By Christine de Kock
MUSIC, street theatre and literature will be celebrated in the 2005 Big West Festival, which will lift the profile of art across the western suburbs.
The festival calls on performers and artists who live in the West to showcase their talents in places like Footscray, Ballarat and Horsham.
This year’s will be the fifth festival to be hosted since the inaugural event in 1997.
The festival’s Art Director Jason Cross said the biennial celebration gave people the opportunity to experience art in their “home”.
“The Big West gives people the opportunity to see art in a place that is familiar to them,” said Mr Cross, adding that if he had his way all art would be performed in the suburbs within reach of members of the community so that they could make art a part of their daily life.
“Art in Australia is not a familiar part of our lives, as it is in other parts of the world,” he said.
“There are other parts of our culture that we engage in daily – look at sport and the everyday case of Australian Rules Football.
“The festival is representative of all people in the West, with diverse music and ethnic aspects of their own culture,” Mr Cross said.
“There are about 70 different language groups within the western region.”
Festival organisers hope to make it a major western regional arts celebration that presents local, national and international musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds.
They are calling for professional and amateur musicians and bands to take part in the festival.
Mr Cross said artistic support was given to all who took part in the event.
Submissions close on 9 September and the festival runs from 23 November to 4 December.
Further information can be found on the website www.bigwest.com.au or phone 9688 0182.
