52 ORDINARY MEETING 4 - City of Cairns · 2019-07-18 · 52 Agenda – Ordinary Meeting 24 July 2019 - #6092437 ORDINARY MEETING 24 JULY 2019 4 CAIRNS CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL 2019 Roz

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Agenda – Ordinary Meeting 24 July 2019 - #6092437

ORDINARY MEETING

24 JULY 2019 4

CAIRNS CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL 2019 Roz Pappalardo | 79/5/7-01 | #6085217 RECOMMENDATION: That Council notes this Report. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May 2019, the sixth annual Cairns Children’s Festival was held at the Tanks Arts Centre and for the first time, extended to two days, encompassing performances and workshop / participatory opportunities at Cairns Performing Arts Centre. The 2019 festival maintained its core focus on providing opportunities for children to play, engage, create and be the stars of the show. The 2019 program was produced with local artists and one interstate company, with over 60 individual local artists and performers engaged, including the locally written and produced theatre work Jina’s Journey by Miriki Performing Arts and Council. Planning for the 2020 event has commenced with Cultural Services staff looking to solidify the program for a long term multi-venue, multi-day model for the event. BACKGROUND: On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May 2019, the sixth annual Cairns Children’s Festival was held at the Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Performing Arts Centre. The rainy weather did not stop over 4000 people attending the festival across the two venues, which featured a range of free activities and a locally produced theatre show, Jina’s Journey. The 2019 festival maintained its core focus on providing opportunities for children to play, engage, be creative and be the stars of the show. The 2019 festival program was produced entirely with local artists and one interstate company, with over 60 individual artists and performers engaged. This shows the depth and breadth of talent within the region and Cultural Services plans to support local artists to take their products to festivals and events outside of the region. New and key programming in the 2019 festival included:

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TANKS ARTS CENTRE: Jina’s Journey: Developed by Miriki Performing Arts, in consultation with

Traditional Owners, the work was made and delivered by children and young people for children and young people of the region. Staff were thrilled to be working on this landmark production with a host of regional creatives and young superstars of the future from Yidin, Larrikia and Goondoi country to feature as part of the Cairns Children’s Festival. The show had 173 people attend across two shows.

Karrkay Binalmal Infant Zone: This beautiful space was created specifically for

infants aged from pre-birth to 12 months. Developed and delivered in partnership with the Benevolent Society Cairns Early Years Centre to create a space that had sensory and auditory experiences as well as creating opportunities for parents/carers and babies to interact. Conceived by artists Merindi Schrieber and Lia Pa’apa’a Karrkay Binalmal has been designed to immerse visitors in First Nations and Pacific Islands culture. Approximately 100 families attended each day. This is the first year that the Infant Zone has been active for the two days.

Tinkering Tank: The Bamboo Connect installation at the Tinkering Tank is the

culmination of a series of fun and engaging kids and community inspired workshops held throughout March, April, and May. With the theme of ‘celebrating community at different scales’, children and their families worked together to create this exciting play space using bamboo collected from Mount Whitfield.

A is for Art: An exhibition of art by the talented children of Cairns. A is for Art showcases children’s ideas through a range of art forms, exploring the value of making art in childhood development and education.

I is for Ink: Local artist, Lilly Gill was in the Tinkering Tank children’s art studio making her mark with ink. Approximately 2000 children visited Tinkering Tank over the two days.

The Whales Tale: Co-commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne and Windmill. The

original plan was to have the Whale’s Tale in the Flecker Gardens and was relocated to Tank 5 due to wet weather. This performance piece had a strong message about how to alleviate rubbish in local waterways and oceans through the use of a spectacle blow up whale which captivated adults and children alike.

The Whales Tale had approximately 1000 people attend over the two shows.

The Re-Imagined Recycled Reef + pop up Library: These two activities were also

meant to be situated in Flecker Gardens and had to be moved to the Tanks Arts Centre and BGVC due to wet weather. The Re-imagined Recycled Reef Installation was developed throughout 2018 at the monthly Kid’s Tank in Tank 4. Participants worked with Saltwater Creek Basketry Group to create the beginnings of a re-imagined recycled reef, one fish, piece of coral, jellyfish, and anemone at a time. After the Cairns Children’s Festival, the installation was then mounted at the Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre.

ARC Recycled Relay: The ARC Disability Services Roving Troupe performed some

high energy races, promoting decision making, teamwork, and knowledge on recycling.

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In addition to these activities, the 5 Minutes of Fame Stage and screenplay zone (local films developed by children from the region) proved extremely popular at the festival. It is planned that both of these activities will be developed for future festivals to ensure ongoing engagement and opportunities for children to be in the spotlight. CAIRNS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: Wolfgang’s Magical Musical Circus: Created by Yaron Lifschitz with Benjamin

Knapton and the Circa Ensemble. This family show with a circus twist was extremely well received in the Studio space at CPAC. 974 patrons attended the three performances across the two days.

