City grant brings live music to TiNA

Live music returns this year to the This is Not Art (TiNA) festival after a long hiatus, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the City of Newcastle (CN).

The grant to arts and cultural development organisation Octapod will support music programming for the experimental arts festival, providing funds over three years as well as collaboration with Newcastle Art Gallery and Newcastle Region Library.

Octapod produces TiNA annually with co-presenters the National Young Writers’ Festival, Crack X and Critical Animals, bringing new and diverse Australian voices in writing, performance, visual arts, critical thinking, and music to the Newcastle CBD. This year's festival is on from 27-30 September.

"This is Not Art is one of our most loved and long-standing cultural festivals, celebrating Newcastle as a first-rate creative city," said Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.

"The City's exciting collaboration with Octapod is adding live music into the already jam-packed TiNA schedule and fostering relationships with TiNA, the Art Gallery and the Library.

"Our investment in local music and arts is building a foundation for long-term success. We want Newcastle to be a gathering place where emerging artists and musicians collaborate on a national level."

Newcastle-based music and arts collective We Don't Dance joins TiNA as a special guest in 2018 through the grant, with an expanded program planned in subsequent years.

We Don’t Dance aims to connect audiences with a fresh selection of local talent, including experimental live music, through three events including the TiNA 'takeover' of the Art Gallery's Last Fridays on 28 September.

In addition, Newcastle City Library in Laman Street will host most of this year's program for the National Young Writers' Festival.

Through the grant, Octapod will also develop a new festival management model and conduct an Artist Call Out, seeking creative proposals that respond to the collections and spaces in the Gallery and Library.

"This grant provides a significant opportunity to strengthen the festival model and develop a robust mechanism for introducing new programming streams," said Octapod Director Christina Robberds.

"Working with We Don't Dance will shine a light on Newcastle's incredible local talent, and partnering with the Library and Art Gallery will cement TiNA within the heart of the CBD, showcasing our dynamic and vibrant city."

Now in its 21st year, TiNA brings thousands of arts practitioners to Newcastle each year to share ideas, test their work with audiences, and meet like-minded creatives.

More information:

TiNA and Octapod

City of Newcastle

This is Not Art 2018 events supported by the City of Newcastle grant

TiNA Festival Official Launch
Thursday 27 September, 5-7pm, Watt Space Gallery

It's a ball. It's an art party. It's all happening! Meet We Don't Dance as they present a mash up of music, performance and visual art by Newcastle-based artists including Mel O’Dell.

Gallery Last Fridays: TiNA Takeover
Friday 28 September, 5-8pm, Newcastle Art Gallery

Critical Animals and Crack X, with guests We Don't Dance and Banshee, will pop-up in the Gallery with installation art, poetry and live music performances.

James Hodgett (of Holiday Basement) will croon sweet songs and make you blush, and Flight Hawk will knock your socks off with their shiny tunes and theatrics. Plus, there's free admission and a pop-up bar.

Laman Street will be buzzing with more TiNA events next door at Newcastle City Library, presented by the National Young Writers' Festival.

National Youth Writers Festival Ball x Crack X Mega Art Party
Saturday 29 September, 8-11.30pm, Watt Space Gallery

We Don't Dance presents local music and arts with The Y Project, who will light up the dance floor with projections from artist Blek Gletter, as well as local beats with Kye Gilroy from INPUT and local DJ artist Rachel Maria Cox (solo).