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BIG CROWDS: Thirsty Merc was a popular headline act at this year's uneARTh festival. Picture: Bronwen Caple Photography
The data is in and Whyalla’s 2019 uneARTh Festival has been hailed another outstanding success with plans already in place to make it even bigger and better next year.
A key part of the exciting evolution of the festival will be a date change.
The 2020 uneARTh Festival will be held on the weekend of March 20 with other community and Fringe type of events being encouraged to be run during the weeks leading up to main event.
To date the event has been scheduled at Easter, however, upon evaluation the organising committee has identified that many local people are unable to attend as they go away for the extended holiday break while the competition to attract people to Whyalla is significant with other events around the State and region.
The dates surrounding March 20 will also position the Whyalla festival more closely to the Adelaide Fringe (a major partner for uneARth) and take the pressure of community volunteers who have given up their Easter break for the festival for the past three years.
POPULAR: The Rainbow Run was a big hit at uneARTh again.
Council Events and Tourism Development Partner Rebecca Neilson said uneARTh’s evolution has been on an upwards curve ever since its Ruby award-winning debut in 2017 and the date change will be another positive move forward.
“uneARTh festival started as a Council initiative and it is now growing into an inclusive community event involving more and more local groups and individuals,” Rebecca said.
“Easter is proving to be more of a time where a lot of people go away or business people like to have that break.
“By moving it to revolve around the weekend of March 20 we are going to give more opportunities for people to attend, take part and create their own satellite events or activities that can be run in conjunction with the festival.
“The earlier date also puts us closer to the Adelaide Fringe dates so we can aim to get more top-billing Fringe acts to Whyalla and with a small window there’s a possibility they will be able to book in to appear in more venues around the city for extra performances.
“Imagine having someone like the Slash Test Dummies or Ollie English playing another venue around Whyalla … it would be huge and a great opportunity for a lots of pubs and venues.”
DIVERSITY: There was an increase in visitors and acts from outside Whyalla at this year's uneARTh festival.
Rebecca said surveys from this year’s uneARTh showed more than 20 per cent of those attending the festival were from outside Whyalla. As part of the Council’s charter to provide an event for the community that also attracts an outside audience for the benefit of businesses in Whyalla, the date change will also make it easier for people to travel to Whyalla.
“It is going to be warmer weather, no big clashes of events like we have over Easter and it allows us to have two weeks of events around uneARTh and all over Whyalla,” Rebecca said.
“It will see more people marking Whyalla and uneARTh into their diaries for the March dates and hopefully a lot of them staying on from the Adelaide Fringe to see their favourite acts again on the stage in Ada Ryan Gardens and at different venues around the city.”
As well as more acts and events, organisers of uneARTh are also hopeful of attracting more sponsors and volunteers for the earlier date. Those thanked for their support last year included major sponsors and volunteers including GFG Alliance, the Adelaide Fringe and along with BIS, Regional Express Airlines, Whyalla News, MagicFM and Southern Cross Austerio.
NEW FEATURE: The Little Palais at uneARTh drew the crowds in.