Prince’s Square will be transformed into a festival hub as Junction 2016 promises to scale up its use of unusual event spaces across the city.
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On Wednesday, new creative director Greg Clarke announced a wonderful illumination of lights and projects would highlight the stunning fountain, trees and surrounding buildings.
Festival organisers said that using the space as a central location for festival-goers would make events more accessible.
Mr Clarke hinted that Junction was working with a number of their major sponsors to deliver something Launceston had never seen before.
“We can’t reveal our plans yet, but we’re working on something really exciting with the fountain, which will hopefully be unveiled at the opening night party,” he said.
In a bid to include the community, Junction will host a range of free events throughout the festival.
“We want everyone to come down and check things out without feeling like they have to spend money on ticketed events,” Mr Clarke said.
Some of the free events will include:
- The Fountain Bar, located in the heart of Prince’s Square, within a circus tent featuring live music and a great line up of DJs and special events.
- Relax The Chimp by Tasdance, an outdoor community dance event in Prince’s Square where everyone is invited to dance, experiment, play and get physical through their own larger than life avatar dancing on the big screen.
- Sugar Fed Leopards, direct from Melbourne for one-night only who will light up the Fountain Bar and ignite the dance-floor with their cosmic cocktail of disco, soul, doo-wop and hip swinging rock ‘n’ roll.
- Fluffy Toy Time, Junction’s special one-off dance party, just for the kids, featuring DJ Grinning Cat, lots of crazy dancing, kid’s games and other fun activities.
“Junction is a participatory festival, and much of the work is immersive and interactive,” Mr Clarke said.
“We want to give people the opportunity to really experience what Junction has to offer, especially locals who have not been before. We want everyone to take ownership of this festival and make it their own through discovery and participation.”
Festival favourites The Tweed Run, Grapes & Grooves, Senior Idol and the renamed Dr Pugh’s Speakeasy in the art deco Gospel Hall would be returning.
“Junction is a festival like no other, where artists, the community and audiences come together in really exciting new ways,” Mr Clarke said.
This year, a number of the works were created through direct public engagement with the Launceston community.
“These include VILLAGE featuring the personal stories of the residents of Launceston’s retirement villages and Can You See What I See?, a series of walking tours with newly arrived residents,” Mr Clarke said.
Running from September 7 to 11, Junction invited everyone to attend the opening night party, Lime Light, which will feature a wild line-up of festival acts, funky DJ’s and live music.