Belconnen Community Festival 2010

“Circo Belco and the Future Footprints Sideshow”

Coming to Margaret Timpson Park, Belconnen

November 13, 2010

Planning for the 2010 Belconnen Community Festival is well underway. Canberra’s largest community festival has successfully gained funding from Festivals ACT and from The Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water. The Festival will return to its home in Margaret Timpson Park on November 13, 2010. “Future Footprints” sustainability expo will also return to compliment the festival a second time.

2010’s festival theme, “Circo Belco and the Future Footprints Sideshow” emerged from community feedback collected at the 2008 festival, from long-term participants and other stake holders; as well from the enthusiastic festival team here BCS. Organisers envisage a carnival environment incorporating aspects of circus, vaudeville, physical theatre and burlesque.

There will be a public meeting at Belconnen Community Centre at 5:30pm on April 29. Attendees can contribute ideas, register their interest in participation or sign up as a festival volunteer. There are also great sponsorship and partnership opportunities available to local businesses.

For further information, to register interest in participating in or becoming a sponsor of “Circo Belco and the future Footprints Sideshow” please contact Festival director, Rauny Worm. Rauny.worm@bcsact.com.au 62640233

The evolution of the Belconnen Festival can be seen as a model of engaging and involving the community to express its identity through a celebration of the diverse interests, talents and organisations thriving in Belconnen, and the wider Canberra region. Belconnen Community Service has played a lead role in nurturing the festival from humble beginnings to the recent 2008 Festival with an audience of 12,000+ and over 100 participating stalls and organisations.

The process of planning and programming “Circo Belco” and the “Future Footprints Sideshow” will place a strong emphasis on creating work to showcase at the festival with our community as well as on offering the opportunity for Belconnen groups to display, play, celebrate and educate.

The well-received environmental festival component “Future Footprints” will also present itself to the public as a traditional sideshow. This approach will create fun as well as awareness and understanding of how we can embrace the changes necessary to live environmentally friendly lives.

The World History of Razzle Dazzle

A Feature of Circo Belco and the Future Footprints Sideshow

At Margaret Timpson Park

November 13 2010

Belconnen Community Festival has received funding from Festivals Australia to produce The World History of Razzle Dazzle as a feature of Belconnen Festival’s entertainment program. Festivals Australia is an Australian Government program that funds Australian regional and community festivals to present quality cultural projects.

Belconnen Community Festival’s 2010 theme is “Circo Belco and the Future Footprints Sideshow”. The World History of Razzle Dazzle will be a playful variety show which celebrates the history of popular performance across different cultures and times.

Popular performance styles have developed in all cultures over time and their common thread is that they are by the people for the people. Examples include slapstick comedy, song and dance, snake charming, street theatre, weird and wonderful musical and circus acts and medicine shows.

The World History of Razzle Dazzle calls for community groups and individuals who have an act that Razzles and Dazzles who would like to be a part of this unique Belconnen event. The Razzle Dazzle welcomes traditional and non-traditional acts and is open to conjurers of all cultures, Asian lions and dragons, traditional and industrial belly-dancers, martial artists, stilt walkers, karaoke queens and more.

A key purpose of the Festival’s Australia funding is to provide professional artists to work with groups and individuals from the community who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in the Festival program.

The Crash Hot Drum Group, a combined schools drumming group of children in special education led by renowned local musician and educator, Jim Sharrock, will perform in the show. Well known Aboriginal artist Duncan Smith of Wiradjuri Echoes will work with young, local Aboriginal and Torres straight Islander people to create a performance that fuses contemporary and traditional styles. Other groups of people living with disability, mental illness, disadvantage and social isolation will work with experienced professional artists to create performances, props and an eye-catching set that Razzles and Dazzles in every possible way.

Time itself will be a contortionist as Belconnen takes on The World History of Razzle Dazzle. Jaws will drop; sequins will shine; cream pies will be thrown!

For further information or to express interest in participating in The World History of Razzle Dazzle please contact Belconnen Community Centre. 62640232 festival@bcsact.com.au