Artlands launched

ARTLANDS FESTIVAL brings to Dubbo some of the best artists and arts companies working in regional NSW for an exciting program of exhibitions and evening performance to round off your day at the conference.

Highlights include an exciting opening ceremony with ARTLANDS Cultural Program Director Greg Pritchard bringing together an artistic team of some of the best and most audacious artists in Regional Australia, including Australia Council Experimental Arts Fellow, Dave Jones from Natimuk, inaugural Arts NSW Regional Fellow from Narrandera, Vic McEwan, and the Northern River’s Joey Ruigrok.

A brand new exhibition of contemporary art from some of NSW’s leading regional Aboriginal artists will be put together by internationally renowned curator, Djon Mundine. Old Land, New Marks will be in the main gallery of the Western Plain Cultural Centre with the other galleries featuring previously unseen work from the Centre’s collection as well as work by Geurie artist, Matilda Julien. The foyer of the Dubbo Theatre and Convention Centre will see an exhibition of work from artists of the region curated by former Director of the New England Art Museum, Caroline Downer and ceramicist, Nicci Parry Jones. Throughout the ARTLANDS precinct, Orana Arts and Arts North West together with BAWD Property Trust have commissioned Curator Alex Wisser has to curate 10 public art pieces for the project Future/Public.

The Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre will turn from conference venue by day to performance venue by night with FLiNG Company’s (Bega) new performance work, We Will Come to the Rescue. It is going to be wild, with heroes and villains, and a world in disarray. Lingua Franca dance and physical theatre (Bathurst) creates visually compelling original performance and their new work Unsustainable Behaviour, promises to captivate audiences in Dubbo.

Whatever beat you move to, there’s music for everyone. Dubbo born, Dave Mason (founder of The Reels teams up with Brendan Gallagher; internationally acclaimed rock and roll balladeer Heath Cullen, from the NSW far south coast village of Candelo; amazing vocalist and songwriter Radical Son, who crosses genres from soul to hip-hop and beyond always guided by his Indigenous heritage; Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen take the early-mid 20th century hotbed of European musical styles to develop their own distinctive Euro-Roots sound; and the dark and soulful sounds of Dubbo born, Melbourne based, Mojo Juju will be another hot ticket at the Festival.

And there’s more to come. The Full Festival Program will be released in early June.

Photo of Radical Son performing at the launch of Artlands supplied.