“This year’s program consolidates festival favourites from last year, centralises activity and, of course, brings in a new element to spice it up a little. Flicks + Feasts, Comedy and Arts Burst have become festival ‘must do’s’ already,” details Valmorbida, Manager of Economic and Cultural Development for the municipal. It’s been a hectic week for the supervisor, with interminable meetings, festival finalisation and the reviewing and preparation for other future events in Stonnington – “we are always working on all of our festivals and events, this year and the next.”
This year will see the festival extend beyond the 50 events it showcased last year with more acts as part of its Comedy Club – Fox FM Breakfast Host Dave Thornton and everyone’s favourite, Cal Wilson (Spicks and Specks, Good News Week) join the lineup; a collaboration with Gertrude Street Projection Festival team and Stonnington to create Light Switch with Third Drawer Down and Glasgow artist David Shrigley, and the addition of a larger and cohesive festival hub.
“The arts hub was created as a way to stage performance in all its forms in a casual and exciting format,” writes Francesca. “It’s set alongside the open air ice skating rink, and audiences on and off the ice can enjoy ice carving, circus acts, DJs, live music and even a brass band on a Sunday afternoon. You will be able to come for a skate, a drink, a dance, some curling or just to soak up the atmosphere under the winter night sky.”
Located in the Cato Street car park in Prahran, the venue will act as a polestar for attendees during the 11-day festival. Each night is set to a theme, Glow Troppo or Get Classy or Move Yo’ Body being examples, and will dictate performances that night. Indigenous Hip Hop Projects will join PBS DJ Monica on Friday August 14 for some Beats and Eats, John O’Hara will use his dulcet tones for some smooth love Dedications for Cabaret, Curling & Choir, and circus performances from the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) will bring the phantasmagorical to ice sculpting on Thursday August 20. Glow Winter Arts Festival will close on Sunday August 23 with ice skating performances and renditions from the Gertrude Opera and the Stonnington City Brass Band.
With such a large program, it’s surreal to believe Glow Winter Arts Festival developed from the demure Arts Burst Festival and is still only two years old. It behaves as if it’s much older.
“Essentially, Arts Burst brings performance to audiences,” details Valmorbida. The first Arts Burst Festival featured impromptu tram sessions, wandering angels (Fallen Angels will return to the hub this Glow), street music performances and other colourful actors. Now Arts Burst is a part of the much larger Glow Winter program. “The weekend program of Arts Burst started in 2012 and we thought it was the perfect way to launch Glow. As with the whole Glow program, the event is all about surprise and delight. This year, we bring you giant Solar Bugs and Snuff Puppets, music, dance – the list goes on. You just have to be out and about in Windsor and South Yarra to experience it.”
“We try to work closely with local organisations, not only to support them, but also to foster the growth of arts and culture in the area, and to remind audiences that talent surrounds them.” This ethos also nurtures a greater sense of identity for Stonnington citizens, whose enthusiasm, delight and pride in their artistry draws people from adjacent municipalities. “We are fortunate to call NICA, Melbourne Polytechnic, Polyglot and Stonnington City Brass neighbours.”
So, what are other highlights of Glow Winter Arts Festival? Panopoly Gallery will host an exhibition called Celebration of Colour that explores the psychology of colour, a must-see for all colour theory and psychology enthusiasts; Art Walk will transform Glenferrie Road shopfronts into windows of live art that can be bought by audiences (a percentage of profit will go to the Firestation Print Studio), Glow Block Party will ensnare all with a drug, alcohol and smoke-free white rave featuring lasers and sweet tunes, and Flicks + Feast will combine food and cinema into four themed nights – American, Japanese, Indian and Italian. Featured films will include American treasure Blue Hawaii, Hayao Miyazaki’s classic Spirited Away, Bollywood meets Austen Bride and Prejudice and The Italian Job.
“We want people to have fun, spend time with their family and friends,” tells Valmorbida, explaining why people should succumb to the allure of Glow. “We invite people to enjoy arts and culture along with some of the most exciting cafes, bars and restaurants in Melbourne. We live in a great city and it’s a privilege to share it.”
BY AVRILLE BYLOK-COLLARD
