Byron Bay Writers’ Festival
As you would all know the festival starts Friday. I’ve got a couple early meetings -- then I’ll be there. PLUS Local photographer David Young, who shot some great images of the 2010 Byron Bay Writers’ Festival will be sending us images of this years festival daily!
Also, Friday night at 6pm Kelly Sullivan has her opening as ‘Artist of the Month’ at Retrospect Gallery at 52 Jonson St Byron Bay.
Saturday, as well as day 2 of the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival, is Vacancy Art Show at 17 Banksia Drive Arts and Industry Estate Byron Bay; “teas and cakes throughout the day films and music through the night”
Byron Bay Writers’ Festival Artist in Residence Rhonda Ayliffe is undertaking an ambitious multi-faceted project that encompasses ephemeral installation, bookbinding, photography, conversation and real time mobile publishing of her work and words at the dedicated blog: i-feel-the-passion.blogspot.com.
Festival Director Candida Baker says Ayliffe’s work is not limited to the festival site, as some surprised residents and visitors have already discovered. “On Monday morning Rhonda set up a ‘blink and you miss it’ installation at the Byron Bay lighthouse and has subsequently set up equally brief ephemeral book-based installations on local beaches and in town,” says Baker. “On Thursday Rhonda will be completing an ephemeral sculpture onsite with the assistance of local school children and during the festival, visitors will discover evolving ephemeral works around the site.”
Ayliffe is an internationally renowned book artist and has been a regular finalist in the local SCU book art award. “On festival days, visitors may notice her quietly hand-binding an amazing book structure,” says Baker. “As a part of her arts practice, Rhonda encourages conversation and interaction, so she’s keen to talk about the history and possible futures of the book with all visitors”
Ayliffe encourages everyone to come and visit her on site. “And if you miss anything, or want to experience the festival through the eyes of its artist in residence, then you can visit the blog,” says Ayliffe.
To purchase Festival or event tickets or to view the full Festival program visit www.byronbaywritersfestival.com.au or call 1300 368 552.
Ground was broken this week for the creation of the World Peace Stupa at Crystal Castle. A stupa is a sacred monument built by Tibetan Buddhists to represent universal divinity. Intricate and beautiful, every part of the design is endowed with special significance. Inside is a treasury filled with sacred objects and at the heart of the structure is the Tree of Life, a wooden pole covered with thousands of mantras written in gold.
The World Peace Stupa is a Kalachakra stupa, a rare type with an unusual spherical body. Created to protect against negative energies using symbolism from the Kalachakra Tantra it restores balance to the Earth in times of war, conflict and environmental destruction. It will be the first of its kind to be
constructed in the southern hemisphere and only the 7th in the world.
“This Stupa is very important for Byron Bay, the whole of Australia and for world peace.” says Gen Lama Thupten Phuntsok, the Gyuto Monk Elder who is guiding its construction. Blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (as well as the Byron Shire Council who have approved its DA), the structure has been engineered to last a thousand years. The project is being managed by local Alok Eggenberger of ExpanDesign and built by local Chris Brown of Domeshells Australia.
Since May last year, Nepalese craftsmen have been hand beating the 54 brass prayer wheels that will surround the stupa. Over the past six months, at the Gyuto Monastery in India, monks have been chanting mantras and hand rolling an incredible half a ton of prayers destined for the monument.
Involvement of the local community is an essential part of creating a stupa as this is one of the sources of its power. The whole project is now estimated to cost around $200,000. The Crystal Castle has already committed substantial support to the project as has the local community. The next $30,000 raised will be matched by both locals Christopher and Lynda Dean and also the Crystal Castle thus growing it to $90,000.
Four Byron Shire residents, Robert Dhiraj, Sarvo, Gagan Smith and Melonie Zyla, have just returned from a grueling 21 day expedition to Tibet. They crossed a 5,000 metre pass before trekking around Mount Kailash to collect sacred water for inclusion in the stupa’s treasury. Mt Kailash is the most
revered mountain for a number of faiths including Tibetan Buddhism and it is considered highly auspicious to have water from its snows.
The Gyuto Monks will be returning to Crystal Castle from 13th – 21st August to continue preparations and there will be more opportunities for people to be involved. The emphasis will be on painting and writing mantras on the Tree of Life. The tree to be used for the Tree of Life was found, blessed and felled in a dawn ceremony in May during the monks’ previous visit. The much maligned camphor laurel was chosen for its durability, strength and long lasting protective scent qualities ideal for its purpose in the stupa. The monks will also be accepting relevant items to be placed in the stupa treasury.
“What an incredible community effort so far. After nearly two years of planning the World Peace Stupa project is now really underway” said Crystal Castle’s Managing Dreamer Naren King.
