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Plans for Australia’s premier festival of independent, emerging and experimental art are on the boil. Over the October long weekend, Newcastle will embrace an influx of energy and innovation as This Is Not Art returns with an exciting and extremely diverse line-up. This year’s festival features a heady blend of emerging and established artists, writers and performers. Audiences from across the country will amass to argue, perform, network, skill-share and dance through this five day creative bender. (Photo: Alex Davies).

“This is a really interesting program” commented Festival Coordinator, Marni Jackson. “There is plenty of hands-on interactive play time, the embers of some heated discussion around cash vs. integrity in the arts, and little satellite events which are happening in the cracks of the festival program and festival venues. The schedule is looking tighter than ever – we can’t wait for it to kick off.”

Festival directors are currently locking down the program details, due for release in August. The program of over one-hundred-and-eighty free events encompasses the National Young Writers’ Festival, Electrofringe, Sound Summit and Critical Animals.

With so much going on, there is plenty to talk about. Major themes emerging from the program include interactivity and brand new technologies, money and integrity in arts practice, DIY sounds and publishing, and ethics and accessibility in arts and electronic music. Events include, but are not limited to: performances, workshops, interdisciplinary panel discussions, readings, live broadcasts, performances, exhibitions, interactive spaces, gigs, a book launch during afternoon tea in an op-shop, and the biggest showcase of small and independent press in Australia.

Leafcutter John Other highlights include:

- A one-of-a-kind launch party from record label/empire Modular.

- Innovative American emcee/producer Aloe Blacc (pictured) from the Stones Throw label.

- Award-winning works from the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival’s Art, Entertainment, Animation and Manga Divisions.

- A blazing new series of youth-focused events, catering for our freshest, rawest talent – covering writing, music, sound and performance.

- Multi-award-winning graphic novelist Shaun Tan facilitates a free illustration Master class and speak about his latest work, The Arrival.

- Parisian artist Sebastien Roux will give a presentation on his work at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM), Paris.

- Panel discussions in defence of obscure postgraduate research in areas as diverse as sociology, literature and medicine.

- A program of mobile projections, transforming spaces around Newcastle each night of the festival with site-specific projected light works.

The full program will be available from 1st August, online at www.thisisnotart.org