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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-03-07 Daily Xml
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DESERT FRINGE FESTIVAL

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:34): I rise today to talk about the vibrant arts scene in Port Augusta.

The Hon. L.R. Breuer: That wonderful display along the road, along the highway.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The member for Giles is laughing.

The Hon. L.R. Breuer: That wonderful work of art!

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The member for Giles, from one of Port Augusta's outer suburbs, Whyalla, is laughing about the vibrant art scene at Port Augusta. Let me inform the house about the fringe festival that is coming to Port Augusta on 15 and 16 March. We are all aware of what is going on in Adelaide at the moment—we have got the Fringe and the Festival of Arts. Let me inform the house that the fringe festival is coming to Port Augusta as well and, as is often said, 'coming to a desert near you'. It is called the Desert Fringe.

There will be numerous events for the local community to participate in. I welcome this. It is an annual event that has been coming to Port Augusta for quite a while and I think it is absolutely fantastic. On the evening of Friday 15 March, there will be street performers, roving artists, South Australian Indigenous band THE MERRg, plus uplifting tunes from the Corey Theatre, and of course, as I am sure even happens in Whyalla, there will be a free sausage sizzle because nothing can happen without a free sausage sizzle. That is very important.

Let me say quite genuinely that it is absolutely wonderful for Port Augusta and the district to have the Fringe coming. Saturday will be a big day as well. Saturday will feature cheeky cabaret acts from international darling Miss Behave, favourites Mr Spin and Pandora Pink from the UK, Desert Fringe first-timers Corey Theatre and Til The Break, Port Augusta's Desert Voices Choir, which I have been fortunate enough to hear many times, a choir of local people, and also a ukulele club, hilarious feats from Les Vitamines, which is a Canadian group, and dance and physical theatre company Polytoxic from Queensland. They will all be playing over the two-day event.

Then, on Saturday night, bring a picnic rug, sit back, grab a bite to enjoy and enjoy the show at sunset. Hosted by internationally acclaimed Miss Behave, enjoy a waterfront concert. I do not think that is something the member for Giles will have ever done in Whyalla: enjoy a waterfront concert, as we can do in Port Augusta. It will be an absolutely fantastic event.

This is one part of a very vibrant arts scene in Port Augusta. I congratulate Ms Eleanor Day, who is the local coordinator for Country Arts SA and who does an absolutely fantastic job. Most of the arts events that occur in Port Augusta revolve around the cultural arts centre, locally known as Yarta Purtli, which is right near Gladstone Square. That exhibition space and the institute on the other side of the barracks is absolutely wonderful. It was part of an upgrade of that area, I think, in 2008 when Port Augusta was South Australia's regional cultural arts centre.

We have had arts going on in our district for thousands of years through our very important Aboriginal culture, but it really got a big step-up and kick-off in 2008. Let me acknowledge the enormous number of volunteers who contribute to this, as well as the artists who make their work (in all sorts of different ways) available. It is almost always volunteers who support with regard to administration, the showing, the protection, the interpretation, the serving (often) of food and drinks and things like that in Port Augusta to make this happen.

When people think of art in Port Augusta they certainly think of Aboriginal art, which is very important. As I said, Aboriginal art has been in Port Augusta for thousands of years, but it is not only Aboriginal art these days. There is a proud culture in Port Augusta of recognising our past, drawing on the strengths of our past, but certainly working currently and into the future to develop arts in this part of the world. I am very proud to have two paintings in my office in Port Augusta, one by an Aboriginal artist, Mr Tim Hampton, and one by a local non-Indigenous artist, Mr Joel Plevin, both of whom are fantastic local artists and represent their cultures, our region and the past, present and future exceptionally well in Port Augusta.

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