Converge on the Goulburn is a free, family friendly, fantastic event.
The event takes place on the lake and features beautiful scenery and plenty of space. There are loads of free cultural activities for kids to explore diversity and there is an incredible display of live music. There are numerous varieties of food from an array of cultures from Kangaroo burgers to Turkish Gozlemes.
I haven't attended Converge on the Goulburn in the last 4 or 5 years and it was great to see it again. Weirdly, I remember it being bigger the last time I went. I remember their being a bigger layout of different stalls, as well as a larger stage and more room for dancing and the audience to sit. This idea seems weird to me as the festival has been growing in the last few years but one of the main attractions that the everyday family can enjoy appears to be getting smaller.
In saying that, I do not wish to make Converge on the Goulburn sound bad. It may be my memory playing tricks on me or the event may be attracting less attention. Aside from the size, Converge on the Goulburn is still as fantastic event. It's free to attend, it's fun and it's a fantastic way to celebrate the end of the Shepparton Arts Festival.
I implore everyone to attend next years, as well as every year to come.
Thanks to Ros Abercrombie and her fantastic team for putting on such a massive event that take countless hours to prepare, I know myself and other members of the La Trobe writers in action class have had an incredible time.
Monday 20 March 2017
The Art Fridges
The art fridges were an exhibit around Shepparton throughout the duration of the festival and they acted like a free exchange. The idea is that people are able to swap one of their own books (for example) and take another. Acting a bit like a free library. There were three fridges in total and each had a different type of entertainment.
The first fridge was full of DVD's. This fridge was positioned in a small corner of the Gloria Jean's coffee shop on Wyndham Street. I opened the fridge and was underwhelmed with the amount of DVD's in the fridge. I also noticed by looking at the sheet on the fridge, that not a single person had swapped a DVD yet. Personally I believe the location of the fridge was extremely poor. Upon entering the shop I felt obliged to buy a drink so as to not feel rude. Secondly, I did not immediately spot the fridge as it was tucked away in a corner. Finally, the fridge did not clearly have a label detailing what it was and why it was there.
The second fridge I found was in the Shepparton information centre. The fridge here was more visible than the previous but was again, not labelled well. I managed to find and old Radiohead album and deposited a bunch of old CD's from my house in exchange. This fridge was stocked completely with tons of CD's and somebody had swapped two CD's. Unfortunately this was still not very effective as a free exchange.
The third fridge was full of books, and was positioned outside Sanity in the Marketplace. This fridge was positioned more effectively than either of the other fridges but was unfortunately not labelled. A few books had been swapped here and I fully believe this is because of its open position in a busy area.
Having grown up in Shepparton, I know that there is no similar exchange type booth around, so this is a new concept for anyone who has never grown up around them. Because of this, it is very important that people understand how they work in order to be confident enough to use them. The fridges need to be clearly labelled so that people can comfortably exchange the books without feeling weird.
The fridges also need to be placed more openly so that more people may see them. The fridges only seem to be written about on the festival website, and because of this, people not interested in the arts may have not even heard about them and would never find them by chance (aside from the book fridge) as they are so discreet.
The fridges would do better in places that are busy, indoors (or undercover) but not within shops themselves. Positioning them in shops makes people feel obliged to shop there, this may be great for business, but defeats the purpose of it being a free exchange. Places like the marketplace, Safeway plaza and the mall are more ideal places so that the fridges see plenty of use.
I think the fridges are great, quirky idea. I would love to see them scattered around Shepparton permanently in the future. Unfortunately, in this situation, they were a poorly executed good idea.
