New festival kicks off in 2002
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is set to become home to a new community project that will become a feature on the regular calendar of local events – and at the same time support one of the region’s most valued services.
Thanks to the generous sponsorship and support of Guinness, a unique music festival is set to become a reality for local residents. From 12-14 April 2002 Boulder will come alive for the first ever Rhythms in the Outback Music Festival, which will be a prominent fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).
With 2002 proclaimed ‘The Year of the Outback’ the theme will focus on the RFDS team, the Outback Angels, assisting those in need of urgent medical assistance.
The festival has the strong support of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Goldfields Tourism Association (GTA), Goldfields Arts Centre, Curtin University’s music department, WIN Television and the Goldfields MICE program.
The Rhythms in the Outback Music Festival will include both free and ticketed components offering a variety of entertainment, including venue and street performances and workshops throughout Boulder over the weekend. The highlight is expected to be the carnival style street parade leading the community to the major event at the Digger Daws Oval on the Saturday night.
RFDS spokesperson Barb Howard said the service was leading the coordination of the event and ‘looking forward’ to it getting off the ground.
“We see this festival as one of the driving forces for developing a really strong arts culture in the City,” she said. “The focus will certainly be on music and the arts, with many creative opportunities happening, including workshops with artists from other areas. We hope that this festival will gain momentum and grow into a major annual event that will be another reason for tourists to come to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.”
The ‘Guinness One for All Program’ was designed to ignite the spirit of community and volunteering in regional and outback Australia through the funding and instigation of local community festivals. These festivals will be run by volunteers from local communities with the help of Guinness personnel, and are designed to be a focal point for celebration as well as a major source of fund raising.
The aim is to raise significant funds from these festivals, which can then be reinvested into the local community. These funds will come directly from festival sales, and indirectly from visitors into their area. Over the next five years, Guinness plans to launch another three major festivals, followed by a series of smaller festivals throughout Australia.
