Arbour Festival to celebrate a new year in the Snowy Valleys region

Led by local bushfire-affected artists and presented by Eastern Riverina Arts, the Arbour Festival – will run from 28th December to 15th February and will be a celebration of the Snowy Valleys region.

Beginning on 28th December, exactly one year after the Dunns Road Fire wrought havoc in the region for 50 days, Arbour Festival will begin its own 50-day run; growing new possibilities as the community commences a new year beyond the fire that changed everything.

Surrounded by soaring trees which survived the blaze, visitors will be able to experience ephemeral installation artworks in a variety of traditional and contemporary mediums from artists including Robyn Sweeney, Sulari Genrill, Juju Roche, Andras Buisman, Helen Newman and Marlene Pearce. Exhibitions featuring works from local artists will also run at venues in Tumut, Tumbarumba and Batlow.

A curated series of workshops will allow participants to learn about a range of crafts and skills including Aboriginal weaving and tools, feltmaking, pyrography, nature photography and recording their family history.

Additionally, the Woodland Film Festival will break its four-year hiatus to return for Arbour Festival on 30th January and, for the first time in its history, will be able to fulfil its original vision of producing the festival in the true forest setting it was inspired by. The featured film, ‘Sweet Tooth’, is narrated by Cate Blanchett and was the last film to be made at Sugar Pine before the fire.

The Arbour Festival finale on 13th February will be an outdoor concert led by Aria-Award winner Fanny Lumsden, backed by a swag of regional talent including William Crighton, Montgomery Church and Rory Phillips. The concert will also feature exhilarating performances from the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.

Arbour Festival Curator, Vanessa Keenan advises “Arbour Festival includes a program of events and activities hosted by local artists and makers – most were directly impacted by the fires – that will introduce participants to a new hobby, rekindle an old interest or merely act as a distraction in what is an anxious season for so many. Arbour Festival provides an opportunity to acknowledge what has happened, celebrate what we’ve achieved and look forward to what’s yet to come.”

Eastern Riverina Arts Executive Director, Tim Kurylowicz added “I think what really stands out about the Arbour Festival programming is just how many talented artists and makers there are in the Snowy Valleys region. So many of them have been willing to share their expertise and knowledge with their community through workshops, exhibitions and experiences. It's a good time to take stock and really celebrate the people that we have right here in our own backyard."

Tickets are on sale now and the full program can be found at the Arbour Festival website