The first fridge was full of DVD's. This fridge was positioned in a small corner of the Gloria Jean's coffee shop on Wyndham Street. I opened the fridge and was underwhelmed with the amount of DVD's in the fridge. I also noticed by looking at the sheet on the fridge, that not a single person had swapped a DVD yet. Personally I believe the location of the fridge was extremely poor. Upon entering the shop I felt obliged to buy a drink so as to not feel rude. Secondly, I did not immediately spot the fridge as it was tucked away in a corner. Finally, the fridge did not clearly have a label detailing what it was and why it was there.The second fridge I found was in the Shepparton information centre. The fridge here was more visible than the previous but was again, not labelled well. I managed to find and old Radiohead album and deposited a bunch of old CD's from my house in exchange. This fridge was stocked completely with tons of CD's and somebody had swapped two CD's. Unfortunately this was still not very effective as a free exchange.
The third fridge was full of books, and was positioned outside Sanity in the Marketplace. This fridge was positioned more effectively than either of the other fridges but was unfortunately not labelled. A few books had been swapped here and I fully believe this is because of its open position in a busy area.
Having grown up in Shepparton, I know that there is no similar exchange type booth around, so this is a new concept for anyone who has never grown up around them. Because of this, it is very important that people understand how they work in order to be confident enough to use them. The fridges need to be clearly labelled so that people can comfortably exchange the books without feeling weird.
The fridges also need to be placed more openly so that more people may see them. The fridges only seem to be written about on the festival website, and because of this, people not interested in the arts may have not even heard about them and would never find them by chance (aside from the book fridge) as they are so discreet.
The fridges would do better in places that are busy, indoors (or undercover) but not within shops themselves. Positioning them in shops makes people feel obliged to shop there, this may be great for business, but defeats the purpose of it being a free exchange. Places like the marketplace, Safeway plaza and the mall are more ideal places so that the fridges see plenty of use.
I think the fridges are great, quirky idea. I would love to see them scattered around Shepparton permanently in the future. Unfortunately, in this situation, they were a poorly executed good idea.
Friday 10 March 2017
Sunday the 5th of March - SAM & Tracy Moffat
After visiting the Art Path earlier in the day, I figured the best way to cool off would be to enjoy some various art works in the air conditioned Shepparton Art Museum (SAM).
We were asked by the woman at the desk for our postcodes, presumably to map out the guests throughout the festival, and made our way in.
To start, we turned off to the right and saw some of the regular exhibits. Some of the artwork was incredible. For others, I wondered if I could have done just as well despite my lack of artistic skill. But, I do not have a good understanding of art and artistic form, so that is most likely my untrained eye peeking through.
The most incredible, and mildly creepy feature was the "Woman and Child" exhibit by Sam Jinks (2010). The figure, made from a variety of materials, was eerily realistic, and I was slightly worried that it might just reach out and grab me at any point.
We also viewed many of Tracy Moffat's videos. These to me personally were slightly odd but often withdrew powerful feelings from within me. I would definitely recommend anyone art aficionados in the area to go and view the Tracy Moffat exhibit. However, this may not be something the general public will appreciate
We briefly ran into Sue reclining on some bean bags in front of a theater screen here, I would've loved to relax as well but unfortunately I had to drive back to Preston shortly after leaving the SAM.
We were asked by the woman at the desk for our postcodes, presumably to map out the guests throughout the festival, and made our way in.
To start, we turned off to the right and saw some of the regular exhibits. Some of the artwork was incredible. For others, I wondered if I could have done just as well despite my lack of artistic skill. But, I do not have a good understanding of art and artistic form, so that is most likely my untrained eye peeking through.
The most incredible, and mildly creepy feature was the "Woman and Child" exhibit by Sam Jinks (2010). The figure, made from a variety of materials, was eerily realistic, and I was slightly worried that it might just reach out and grab me at any point.
We also viewed many of Tracy Moffat's videos. These to me personally were slightly odd but often withdrew powerful feelings from within me. I would definitely recommend anyone art aficionados in the area to go and view the Tracy Moffat exhibit. However, this may not be something the general public will appreciate
We briefly ran into Sue reclining on some bean bags in front of a theater screen here, I would've loved to relax as well but unfortunately I had to drive back to Preston shortly after leaving the SAM.
Tuesday 7 March 2017
Sunday the 5th of March, The Art Path
After a 6am wake up, I drove from Broadford back to Shepparton as I had to attend an engagement party. Today was the day I was planning to see a lot of events around the festival.
