Program
In 2009 the Aireys Festival of Words will once again take over the town, transforming local venues big and small into artistic spaces full of words and music.
Download the full 2009 Festival of Words program and read on for details of what’s happening over the Festival weekend.
Aireys Inlet Community Centre
The Aireys Inlet Community Centre will be the key literary venue for this year’s Festival, as well as the central information centre for the weekend’s events.
Two Big Nights – The Opening and Keynote Events
It all gets underway with an official launch by Surf Coast Shire mayor Libby Mears on Friday 14 August at 6pm. To get the words flowing, Anglesea Performing Arts will perform Peter Handke's Self Accusation before we welcome the first of our special Festival literary guests, Cate Kennedy, who will launch her new novel The World Beneath.
The Festival highlight every year is the Keynote Literary event and this year we celebrate works of laughter and intrigue from two great Melbourne writing personalities. From 5pm on Saturday 15 August comedy meets crime in an evening featuring comedian and author Denise Scott and creator of the legendary Murray Whelan series, Shane Maloney.
Literary Lounge
This year’s Literary Lounge features some of Victoria’s finest authors over three separate sessions.
On Saturday from 2-4pm join us for Great Australian Authors: The Journey Within, where you can meet Jacinta Halloran, author of Dissection; Nick Gadd, author of Ghostlines; Sonia Orchard, author of The Virtuoso and Something More Wonderful; and Meanjin editor Sophie Cunningham, who is also the author of Bird and Geography.
From midday on Sunday 16 August, join MC Andrew Knight for Great Australian Authors: Dark Family Secrets. Meet Kate Legge, author of The Marriage Club; Deborah Forster, author of The Book of Emmett and Rosalie Ham, author of Summer at Mount Hope and The Dressmaker. Then from 2pm delve into the realm of non-fiction at the Australian & World Politics: Might Minds Changing the World session. Meet Dr Ian Freckleton, Melbourne barrister, Professor of Law, Forensic Medicine and Forensic Psychology at Monash University and author of Appealing to the Future: Michael Kirby and His Legacy and Expert Evidence, and Spencer Zifcak, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute of Legal Studies at the Australian Catholic University, former consultant to the United Nations and author of United Nations Reform: Heading North or South? and Why Australia should have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Surf and Adventure Panel
On Sunday 16 August from 11am join surf writer and filmmaker Brendan McAloon and adventure writer and journalist Patrick O’Neil for a breathtaking discussion about writing in On The Wildside: Surf & Adventure.
Literary Workshops
After listening to some our great guest authors we know you'll be in the writing mood, so sign up and get those creative juices flowing in one of our Literary Workshops.
From 10-11.30am writer, director and performer, Karen Martin, leads a FREE workshop entitled “Life is not a linear narrative: creating a performance text”.
From midday-2pm join multi-award winning author, Cate Kennedy, in a workshop to help you “Get that story finished!'” ($22 fee applies)
From 2.30-4.30pm Deputy Chair of the Board of the Australian Poetry Centre, Robyn Rowland, will take a poetry and prose workshop entitled “Sweet words: valuing the particular”. ($22 fee applies)
Aspiring writers and those with little experience can join John Bartlett on Sunday 16 August from 10.30am-12.30pm for his workshop “Writing short stories: trusting the unexpected”. ($22 fee applies)
Something for the Kids
Start the weekend's entertainment with Surfcoast Children's Poetry Readings at 9.30am on Saturday 15 August. Our Special Place: Where the beach meets the bush will feature poems written by local Aireys school children to be read by Liz Lee.
Then we are very excited to have acclaimed children’s author and illustrator, Alison Lester, as our guest. From 10-11am kids will have the chance to meet the woman behind favourites such as Magic Beach, Are We There Yet and her newest book, Yikes. The magic continues at 11am when award-winning illustrator and author, Robert Ingpen, reads from the classic tale Wind in the Willows.
In the Teen Space, young adult readers have the chance to meet Chrissie Keighery, who will join her editor Hilary Rogers at midday for a chat about Chrissie's brand new book Outside In. And then master storyteller, author of Queen Kate, Carmel and St Jude and Somebody’s Crying, Maureen McCarthy, will share some of her writing secrets.
