways not always as tangible.
"It's integral aim is to enrich our community and I think it achieves that - like all the arts that are celebrated, the festival is good for the soul.
"It embodies the essence of our community in that it celebrates both the people, the places, the feelings, the skills. It is the one time of year that I get absolutely exhausted and inspired all at once.
"This year, more than ever before, I have the nervous yet excited feeling that the festival is just about to explode into something major - a challenge that we're up for, no doubt!"
The 2008 Festival - Looking Back...
Based on the theme "LAND" the 2008 festival featured a plethora of arts - film, music, sculpture, literary and visual.
The festival ran for an amazing three weeks and all who partook of the creative delights on offer were fulfilled and exhausted!
The MUD Music program brought us such greats as Don Burrows, the Scared Weird Little Guys and Holly Throsby. Arcadia Twin Cinemas presented yet another captivating Escape Arts Film Festival, and Angus & Robertson Ulladulla presented a quality Literary program of launches, readings and prizes. The range and diversity of exhibitions across 30 or more venues was truly inspiring, bringing art lovers from far and wide.
Plus there was the wonderful line-up of old favourites, Sculpture in the Forest, Milton Gallery Walk, Living with Trees, and the 8x8 Canvas Prize, along with a few of the newer events - Harbour Beats and Milton Music Fest.
Just The Beginning
Stuart Carless
28 September 2008
IT seemed like there was so much to do over the weekend - and there was - but it was just a taste of things to come as far as the Escape artFEST is concerned.
The festival program over the next week remains jam packed with things for local residents and visitors to the region to do and see.
The festival's music cranks up on Friday night with Don Burrows performing live at Milton Theatre wile one of the highlights of this year's festival - the Harbour Art 'n' About, will take place this Sunday.
Festivals Drum Up Tourist
Story: Karise Whelan, Photo: Belinda Marks
08 October 2008
THE area was alive with activity over the long weekend with businesses in both Milton and Ulladulla reporting solid trade. Visitors to the area were treated with a huge variety of things to do with the ongoing Escape artFEST, the Milton Music Fest and the Settlers Fair in all Milton's historic streets. With live entertainment and activities across the three days of the long weekend, visitors and locals alike braved the changing weather to spend time in town.
No Shortage Of ARTfest Activities
STORY: STUART CARLESS
01 October 2008
Another week - and plenty more to do and see as part of this year's Escape artFEST.
Cupitt's Winery will play host to one of the literary highlights of this year's festival today (Wednesday) with author of 'Love Our Way', Julia Rollings, to attend a book launch and luncheon from noon.
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