Escape to The Theatre: Created by Cairns Children’s Festival and The Young Company Theatre, Escape to the theatre was an immersive tour of the depths of Cairns Performing Arts Centre that engaged the whole family. This production is a theatre tour with a twist. 200 people took part in the tour across the two days at CPAC. Character Building Play: This popular foyer activity encouraged children to dream up a character, pick a costume and take to the stage in a pre-developed role.

COMMENT: The continued popularity of the Cairns Children’s Festival demonstrates that it is a relevant, growing and loved event in the community. Since its introduction in 2014, the festival has continued to grow and develop, finding new ways to engage with a broad audience. The 2019 Cairns Children’s Festival was delivered using a different model, becoming a multi-day, multi-venue event. Cultural Services staff have begun the planning process for the 2020 event taking in learnings from the 2019 event. The program will continue to focus on providing opportunities for local artists and local children to shine, as well as bringing in national standard work. This will give the audience access to new experiences and capacity builds audiences, local artists and performers. OPTIONS:

Option 1: It is recommended that Council notes this Report. Option 2: That Council requests additional information / clarification about a specific

aspect of the program.

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CONSIDERATIONS: Council Finance and the Local Economy:

The 2019 Cairns Children’s Festival was funded through Cultural Services 2018/19 operational budget. It should be noted that the budget increase also reflects the growth to a two day program this year.

Actuals Budgeted Variance Operating Income Ticket sales - Jina's Journey 2,291 6,500 -4,209 Ticket sales - Wolfgangs Magical Musical Circus 15,248 9,000 6,248 Ticket sales - Escape to the Theatre 815 1,000 -185 Stall Holder Income 0 700 -700 Sponsorship 2,000 2,000 0 TOTAL INCOME 20,354 19,200 1,154 Operating Expenses Employee Costs 28,833 21,000 -7,833 Entertainer Services 63,347 47,654 -15,693 Marketing Costs 11,961 15,000 3,039 Promotional Materials 4,267 5,302 1,035 Other Materials and Services 10,842 13,250 2,408 TOTAL EXPENSES 119,250 102,206 -17,044 NET GAIN / (LOSS) -98,896 -83,006 -15,890 External In-Kind Contributions Family Day Care 1,500 0 1,500

Benevolent Society 1,500 0 1,500 TOTAL IN-KIND 3,000 0 3,000

During planning of the 2019 event, operational budget was reallocated to ensure the program delivered met the Strategy for Culture and the Arts.

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The 2018 Cairns Children Festival results are below:

Actuals Budgeted Variance Operating Income Ticket sales - The 5ft Giant 5,008 6,750 -1,742 Stall Holder Income 650 695 -45 TOTAL INCOME 5,658 7,445 -1,787 Operating Expenses Employee Costs 10,881 13,000 2,119 Entertainer Services 29,765 27,827 -1,938 Marketing Costs 17,763 17,000 -763 Promotional Materials 1,304 2,100 796 Other Materials and Services 7,703 6,988 -715 TOTAL EXPENSES 67,416 66,915 -501 NET GAIN / (LOSS) -61,757 -59,470 -2,288 External In-Kind Contributions Pakmag Advertising Sponsorship 8,100 0 8,100 Family Day Care 1,500 0 1,500 Benevolent Society 1,500 0 1,500 TOTAL IN-KIND 11,100 0 11,100

Please note – wages for non-technical and non-contract staff have not been included in the budget due to the fact that Cairns Children’s Festival is the culmination of an involved program of events which run throughout the Tanks yearly program. Community and Cultural Heritage:

1.2.3 Increase youth engagement in a program that encourages pathways to further participation, education, and employment in the cultural and creative industries. 2.3.1 Connect people and communities to the region’s diverse history and cultures through engagement and participatory experiences. 3.1.1 Align Council’s flagship venues to produce an annual performing and visual arts program that provides entertainment and cultural experiences as good as any Australian capital city, and promotes Cairns as an international creative powerhouse. 3.4.2 Sustain investment and growth in the region’s premier arts festivals. Corporate and Operational Plans:

4. Community & Culture and 5. Serving the Community

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ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: Festival Program and Photos

Lesley Buckley Acting Manager Cultural Services

Linda Kirchner General Manager - Community, Sport and Cultural Services

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Festival Program

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Tank 3 – Jina’s Journey

Tank 4 – Tinkering Tank – Bamboo Connect

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Tank 5 – The Whale’s Tale

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BGVC – The Infant Zone

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Tanks Arts Centre - Bottletop Mural – Creation Station by Kate Hard

Tanks Arts Centre - Saltwater Creek Basketry – Recycled Reef Bommies

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Tanks Arts Centre - The 5 Minutes of Fame Stage

Tanks Arts Centre - ARC Racers

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CPAC

CPAC – Character Building Workshops

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CPAC – Escape to the Theatre Tours

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CPAC – CIRCA Wolfgang

Documents

52 ORDINARY MEETING 4 - City of Cairns · 2019-07-18 · 52 Agenda – Ordinary Meeting 24 July 2019 - #6092437 ORDINARY MEETING 24 JULY 2019 4 CAIRNS CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL 2019 Roz