After a quick stop at the Writers in Action home base (and a nap at home), it was off to do some activities.
My first stop on Sunday was the Royal Botanic Gardens for "The Art Path" nature walk. "Royal Botanic Gardens?" was my first thought. I'd lived in Shepp for 18 full years and had never heard of such a place. In my mind, I pictured lush greenery, beautiful flowers and loads of color. So, you can imagine my slight disappointment upon turning onto a rough dirty road and driving down to what appeared to be some standard Australian bush-land.
I started on the path and saw some people involved in a Live Action Role Playing (LARP) battle. This made me laugh a bit and it was great to see them fully involved whilst families spectated. Even more so was that they were fully dressed up in capes and cloaks despite the heat.
I turned onto the art path, admittedly going the wrong way, and first stumbled across a beautiful sculpture made of tree bark and feathers. I unfortunately did not see or couldn't find its name or creator and so cannot credit the artist.
Following along the art path, I then saw other sculptures scattered around me. Many of them were very impressive in detail and beauty.
Eventually I found myself amongst a mix of photo frames hanging from trees. I was approached by a volunteer who told me about the "Selfies in the Bush" exhibit where they wanted visitors to take selfies of themselves or the scenery within the frames. This was a great idea and everyone involved looke like they were enjoying themselves. The only suggestion I would make to improve this display would be to add more or bigger frames so more people can participate and join in the fun at the same time.
After this section, I walked past a few stalls, and at each I saw both parents and kids getting involved in different activities. One appeared to be making bird's nests. This looked really fun and it was a great way to get both parents and kids involved in the activities and the festival itself.
Overall the activity was fun, it got lots people involved from kids to adults and there was plenty to do. I definitely hope they run the art path again next year.
After a quick stop at the Writers in Action home base (and a nap at home), it was off to do some activities.
My first stop on Sunday was the Royal Botanic Gardens for "The Art Path" nature walk. "Royal Botanic Gardens?" was my first thought. I'd lived in Shepp for 18 full years and had never heard of such a place. In my mind, I pictured lush greenery, beautiful flowers and loads of color. So, you can imagine my slight disappointment upon turning onto a rough dirty road and driving down to what appeared to be some standard Australian bush-land.
I started on the path and saw some people involved in a Live Action Role Playing (LARP) battle. This made me laugh a bit and it was great to see them fully involved whilst families spectated. Even more so was that they were fully dressed up in capes and cloaks despite the heat.
I turned onto the art path, admittedly going the wrong way, and first stumbled across a beautiful sculpture made of tree bark and feathers. I unfortunately did not see or couldn't find its name or creator and so cannot credit the artist.Following along the art path, I then saw other sculptures scattered around me. Many of them were very impressive in detail and beauty.
Eventually I found myself amongst a mix of photo frames hanging from trees. I was approached by a volunteer who told me about the "Selfies in the Bush" exhibit where they wanted visitors to take selfies of themselves or the scenery within the frames. This was a great idea and everyone involved looke like they were enjoying themselves. The only suggestion I would make to improve this display would be to add more or bigger frames so more people can participate and join in the fun at the same time.
After this section, I walked past a few stalls, and at each I saw both parents and kids getting involved in different activities. One appeared to be making bird's nests. This looked really fun and it was a great way to get both parents and kids involved in the activities and the festival itself.
Overall the activity was fun, it got lots people involved from kids to adults and there was plenty to do. I definitely hope they run the art path again next year.
Monday 6 March 2017
The inventi orchestra
We headed out to Saint Paul's Lutheran Church after a few hours of class for the 'Musical Treasure Hunt Workshop.'
