VISUAL SOUNDS
Lunceston’s Junction Arts Festival returns this week celebrating Tasmanian food, wine, architecture, art and music
Launceston’s Junction Arts Festival returns this week for a five-day celebration of Tasmanian art, food, wine, architecture and music. In its eighth year, Junction will turn Launceston’s Prince’s Square into a festival hub, featuring a free live music venue, food vans, the Little Devil Cabaret stage and a range of other performances and activities like Terrapin Puppet Theatre’s interactive work Infinite Corpse, which invites visitors to draw a section of a gigantic monster, projected high above the crowds, before it disappears, ready to be redrawn by someone else.
Another highlight will be the Remade Parade, by Interweave Arts, a fun carnival-style parade featuring wearable art that transforms recycled materials into sustainable messages.
The Remade Parade is presented by community arts organisation Interweave Arts, which empowers communities through programs for youth and people with disabilities.
Interweave Arts creative director Kim Schneiders, pictured, says the designs in the parade all involve repurposing and reusing other materials, and are intended to stimulate conversations about the environment and waste.
“We aim to spark curiosity and engagement with all the artworks we create and we particularly like wearable art, because it is moving and theatrical – it allows for those conversations to start,” she says.
“We get lots of information about the environment and our impacts upon it, but this is one way to have a personal conversation about that topic, for people to listen and realise we are the caretakers of our natural world.”
Junction 2018’s diverse program of more than 25 events includes theatre, dance, music, performance, monumental installations, storytelling, cabaret, architecture, communal feasts and even rollerskating.
In a world premiere performance, Roundabout features Launceston’s Devil State Derby League, Launceston College dance students and the Allstar Cheer and Dance Tasmania, all coming together in a dance, music and roller disco spectacular around Prince’s Square’s stunning Val d’Osne Fountain in collaboration with choreographer Virginia Ferris and with an original score by Launceston DJ and music producer Je Bahl.
Follow Open House Launceston (presented by Open House Hobart) on a trip through Launceston’s tapestry of architecture and into amazing buildings usually not accessible to the public.
The popular Tweed Run returns for another year. Jump on your bike and don your tweeds and your best traditional cycling attire for a bike ride around Launceston’s historic centre plus a post-ride treat of cucumber sandwiches and refreshments back at Prince’s Square.
Children’s entertainment includes: Kaput, Tom Flanagan’s multi-award winning family show; and The Mr Spin Show, a thrilling circus and comedy act that combines juggling with madcap antics.
And there are plenty more art and music events on offer as well. For full details visit junctionartsfestival.com.au Junction Arts Festival runs from September 5-9 at various venues around Launceston, with the festival hub at Prince’s Square.