Young people are invited to attend workshops to learn video projection mapping. Photos: Supplied.
South Coast youth have an incredible opportunity to put on a festival as part of an ambitious, youth-led, multiple-art-form project.
At least 20 young people aged from 13 to 24 are invited to join three days of free workshops that give them hands-on experience from mentors who are experts in their field.
The workshops will give them the skills and knowledge to deliver a full-blown concert the following day, complete with professional audio production, artistic installations and video projections they have created themselves.
The project is designed to build experience and capability for the next generation of regionally based creatives to ensure succession for the South Coast creative industries.
The workshops will cover every aspect of putting on a festival with live performances. Young people can choose from learning about digital content creation, audiovisual production and event management through to promotion and marketing, designing and installing decor, and workplace health and safety.
Anyone in that age bracket is welcome to perform at the Southern Lights Festival in Cobargo, be they dancers, singers, actors, DJs, electronic musicians, poets, rock bands or singer-songwriters.
Mentors include Sam Martin with the Sam’s Caravan crew, the team from Bioluminescence and some of the talented folk from Cobargo Folk Festival who make it a successful event every year. They will be joined by experienced local performers who will help the young performers refine their art form and support them to share their creative voice.
Bioluminescence at Tathra Wharf.
Scott Baker, a vocational educator of 20 years, is one of the project’s leads.
He is well known in the Far South Coast for the Bioluminescence events he helps young people to create. Over three days he teaches them about video projection mapping, the same technique used in Sydney’s VIVID Festival where they transform regional landmarks into a kaleidoscope of patterns and colours.
Being a creative in Bega Valley for 10 years he has built many friendships and relationships, including his partnership with the Yuin Folk Club, producers of the Cobargo Folk Festival. That has seen Bioluminescence be a key part of the festival for four years.
“One of the main reasons Bioluminescence exists is to give young people hands-on experience and one of the things on the minds of the Yuin Folk Club is succession for the Cobargo Folk Festival,” Mr Baker said.
“Considering the cultural footprint of the area with Four Winds, Giiyong Festival, Wanderer Festival and the Cobargo Folk Festival, it is important we are addressing the challenges of succession and ensuring young people have the opportunity to get hands-on with those creative institutions,” he said.
It must be meaningful, not token, so that young people can see there is a viable career and vocational pathways in the creative industries.
So, the idea is to do something much bigger than Bioluminescence that engages young people interested in being on the stage or behind the scenes and shows them they have opportunities in the region’s creative industries into the future.
The Bioluminescence project in Griffith in 2024.
The bold vision has captured the backing of the Federal Government’s Creative Australia through grant funding, and financial support from Yuin Folk Club and Candelo Arts Society.
“The partnership with the Yuin Folk Club is vital because they bring critical resources in the form of the team who makes the Cobargo Folk Festival happen,” Mr Baker said. “We must get some of that skills transfer from the people with the local knowledge base and skills base who have been running Cobargo Folk Festival for 30 years.”
Queensland’s Griffith University is also on board. It is studying the DIY aspects of music in regional areas and three of their creative professional lecturers will be coming to run three workshops over three days. They will introduce participants to multiple facets of electronic music making and visuals for performance. Participants can develop their own artistic compositions, create their own tactile electronic instrument, and learn how to sample sounds.
“There is everything from audio reactive visuals for music to wearable soft musical instruments so that clothing is part of the performance,” Mr Baker said.
The festival’s youth workshops will run on 15 to 17 April, with the Southern Lights Festival held on 18 April at Cobargo Showground. There will be DJ and synth workshops open to the public during the day, followed by the live performances in the evening.
If you are a young person and want to get involved or if you want tickets to see what they create, head to the website.
