Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
At the heart of Bendigo Writers Festival is a commitment to share thoughtful and informed stories, provide a platform for diverse voices and opinions to be heard, and to reflect on current events.
This weekend, the Festival and City of Greater Bendigo were determined to provide an opportunity for our community and visitors to get together and talk about books.
The City and La Trobe University, as the Festival’s Presenting Partner, introduced a Code of Conduct like other festivals have done. This step was intended to support a safe environment among what could have been some challenging conversations.
The City and the Festival wanted every conversation to take place. Not silence them.
Although not every conversation occurred, the Festival still delivered more than half the program thanks to a dedicated team that prioritised our community and the arts.
The Festival understands and respects the decision of those who felt they could no longer participate, however is also grateful to those authors, moderators and audience members who chose to attend. No doubt, some participants and attendees would have felt conflicted by showing their support.
The City of Greater Bendigo has owned and operated the Bendigo Writers Festival throughout its 15-year history, supported for 13 years by a Founding Director and more recently by a Curatorial Team that have both helped grow this annual event into one of the most-loved regional writers festivals on the Australian circuit.
For more than a decade we have been proud to welcome authors, academics, creatives and thought leaders to our city for conversation and to engage on varied topics that seek to appeal to a wide audience.
Local Government contributes significantly to the arts because it is good for the community, placing accessible and engaging opportunities on our doorstep. More broadly, the arts make an invaluable contribution to social cohesion, encouraging us to consider the world from someone else’s point of view, and drive economic development.
However, writers festivals are inherently risky and exist to push the boundaries. Such festivals are under increasing pressure to walk a fine line between staging thoughtful, engaging discussions while challenging and confronting local and global issues.
All levels of government, academia and the wider community are continuing to figure out how we collectively contend with the world as we know it today.
The events of the past few days do not mean we do not want to have difficult conversations in our community. The Bendigo Writers Festival will not be the last arts festival to face this challenge, but the Festival and the City stand by wanting to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.
Despite the initial challenges, the Festival was able to proceed this weekend and intends to honour the financial commitments it made to local businesses, recognising they have also missed out on what is usually a bumper weekend of trade.
The City and the Festival have received strong feedback about the decisions and events of the past few days, including some encouraging messages of support. We look forward to working with creative industries regarding how festivals like this find a balance while continuing to navigate challenging issues.
So, thank you to those who showed up, who supported the legacy of the Festival, who shopped locally, and acknowledged the great efforts of our staff and volunteers.
Your support is very much appreciated.