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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-15 Daily Xml
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OZASIA FESTIVAL

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:27): My question is to the Premier in his role as Minister for the Arts. Can the Premier inform the house about the importance of the Adelaide Festival Centre's OzAsia Festival, which is commencing this Friday, I understand?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:27): Thank you very much. I know the honourable member has a keen interest in all matters involving the arts. People would also be aware that, since this government came to office, we have established the Adelaide Film Festival, we have established of course the annual Fringe, the annual WOMADelaide, we have announced of course that the Adelaide Festival of Arts will go annual, and it will, and also we have established the OzAsia Festival.

The fourth OzAsia Festival, presented by the Adelaide Festival Centre, opens on 17 September and runs until 2 October. Following on from last year's OzAsia Festival, which focused on the arts and culture of the People's Republic of China, this year the program will have a strong focus on the arts of Korea.

There is no doubt that this has been a historic and memorable year for the arts. We have seen the Adelaide Festival and Festival Fringe both celebrate their 50th anniversaries. The festival broke all of its targets, selling 66,000 tickets, and taking $3.4 million at the box office. The Fringe was also the biggest in its 50 year history, with more than 700 shows and over 300,000 tickets sold. This year the much-loved WOMADelaide event was extended over four days, and we recently had another hugely successful Adelaide Cabaret Festival, which celebrated its 10th birthday. Later this year we have the return of the Adelaide International Guitar Festival under the direction of Slavia Gregorian.

Now in its fourth year, the OzAsia Festival has established itself as the nation's pre-eminent platform for dialogue and collaboration in the performing arts with Asia, but it is much more than this. The OzAsia Festival fosters understanding, and it strengthens existing artistic and cultural ties with our Asian communities and with our Asian neighbours through music, theatre, film, dance, workshops, symposia and food. It gives the wider South Australian community an opportunity to learn more about and develop a deeper appreciation of our Asian neighbours, and it further strengthens the relationship between our state and our region. That relationship continues to prosper, especially through the presence of about 30,000 students from Asia and the subcontinent choosing to further their education here in Adelaide.

Importantly, the OzAsia Festival celebrates and honours the contribution the people and cultures of this region make to our own community. With this in mind, there is little wonder that the popularity of the festival has continued to grow, as was reflected in a 25 per cent increase in net box office income in 2009 and a total attendance of more than 25,000 across the 15-day festival. The festival won a prestigious Helpmann Award in 2008 and a Ruby Award in 2009 for best work or event.

The Moon Lantern Festival, featuring the twilight moon lantern parade, has become a favourite annual community gathering attracting a large audience. To be held on 22 September in Elder Park, this free event will see family and friends come together to celebrate and enjoy a range of festivals, including a diverse selection of Asian food and market stalls, crafts and workshops. I hope we will see many members of parliament there. Adelaide's Asian communities have embraced the Moon Lantern Festival, and this year around 50 students from the Asia-Pacific region currently living in Adelaide have volunteered to work at the festival and parade.

In highlighting the arts and culture of Korea, the festival program features presentations and performances, including a Korean shaman opening ritual designed to bestow good luck on the festival. There will be an award winning production, When His Watch Stopped, in which the Sadari Theatre Company uses masks, visual art and mime to compassionately explore the theme of war and its effect on a family. There will be a Korean screen program at the Mercury Cinema, the Australian exclusive and premiere performances by the Yegam Theatre Company of Jump, a martial arts comedy, and a Korean twist on William Shakespeare's Hamlet by the Yohangza Theatre Company, which is also an Australian premiere.

The state government is proud to have recently announced an additional $250,000 per annum, allocated specifically to the OzAsia Festival. I am delighted to announce that the 2011 OzAsia Festival program will focus on the culture and arts of Japan and also that the 2012 OzAsia Festival will celebrate the cultural and economic ties that we have with India. Congratulations to Douglas Gautier and Jacinta Thompson and their hardworking teams for yet another exciting program. I look forward to seeing members at the events.

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