Media Release

Monday, 14 September 2009

With just six weeks to go until the 2009 Fairfax Festival Gala Performance evening, schools are busy with preparations for the event, which will see the Swan Hill Town Hall play host to schools from across Victoria on Thursday, 29 October.

Festival Manager Claire Glenn said that with the event drawing closer, the vast network of support the festival had received throughout the region deserved its own spotlight.

“The committee has not only received financial contributions towards the festival, but a huge amount of in-kind support as well, all of which will ensure that the festival will be an event to remember,” she said.

Ms Glenn said financial contributions had been received from the Hugh Williamson Foundation, Robert Salzer Foundation, Malthouse Theatre, Swan Hill Rural City Council, Mildura Rural City Council, Swan Hill Inc and the Bendigo Bank.

“Of course, we've also been fortunate to receive a huge amount of in-kind support from arts and commercial organisations around Victoria,” Ms Glenn added.

“Support has come from the Arts Centre and National Theatre, who are providing tutors, while the Melbourne Theatre Company is offering a prize of an all-expenses paid trip to Melbourne to see a show, including a tour of the new MTC building and the potential meet the cast of the show they see.

“We've also received incredible support from St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Essential Theatre, Complete Works Theatre Company, V/Line, Academy Graphics and Three to a Room who will be donating a prize of a live performance of their next show The Pyramid to one winning school,” Ms Glenn said.

“The festival committee would like to thank all our sponsors for their amazing support, the amount of businesses and companies out there who have been happy to throw their support behind this event has been simply incredible and has enabled this year's Fairfax Festival to be bigger than ever.”

For more than a decade the Fairfax Festival, held in memory of George Fairfax, has been running in the Swan Hill, Robinvale and Mildura areas.

The festival, which is open to the state's regional schools, will culminate in the Gala Performance evening after three days of rehearsals and intensive workshops with industry professionals at the Pioneer Settlement.

This year's festival will also coincide with the Swan Hill region's Go North Arts Festival which will be held from Friday, 23 October through to Sunday, 1 November 2009.