For some hands on creative fun, children of all ages can join Rainbows of the Sea author Meredith Thomas to create exquisite paper works of art in one of two workshops sessions at the Fairhaven Surf Lifesaving Club on Saturday 15 August at 11am or 1pm.
Arts @ the Surf Club
The Fairhaven Surf Club is the Festival hub for all things arty.
From 10am-5pm on Saturday 15 August enjoy an exhibition of work by local artists. All the works on display have been created in response to this year's Festival theme 'fluid' and you can expect an eclectic mix of responses to this theme across a wide range of media. If you like what you can see, then why not buy it and have a lasting memory of your 2009 Aireys Festival of Words experience.
Throughout the Festival we have five very different free artistic workshops and presentations on offer to encourage you to spread your creative wings.
From 10-11am on Saturday 15 August get into Bark Art with passionate local artist Caroline Hawkins.
“Everything has something in the drawer that needs framing” is the name of John McSweeney's special presentation. If that's true for you, join him from 12.15-1pm and learn some tricks of the picture framing trade.
From 2-2.30pm discover what goes on behind the scenes before paintings go on display in a presentation from former National Gallery of Victoria paintings conservator Linda Waters entitled “The secret life of paintings.”
Then from 3-4pm create a soundscape with musician and intuitive sound artist Demir Aliu.
Start your Sunday with the morning paper, but this time actually complete the crossword! From 10am on Sunday 16 August join retired academic and life-long cryptic crossword solver Tim Gibson in a workshop designed to uncover the art of solving cryptics.
Then from 11.30am-12.30pm be amazed and inspired by the wit and wordsmith of participants in our Scrabble Competition.
Meet the Artists @ Eagles Nest Gallery
On Saturday 15 August from 10.30am-1.30pm drop in and see local artist Susan Romyn at work in Once upon a time. Words are important to Susan and her paintings are well known for their clever, wordy titles. Then from 3pm-4pm meet Great Ocean Road photographer Rodney Hyett whose exquisite calendars and books on this area are much loved.
Art Out and About
There will be art and performance to experience all around Aireys throughout the Festival weekend.
Look our for roving characters from Robert Ingpen’s classic tale The Voyage of the Poppy Kettle, and follow Darren Matthews’ Sculpture Trail from venue to venue. This year’s outdoor sculptures of stone, metal and timber explore the meaning of 'fluid' as a visual representation of motion and movement. The sculptures shapes flow and easily change shape to reflect the influences of motion within visual art. Enjoy each piece of the trail and participate in the accompanying competition to win a unique sculpture for yourself.
Art can also be found in the window of hairdresser and gift shop Kiss Me Too. Still Life with Books is an installation artwork about an artist’s obsession with ecology and books by local artist Sally Cleary.
Poetry at Diamond Heights
Poetry lovers are in for a real treat as Diamond Heights B&B hosts a morning of readings from some great writers. On Saturday 15 August from 10am take in the magnificent view and enjoy readings from Robyn Rowland, David Campbell, John Jenkins, Christos Raskatos, Trudy White and Chris Wallace-Crabbe.
International Lighthouse Weekend Events
International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend is an annual celebration aimed at raising the profile of lighthouses and lightships across the world. It is a weekend for sharing stories about lighthouses, enjoying their splendor and promoting the need to preserve their structure and history.
Ecologic have a fantastic program of events planned to celebrate this special weekend. Visit Ecologic for full program details.
Music
Music will be an important feature of the 2009 Aireys Festival of Words kicking off with Aireys Live on Friday 14 August from 8pm at the Aireys Inlet Hotel. Enjoy some of the best music from the coast from the likes of Tim Wood, Ghostmutt, Relatively Speaking, Harp and Soul, H1N1, Luke Wood and Matt Bourke and Altitude.
Celebrate a love of words through the sound of music over two days at the Fairhaven Surf Club. From 4pm on Saturday 15 August enjoy original material that digs into roots traditions with a heap of blues and lashings of dub and reggae along the way from Mattski. Then at 4.45pm let Red Whyte, a mixed show bag of true Surf Coast talent, entertain with his energetic musical composition.
From 12pm on Sunday three local acts, Matt Baird, Craig Fraser and The Siren & The Sailor signal the perfect musical ending to an artistic weekend!