We walked in and saw a large assortment of cardboard tubing and the members of the Inventi Orchestra ready with their cardboard instruments next to them. They gave a demonstration of each instrument and we had to choose which of the three instruments we'd be making. One instrument was the "bassoon" which was a smaller roll of cardboard tubing with a small plastic pipe and some other stuff attached to it. There were harps made from shoe boxes, lids and other cardboard box-like things with rubber bands attached to them, Lastly there were the rainmakers, which I opted to make. These were the very large cardboard rolls and we sealed of one end. We then poured in different shapes and quantities of pasta and rice until we got a really beautiful sound. We then sealed off the other end and made a face on it.
The workshop was a lot of fun and was really interactive. After we made instruments, we all participated in a practice for the performance later that night. The Inventi Orchestra members were really helpful and made it into a great experience.
Unfortunately I was unable to make it to any other of Saturday's events, but was well prepared to make it to a few on Sunday.
Friday 3 March 2017
Opening Night!
After all the time spent waiting, finally, the Shepparton Festival (and the Writers in Action class) was starting.
We met in the courtyard (a newly renovated area) at the Aussie hotel. I walked in, got a drink and looked around trying to identify anyone I might know. I looked toward the wall of boxes from different orchards around the region wondering what it was all about. We later found out that is the work of artist Sean Raferty who is a Cartonographer. In this role, Sean maps Australian fruit cartons to show where different products may originate from (more of his work may be found here http://cartonography.com/).
Anyway, I sat for a few minutes when I saw a few familiar faces approach an excited group of people wearing lanyards that all had the La Trobe logo on them, so over I went.
We were all introduced to each other and seemed eager for the beginning of the festival, we chatted until someone stood on stage and started talking. Many of the people involved in the festival were at the opening night including; event organizers, artists, sponsors, even the Mayor of Shepparton spoke. We heard great things about some of the 40+ events that will be held across the next 17 or so days.
I'm looking forward to our first classes tomorrow.
Thursday 2 March 2017
Driving home for class?
It's a strange feeling.
My third year at La Trobe, having just moved off of on-campus accommodation into a share house, and what's the first thing I do? I go straight back to Shepp, back to my room at my parents' house (which I only just escaped from).
It's odd. Normally I drive back here to escape from uni life for a bit, but I never thought I'd be coming back here for uni.
I left my house in Preston earlier today, brought a basket of washing with me for mum to help with, and made sure to pack all my devices and their chargers. I settle in for the two hour drive and play some of my CD's. I start to play Violent Soho and memories of year 11 start to return as I listened to 'Covered in Chrome' for what seems the millionth time.
As I enter the Goulburn Valley I start to feel nostalgic (despite only leaving a fortnight ago to start uni again). I drive past the McDonald's in the south of town and pass a sign advertising a bunch of activities for the festival this weekend. Anticipation hits me like a hammer to an anvil. I drive past the lake and see the familiar setup of kids rides and market stalls at the lake and i'm grinning with anticipation.
I drive straight down Wyndham street for a few more minutes, take a few turns and i'm home.
I sit on my couch writing this as I eagerly await tonight's festivities.
It's good to be home.
My third year at La Trobe, having just moved off of on-campus accommodation into a share house, and what's the first thing I do? I go straight back to Shepp, back to my room at my parents' house (which I only just escaped from).
It's odd. Normally I drive back here to escape from uni life for a bit, but I never thought I'd be coming back here for uni.
I left my house in Preston earlier today, brought a basket of washing with me for mum to help with, and made sure to pack all my devices and their chargers. I settle in for the two hour drive and play some of my CD's. I start to play Violent Soho and memories of year 11 start to return as I listened to 'Covered in Chrome' for what seems the millionth time.
As I enter the Goulburn Valley I start to feel nostalgic (despite only leaving a fortnight ago to start uni again). I drive past the McDonald's in the south of town and pass a sign advertising a bunch of activities for the festival this weekend. Anticipation hits me like a hammer to an anvil. I drive past the lake and see the familiar setup of kids rides and market stalls at the lake and i'm grinning with anticipation.
I drive straight down Wyndham street for a few more minutes, take a few turns and i'm home.
I sit on my couch writing this as I eagerly await tonight's festivities.
It's good to be home.
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