The scent of freshly made crepes floated upon the light breeze, mingling with the music and conversation as the Art, Not Apart festival took a hold on New Acton this past Saturday. A fresh-eyed crowd filled the precinct, eager to absorb the jumble of art and artists that were breathing life into this local festival.
One could mix with the mish-mash of accepting souls as they enlivened the dreary urban landscape with wild, imaginative smatterings of creativity and suitcases full of second-hand gear. Coming to life upon the walls of New Acton’s urban jungle were examples of the artists’ subconscious expressions. They ranged from a vampiric tomato-headed angel to a full-height, tribal alien robot in black and white being created as the public streamed past.
From a welcoming and creatively decorated central stage, the extremely talented and award-winning poetry slammer Raphael Kabo sent words of whimsy and woe into the growing crowd’s waiting ears.
Raphael was followed by the obscure yet lively music of Natalie Magee, reminiscent of folk mixed with modern rock and jazz. She and her band had the crowd entranced and tapping their feet as the organic foods from Urban Food Café and the other food stands were being heartily enjoyed. The creperie stall had a bustling line of waiting patrons that seemed to struggle with what to look at next as their delicious meals were being made to order. The senses almost became overwhelmed with the sights, sounds and smells of this truly amazing festival.
But this was not just a festival for arty folk. Kids could express themselves by building a cardboard box fort, while other patrons could purchase artwork, or a piece of written creativity from Scissors Paper Pen’s WORDLAB stall.
Added to all this were the artistic displays that ranged from expressive dancing accompanied by the soulful tune of a lone saxophone, to talented street artists providing live viewings of their creations in the making.
Art, Not Apart has come to life within Canberra three times now. I’m hoping it will continue to do so for many more years to come.
By Cas Le Nevez
Cas Le Nevez blogs frequently and is working on her first novel.
Check out YouAreHere.
Cas Le Nevez is submitting work to us as a part of the fantastic Papercuts program put together by the beautiful people at Scissors Paper Pen. The work and opinions belong to them, we are simply giving them a space to show their talents.
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