MEDIA RELEASE: Premier Mike Rann
February 26th 2010
A re-elected Rann Labor Government will make the Adelaide Festival an annual event.
Premier Mike Rann says the Adelaide Festival would be held every year from 2012, with extra funding, a group of “Festival Heroes”, and a half-million festivals commissioning fund for new works from local artists.
“An annual Adelaide Festival will provide our state with huge benefits in competing successfully in a global and national annual festival environment,” Mr Rann said.
“We’ll be providing additional funding each year, to bring the total annual funding to more than $8 million per Festival.
“Our experience with making the both WOMADelaide and the Fringe annual events has shown that far from reducing the quality and impact of these festivals, the events have grown in size, reputation and economic impact.
“Our festivals make a huge contribution to our local economy.
“The 2008 Adelaide Festival delivered an economic benefit of $14 million to the State, with more than 8,000 interstate and nearly 3,000 overseas visitors.
“And since the Fringe went annual in 2007, the number of shows has increased 75 per cent, and attendances have increased almost 50 per cent, to over one million in 2009, with a total economic benefit of over $27 million.
“We will establish a group of “Festival Heroes” to provide advice on strategies to ensure a smooth transition to the annual format, and to maximize the benefit of our new enhanced annual festival calendar.
“That will include past Festival directors Anthony Steel AM, Robyn Archer AO and Rob Brookman, and Fringe Director Christie Anthoney.
“We will appoint Festival directors with at least a two-year lead in, to allow them to plan, commission and curate for maximum success.
“Our Adelaide Festival is the jewel in the crown of our arts calendar, and as it marks its 50th anniversary, we are determined to make it even better for the next 50 years.”
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