For details of how you can be involved visit www.crystalcastle.com.au/peace-project/
Tags: world peace
GPY&R Sydney has created what is believed to be a digital first: links written in prose.
The concept, developed for the Byron Bay Writers Festival, reflects the festival’s commitment to the new digital age of literature – proving that a passion for words can live anywhere – even in an html link – which normally would just be gibberish code.
The links will be disseminated via email databases, facebook and twitter and will drive sign up and participation at the upcoming festival.
Patts ECD Julian Watt said “It’s a quick and simple idea we had and nice to do our bit to fuel Australia’s passion for writing and creating.”
Earlier this year Amazon reported that Kindle e-books were outselling hard and soft cover books on Amazon at a ratio of nearly 2:1. But while traditional books sales were on the decline, writing and ideas are stronger than ever.
“Finding new ways to be passionate about words is what this festival is all about. And being able to turn a cold, unreadable link into a place for words to come to life is amazing. It proves a passion for words cannot be confined,” says Candida Baker, director of the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival.
The festival, which runs from August 5-7, is the third largest in Australia and this year has attracted international names such as Louis De Bernieres, John Pilger, Fiona McIntosh, MJ Hyland and James Redfield.
EXECUTIVE CD: Julian Watt; Creative Director: David Joubert; Writer : Kate Burt; Art director: Dean Mortensen
As a huge fan of music in general and the local music festivals in particular – including Splendour in the Grass, I thought I’d post this email I just received;
We write to ask you take action again and send a submission to Byron Council.
Despite the fact that the majority of community submissions objected to Byron Council’s Draft Events Policy last year, Byron Council is trying to reinforce limiting cultural events by amending the LEP to include a clause to limit major music events over 6,000 patrons over two days to only two a year.
They are ignoring the community response to their Draft Events Policy from the 60 day public exhibition period concluding 19 March 2010, where they received 108 submissions. 58 opposed the policy and 46 supported it. Byron Shire Council’s own staff recommended against the policy.
Council also received a petition with 2054 signatures against the Draft Events Policy. The petition stated:
We, the undersigned, petition the Mayor and Councillors of Byron Shire Council to:
Amend your Draft Events Policy to allow for large events outside Byron township over the summer period, to allow for more than two large events annually and to also abolish the 16,500 cap on event capacity. Please consider our creative future.
Byron Shire Council’s report to State Government omitted the fact that the majority of public submissions opposed their Policy. They further omitted the fact that their own planning staff opposed the policy.
The effect of this clause would be to not only stifle cultural events, local economic growth and innovation in the Byron Shire, but it would send a message nationally that Byron does not support music events.
Which is not at all the case.
In response to Byron Shire Council’s Draft Events Policy, Splendour in the Grass chose to temporarily relocate to Woodfordia Queensland until an approval for the North Byron Parklands site can be achieved. Mayor of Moreton Bay Regional Council Alan Sutherland estimates the festival will inject approximately $20 million into their economy over the three days of Splendour this week.
Please take a moment to send an email objecting to the LEP amendment. Submissions are due by 4:00pm 18th on Thursday 18th August.
Submissions can be sent to:
council@byron.nsw.gov.au
or mail to
PO Box 219 Mullumbimby NSW 2482
Marked attention to the General Manager
Re: Planning Proposal to amend the Local Environmental Plan 1988 to include a Major Events clause – Amendment No 151
Use your own words to detail the following (these points are in order of priority):
- I do not support limiting to two per year music events over 6,000 patrons and over 2 days.
- I object to the LEP amendment and support the proposal being put forward by North Byron Parklands.
- Byron Council should revisit the response to their public exhibition period in 2010 and state government’s public exhibition period for North Byron Parklands in 2010, rather than trying to force an amendment to the LEP which the community has already said it doesn’t want.
- I object to the amendment because it is not based on evidence or research. The 6000 patron limit is an arbitrary level with no justification provided in the gateway report.
THANK YOU
Talk and laughter, go together like a horse and carriage – you can’t have one without the other…
It’s official. The Great Debate is looking great! The stellar line-up includes Bob Carr, Wendy Harmer, Underbelly screen writer Greg Haddrick, political cartoonist Bill Leak, social commentator and writer Robert Manne, artisit director Rhoda Roberts, press gallery member and author Niki Savva and Beyond Zero Emissions CEO Matthew Wright.
Festival Director Candida Baker says the participants will take a far-ranging view of everything from Wikileaks, the carbon tax, life post-Osama, the News International crisis and climate change: “This will be one of the liveliest debates ever seen in the Shire – don’t miss out, buy your tickets now.”
