Official Launch 2012

June 15 2012

Excitement, I’d say, was the word of the night. There was a certain buzz in the air that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

It could of been the fact that over 100 of Launceston’s most lovely, interesting and influential characters braved the winter chill to sip Boags from the bottle in a huge empty appliances store in the heart of Launceston’s CBD. It could of been the fact that there was actually something happening in Launceston on a week night. But most likely, it was the fact that Northern Tasmania’s most ambitious contemporary arts event, Launceston’s very own Junction Arts Festival was about to reveal its huge 2012 Festival program.

Whatever it was, last Thursday June 7 was an amazing Festival launch and the team here at Junction couldn’t of asked for a better lift off for our 2012 event.

Senator Anne Urquhart on behalf of Federal Minster for the Arts Simon Crean and Launceston’s own Deputy Mayor Jeremy Ball gave amazing, encouraging speeches in support of Junction Arts Festival. Chair of the Junction Arts Festival Board Ron Layne and Festival Director Natalie De Vito shared the Festival’s vision, which we hold dear-reframing Launceston’s streets and spaces and encouraging community involvement in the arts. Effervescent Artistic Director Ian Pidd gave an extraordinarily animated abridged account of this years feature projects and the evening wrapped up with a few more delicious Ninth Island Pinot’s and a wonderful performance by The Old Lyric Theatre who will be rocking Junction Arts Festival’s pop-up live music venue The Junc Room in August.

Junction Arts Festival want to say a huge thank you to Shepard & Heap for lending us the amazing former Jessups RetraVision store for the launch venue, The Harding Hospitality Group, Boags and Ninth Island for the delicious beverages, Junction’s very own Lauren Ferrington for the delectable spread and Hugh Morris for documenting it all.