Media release: April 9, 2019

35th Illawarra Folk Festival gets green light

The annual Illawarra Folk Festival in 2020 will celebrate 35 years when it is staged at Bulli Showground next January.

The future of the State’s largest folk festival had been in doubt due to concerns over recent changes to State Government festival regulations, however the Illawarra Folk Club which organises the annual four-day event has received assurances that the festival is not considered “high-risk” and therefore its licensing and approval requirements will remain unchanged from this year.

Artistic Director David De Santi said that was good news for the festival, with organisers now able to plan for an essentially unchanged format for the 2020 festival which will be held on January 16-20.

“We’re very pleased that we can now get on with the task of organising our 35th festival – 20 at Jamberoo and the last 14 at Bulli Showground,” Mr De Santi said. “And we’re very proud of the fact that from very humble beginnings our festival has grown to now be recognised on the international folk music calendar, with strong interest each year from overseas acts who want to come here to perform.”

Mr De Santi said artist applications would open early this month through the festival website, and he urged local acts to apply. “We always have a great mix of international, national and local artists, and that helps give the festival its special appeal,” he said. “Since we started more than 3000 acts and 15,000 performers had been part of the festival, and we have always supported local acts by giving them the chance to perform.”

“For our 35th festival we are looking to have around 150 acts presenting 320 concerts, sessions and workshops at next year’s festival, and we are looking for a mix of folk, world music, roots, Celtic, bluegrass and gypsy music as well as the spoken word,” he said. “Our featured instrument will be the violin, which is certainly the most played instrument at folk festivals!”

Regular festival features including the Folk School in the week leading up to the festival, the Thursday Charity Night, Green Music Trains from Sydney and environmental sustainability initiatives will all be part of the 35th Illawarra Folk Festival. The festival is run entirely by volunteers.

Click here for General Artist Applications (closing 30 May 2019)
Click here for Youth Artists (closing 31 July 2019)

Issued by Honorary Publicity Officer Nick Hartgerink
For further information, contact David De Santi

2020 Illawarra Folk Festival Artist Applications are now open

JOIN THE 2020 ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL ORGANISING TEAM

If you think the following might suit you then please let us know:
* Helping present a world renowned music and spoken word event
* Supporting folk music in Australia
* Learning and developing event management skills
* Making new friends
* Creating memories of good times

As a core Team Leader volunteer you would be committing to:
* Attending Organising Committee Meetings (monthly from July)
* Getting involved in pre festival planning, decisions and direction of the festival
* Managing a team of volunteers (including rostering, training, supervising and evaluating)
* Supporting your volunteers during the festival
* Providing post festival reporting and wrap up comments and suggestions.

So if you want the heart of the Illawarra Folk Festival to beat on, then please let us know! Send an email to info@illawarrafolkclub.org.au

Thank you
David De Santi
Artistic Director (honorary)

2019 Folk by the Sea - Update

Meanwhile the 2019 Folk by the Sea festival 27-29 September) in Kiama is proceeding as planned. As there will be a limit of 2000 tickets it should not trigger the proposed additional NSW festival regulations and is a much more relaxed event.

The festival will be held in 6 venues in and around the Kiama Showground with over 50 artists over 3 days. Limited camping will available. Tickets are on sale now.