It’s less than a couple of weeks until Mandurah’s favourite art festival, the Stretch Arts Festival, is back in town.
The 16th edition of the Stretch will take over the city centre on May 6 and 7 for a weekend filled with creativity and all things arty.
This year’s festival promises a jam-packed program and attractions for all ages in a bid to promote, nurture and celebrate the talent and work of both established and emerging artists.
During the weekend, Festival Square will come alive with a number of free events, performances, workshops, arts and cultural experiences.
One of the highlights of this year’s festival is The Big Draw event, which will offer attendees the opportunity to participate in activities based on the artistic style of great artists and historical arts movements such as impressionism, cubism and pop art.
Punters will also be able to enjoy painting a car, tie-dyeing t-shirts, browsing through the environmental zone, getting a feed at one of the food vans and watching live acrobatics and entertainment.
The main stage at Festival Square will be buzzing all weekend with comedy acts, live music, a Yaburgurt public artwork discussion panel, and morning yoga sessions.
Yaburgurt artwork artist Peter Farmer will also launch his new fashion collection Six Seasons, a collaboration between WA’s best Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal creatives, at the festival fashion parade.
The Stretch Arts Festival youth area will be located at the Contemporary Art Spaces Madnurah (CASM) and will feature a pop-up skate park, graffiti workshops, DJs, a dance floor, and posca art with ZiggyYork among others.
Innovative Riptide Youth Performance Company will also hold a special performance called Walk with Me which will allow members of the audience to join the actors in a moving performance piece.
Mandurah Mayor Marina Vergone said Stretch was a highlight of the City‟s events calendar, and it had grown over the years to become a prominent arts festival.
“The local community and many visitors to Mandurah really embrace the Stretch Arts Festival year after year,” she said.
“Developing the creative arts is critical for us to be a vibrant community, and something the City of Mandurah highly values.
“Events and festivals such as the Stretch Arts Festival contribute to developing a sense of place which adds to our pride and enjoyment of living in Mandurah.”
For more information about the Stretch Arts Festival and associated workshops, go to the City of Mandurah’s website.
The full festival program will also be available on the website.