IT’S been four long years since the Fairfax Youth Art Festival has been held and it is finally returning to the heart of the Murray Mallee, with this year’s festival being conducted over eight days from October 1 to October 8.
The festival celebrates the memory of George Fairfax AM, a leading light in the Australian and international theatre scenes, who grew up in Nangiloc.
Swan Hill City Council has been the proud custodian of the Fairfax Youth Festival for 27 years.
It is a unique platform dedicated to nurturing the creative potential of young people from rural Australia.
Led by artistic director Bryce Ives, it aims to provide life-changing experiences for young people, particularly those from small towns and rural communities.
Last Friday about 30 people gathered at the Swan Hill Town Hall to reignite the Marruk Project, an award-winning First Nations-led youth theatre initiative since 2014.
Mr Ives said that this is really a new generation of young people.
“This is about confidence, culture and connection but also all of us coming together around culture and being proud together, both first nations and non-first nations,” Mr Ives said.
“Getting this group back together is just extraordinary — that opportunity for young people to dance and sing.
“We have young people from as far away as Whyalla in South Australia, Bendigo, Renmark, Mildura, Red Cliffs and Robinvale as well, just to name a few.“
The Fairfax Youth Festival offers a diverse range of free public performances and events, including The Stories That Make Us, a film event showcasing 18 short films created by young people and projected onto the iconic Quambatook Silo Cinema on Tuesday October 3 from sunset.
Mayor of Swan Hill City Council, Cr Les McPhee, said that the impact of this event was always astonishing and we are glad to have it back in person in Swan Hill.
“Young people may build careers like George Fairfax and change the national and international cultural and creative industries, or they may become more confident and clear in a job interview, school or community,” Cr McPhee said.
“The impact is immeasurable.”
For more information, visit Fairfax Youth Initiative or book tickets for the free events at the Swan Hill Town Hall Performing Arts Centre by visiting www.fairfaxyi.com or swanhilltownhall.com