Then, after a night of mixed political discussion, what could be better than to enjoy a laugh or two? Or even three or four…or more… The Festival Comedy night will feature the indomitable Libbi Gorr (Elle McFeast), the feisty Fiona Scott-Norman, Talkin’ ‘bout Your Generation’s Charlie Pickering and local stand-up comedian and columnist Mandy Nolan. “Tickets are only $25, and worth every cent to enjoy a bit of therapeutic laughter,” says Baker. “The Festival comedy night is always a huge hit and with Tim Ferguson hosting, the evening promises to be a night of much hilarity.”
“One of the wonderful aspects of the Festival is that the whole town becomes involved,” Baker says. “We have events being performed in most major venues in Byron.”
Baker advises anyone interested in attending one of the Festival events to visit the Festival website or call now the office on 1300 368 552: “With less than two weeks to go, all our special events are selling well. I encourage anyone who wants to attend to buy a ticket as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.”
Presented by The Ad Agency, The Great Debate is being held at Byron Bay High School Friday August 5, at 6.00pm. The Comedy Night is presented by Prime7 at the A&I Hall, Bangalow on Saturday August 6, at 8.00pm.
For further information, visit www.byronbaywritersfestival.com.au or call 1300 368 552.
Movie buffs can look forward to a small but powerful film program featuring the great works of John Pilger, Louis de Bernières and Paul Cox as part of the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival offsite events line-up.
Acclaimed film-making Paul Cox will participate in the In Search of Soul Festival series in the session The transformational power of trauma. Paul Cox’s book Tales from the Cancer Ward chronicles the moving portrayal of his own personal journey through liver cancer. Festival Director Candida Baker says it is very special to have Cox present his film Innocence in a one-off screening. “Both Cox’s book and films seem to contain a quintessential European quality of dark and light sometimes missing from mainstream Australian film,” says Baker. “Cox will discuss the film after the screening which presents a rare chance to speak to one of the Australia’s most respected film makers.” Innocence will play at 5.00pm, Thursday, August 4, at the Dendy Byron Bay.
The Festival team is proud to present the Byron premiere of Louis de Bernières’ film Red Dog at the Dendy Cinema at 7.00pm, Friday, August 5. De Bernières will be on hand after the film to explore further the story of the charismatic, hitch-hiking kelpie from the 70′s. “With the Observer describing the film as a particular treat, Red Dog is for lovers of dogs and the Australian outback or just those who enjoy a good Aussie yarn,” says Baker. The screening is sponsored by Dendy Byron Bay Cinemas and Screen NSW.
Treats for film-enthusiasts don’t stop there. A special screening of John Pilger’s controversial documentary The War You Don’t See will screen at the Byron Community Centre Theatre at 7.00pm Sunday, August 7. “We are thrilled that John will be available after the screening for a Q&A session, chaired by Mick O’Regan,” says Baker.
Baker believes adding film to the Festival program was an important aspect of the Passion theme: “All these filmmakers have created incredibly passionate works. It is a great privilege to be able to present such a powerful line-up of films as part of the Festival program.”
Baker advises those wishing to attend film sessions to contact the Dendy and the Byron Community Centre. Tickets for John Pilger are already on sale, and tickets for the Dendy shows will be available soon.
To purchase tickets visit www.byronbaywritersfestival.com.au or call 1300 368 552.
After 14 years on the Internet & being visited over 12 million times, www.byronbay.com has undergone a total re-vamp! The re-launch also includes a 2.5 minute video showcasing the region.
Please take a few minutes; have a look at the new site and watch the new video… share it, subscribe, tweet, comment, etc… let us know what you think.
Finally, after 14 years on the Internet and being visited over 12 million times… the very popular byronbay.com is getting a total re-vamp!
Here’s a teaser -- be sure to drop by on Monday 18 July 2011.
Cheers
Rick & Rick
Tags: byronbay.com
“This TUESDAY JULY 19TH sees DR SKETCHYS BURLESQUE LIFE-DRAWING turn up the heat at the BYRON BAY BREWERY with another wonderful night of spectacular models, brilliant sketching, prizes, music, food and sultry burlesque!
From Brizvegas we have Miss SABLE DE SERAGLIO setting the catwalk afire with her dark, lush , alternative glamour. Sable will also raise a few eyebrows and the global temperature with a scorching performance for the motley crew of artists , bohaemians and their inebriated friends.
There will be a SURPRISE GUEST MODEL as well, to finish off those in the audience with weak hearts.
Miss MAE WILDE will be our trecherous MC, grudgingly promoting new music from her nemesis, ILONA HARKER.
Session runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm . Get there early for a good seat. Bring your own non-messy art materials if you’re drawing. Entry is $15, and of course, its an over-18s event!
Visit www.drsketchybyron.com for further information.
Tags: dr sketchy