The Surf Coast Gets Creative By Moreen Dainty
It was an unlikely setting in which to hear a world-class string quartet perform Mozart, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich, but I’m learning not to be surprised by cultural life down here on the Surf Coast. In mid-February, I sat in Aireys Inlet's community hall listening to a stunning performance by four of Australia's top chamber musicians.
It's fair to say the Surf Coast attracts a broad range of creative types – not just those in the visual arts, but also actors, musicians, writers and publishers.
Affinity Quartet was performing live for the first time in over a year as part of a fundraising event for the community group, Aireys Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees (AIRAR).
Pre-COVID, Great Escape Books, in conjunction with Little Feast restaurant in Aireys, often hosted book launches and authors' nights, with tickets selling fast to these events. Great Escape Books makes a point of supporting local authors, some of whom are very well known, such as Greg Day, who won the Patrick White Literary Award last November in recognition of his achievements as a novelist, poet, short story and nature writer.
These talented, young musicians gave their small, socially-distanced, maskwearing audience an incredible experience that night. Even now, the thought of it gives me goose bumps. Later, I would learn they had enjoyed the evening as much as we had. They were just so pleased to perform in front of a live audience after a tough year of lockdowns and restrictions. This month, Aireys has hosted a very different event with the annual Open Mic Music Festival, which attracted many up and coming musicians to the town. Now in its 14th year, the Festival takes place over a weekend every March, with live bands performing at nine separate venues, starting at the iconic Aireys Pub on a Friday evening.
The Surf Coast is an increasingly popular place for artists to live and work. A nationwide, government research study into Australian culture and the creative arts published last year, identified Geelong and the Surf Coast region as a 'creative hot spot' with the number of people earning a living from creative industries steadily increasing each year. Harriet Gaffney, the Arts Development Officer at Surf Coast Shire Council, understands the value a vibrant,
thriving artistic community can bring to an area – including the local economy.
She also understands how precarious it can be to earn a living from one's creative endeavours alone. In June last year, in response to the COVID pandemic, Council launched a digital space called PORTA L – a virtual platform where local artists could connect, collaborate and showcase their work during lockdown. “We knew how hard lockdown would be for our local artists and so we wanted to find virtual ways to bring people together, to keep them connected and motivated,” says Harriett. PORTAL offered free online professional development workshops via Zoom, for all Surf Coast artists. The workshops were put together 'by creatives, for creatives', and covered a range of practical topics, such as applying for an arts grant, how to photograph and write about your artwork, and promote it using social media. Stacie Bobele, PORTAL's Program
The Affinity Quartet delighted audiences with a COVID-Safe performance at the Aireys Inlet Community Hall earlier this year. 6
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