The second of Greater Shepparton City Council's new Creative City Networking Sessions was held last month, with over 40 local creatives and community members coming together to share ideas on the role festivals and events can play in a community.
Hosted by local producer Jamie Lea on Monday 19 September, the session took a deep dive into all things festivals in conversation with Shepparton Festival Creative Director Kristen Retallick, Out in the Open Festival Co-convenor Damien Stevens-Todd and Point of Difference Studio Coordinator Know Your Roots Ofeira Satele.
Part of Council's Creative City Strategy, the program has been designed to energise and nurture the local creative sector with opportunities for artists, business owners and community members to familiarise, connect, share knowledge and ideas, and network.
"It was great to hear diverse perspectives on the role that festivals and events can play in a community - creating belonging, providing platforms for diverse groups to be seen and heard, and providing opportunities for audiences to connect across cultures and to participate in creativity," Creative City Coordinator Anita Larkin said.
"It was also interesting to get some insight into the challenges many festival organisers face and the enormous amount of volunteer effort that goes into producing these events for community.
"We were also pleased to see lots of new faces and people working right across the spectrum of creative industries from visual artists and musicians, to urban planners and gin distillers."
Council is hosting two more Creative City Networking Sessions between now and the end of the year, with both already sold out. The first, on Monday 17 October, will be hosted by Neil Morris who will talk about the work of Still Here Arts and Culture and invite local creatives into his dedicated First Nations music and production space, Yurringa Studio. The final session, on Monday 21 November at Tatura Community House, will encourage attendees to think about ways they can be working more creatively and sustainably with visual artists and sisters Meg and Rachel Doller.
