Alternative Festival of Arts

The original name of the Festival is the "Alternative Festival of the Arts". In other words - we aren't limiting participating artforms to those that are "alternative", but rather we are trying to MOUNT a Festival that features the arts - that enhances rather than stifles them. For instance - we don't have an Art Galley event - but rather a CLUB HIPPI event in some historic old Town Hall, community centre venue. There we mix up presenting a short play - in a space where we also feature art-on-the-walls and on tables PLUS another space to show alternative and Festival event videos on the big screen (Underground Cinema).

The POETRY PICNIC event itself tries to avoid being like some kind of staid "poetry festival" by being outside and in a large garden style park. We even have a small "green room" ie a tent (mainly in case of rain because of our video equipment. We have tried to hold it every year since 1990 - and so far only rain has really made it difficult to run (though it was completely rained out last year). CLUB HIPPI short theatre productions are also video taped - and showed scenes from most of the productions at this Festival event (off a DVD we made) at the Club Hippi event last year. This year we are struggling to find a new venue for it after Sydney City Council leased out for an office, the "meeting room" space we have mounted most of the plays in (at Glebe Town Hall).