Regional festivals: community is key in an increasingly crowded market

From Castlemaine to Tennant Creek, regional arts festivals are flourishing, and maintaining a community focus is paramount to their success.
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Castlemaine State Festival opening night 2013: image via Vimeo

Across Australia, from Mildura and Shepparton to Albany and Broome, regional councils are embracing the arts as a means of rejuvenation and engagement. But does the proliferation of regional festivals also present a risk for established events, such as the Castlemaine State Festival, in that they will have to fight harder for audiences and funding dollars?

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts