Vic: Arts festival launched for games

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2005
Vic: Arts festival launched for games

MELBOURNE, Aug 20 AAP - A "breathtaking" $12 million festival will put some of the
world's best performers in Melbourne for next year's Commonwealth Games, Victorian Premier
Steve Bracks announced today.

Festival Melbourne 2006, jointly funded by the state and federal government, will also
take performances to regional centres Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Moe.

About 2,000 artists and performers will take part in the event, providing about 600
free performances.

A dedicated youth space at the Docklands will offer music and visual arts for people
aged 16 to 30 and a separate visual arts program will also be on display.

The premier said Melbourne would follow its strong arts-sports tradition after hosting
the world's first Olympic arts festival in 1956.

The 1956 festival cost 4,000 pounds, he said.

Launching the festival today, federal Arts and Sports Minister Rod Kemp said no other
Commonwealth Games had embarked on such an ambitious cultural program.

Arts companies from some of the 71 Commonwealth nations would form part of the event,
Mr Kemp said.

Event organiser Sue Nattrass said the festival was shaping up to be "breathtaking".

Officials at this morning's launch at Federation Square received a vibrant taste of
what Melbourne can expect - breakdancers, circus performers, roving percussionists, a
roller-skating hula-hoop act and Bollywood dance troop entertained the crowd beneath a
pair of performers on swaying poles.

Live sites, such as those used during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, will be set up in Melbourne
and country Victoria, and screen games and festival events, Mr Bracks said.

The festival will begin in the weeks leading up to the games next March and some events
will run after the games have finished.

AAP kl/lb/jlw

KEYWORD: COM06 ARTS

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