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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-06 Daily Xml
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OZASIA FESTIVAL

The Hon. J.S. LEE (16:15): I rise today to speak about the OzAsia Festival. It was a pleasure to represent the Leader of the Opposition, Isobel Redmond, on Wednesday 29 June at the launch of Adelaide's OzAsia Festival program for 2011. The OzAsia Festival has garnered much support and momentum since its inception, so it was not surprising at all to see the launch of the OzAsia Festival so well attended by members across the community and supported by the arts sector, corporate and business sectors and so many multicultural organisations.

I was very pleased to see the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, Mr Hieu Van Le (the Patron of OzAsia) at the launch as well as the Hon. Gail Gago representing the government. The Adelaide Festival Centre's OzAsia Festival was established five years ago in 2007. I consider myself pretty lucky to have participated in all the past festivals at various levels and enjoyed many spectacular performances. I am certainly looking forward to this year's program with much excitement.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Douglas Gautier, CEO and Artistic Director, Adelaide Festival Centre, and Jacinta Thompson, Festival Director of the OzAsia Festival, for their hard work and dedication in upholding the reputation of the Adelaide Festival Centre as a cultural leader and making the OzAsia Festival the pre-eminent event of its kind in this region.

The objective of the OzAsia Festival is to create a broad community-based event that connects with the cultures of our neighbouring countries. The festival has been embraced by local audiences and communities because of this broad cultural reach. It offers something delightful for everyone of all ages and includes theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts, food and design culture.

I see the OzAsia Festival as an annual celebration of our diverse multicultural society. The festival presents work by Australian artists who identify with an Asian heritage. It is wonderful to see creative and artistic collaboration between Australian and Asian artists. Their willingness to express their talents and abilities to present a cross-section of traditional and contemporary cultures of Asia provides the audience with delightful cross-cultural experiences and amazing entertainment.

Each year, the OzAsia Festival also presents a free outdoor public event, which is a Moon Lantern Festival to coincide with the Asian Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival. This year the Moon Lantern Festival will be held on 12 September. Twelve primary schools, I believe, and many community groups have been engaged to participate in lantern-making workshops this year, and they will join many diverse performances on the main stage.

I really look forward to attending the lantern parades at the OzAsia Festival. I have done so with my family for many years and it has been a highlight. I think that we should all make the effort to wander down to Elder Park. It can get pretty cold so, if some of the honourable members would like to attend, make sure you wear something warm.

OzAsia Festival this year will put the highlight on Japan, bringing Australian-Japanese collaborations such as Dreamscape, Four Winds and KOAN. We will also be seeing Shaolin warriors from China and Raga Shambhala, classical and folk music from India and Tibet and so on. I encourage all members of parliament and staff and community members to participate and support this exciting and wonderful festival.

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