Let’s get wired.

1st-5th October 2009, Newcastle (NSW).
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Electrofringe is Australia's largest and most successful festival of electronic arts and culture. Now in its twelfth year, the 2009 festival has attracted standout local and international artists to its line-up. Over a huge five days, visitors will experience a convergence of art and technology, ideas and inspirations. Reaching back to their roots while embarking in new directions, the program of Australian and international artists presents an extravaganza of creativity, encompassing over fifty different events.

The festival is held in a variety of spaces across Newcastle from October 1st-5th for free and it will definitely prove to be a weekend full of technological and artistic surprises. Artists will descend on the city to amaze and astound their audiences with wacky and astonishing perceptions of reality, truth and the digital world.
From the Australia Council for the Arts, Andy Donovan (Director of Inter-Arts) recognises the festival's international acclaim amongst artistic communities and the individual opportunities it generates for the audience and participants, “Electrofringe is Australia's only festival dedicated to presenting experimental and emerging digital and media-based artforms. It is recognised internationally for supporting emerging artists who work in hybrid and media arts, and for its innovative program of presentation, skills development and artistic exchange.”

Festival co-director, Daniel Green says Electrofringe focuses on exchange between emerging artists and professional practitioners and for five days of every year, people from all around Australia (and also internationally) flock to Newcastle. There is something for everyone at Electrofringe this year with a diverse program throughout the five days that makes the festival a hot spot for all. If you are looking for the wonderfully wacky you must see the special event that features John Kilduff of Let's Paint TV. Other highlights include checking out the Robot Wonderland, viewing a project investigating how we can turn social networking tweets into poetry, or you could see if it is possible to soundproof the city and get massaged by a bassline. Radically further, view the sleepwalking dance as well as attending a creative project presentation discussing the ability of human flight. Through a series of workshops, special events and presentations audiences are allowed wonderful insights into the mediums of art, technology and interaction.

Special international guests include John Kilduff (USA), SWAMP (USA/NZ) and Rosy Parlane (NZ) with Australian acts including Bum Creek and Stalker. Festival favourites Dorkbot who do strange things with electricity, produce and destroy artworks such as the Bible and teenage memories at one of the many exhibition openings throughout the festival. Even with all this in mind, don't forget Electrofringe's impressive series of screenings including SPAM: the musical and Electroprojections – a showcase of new video works selected by an international open call. You will also see highlights of the Japan Media Arts Festival alongside thought provoking Ghetto Moto where a rapper from Nairobi searches for peace in war-torn Africa. These screened experiences explore a changing digital world from the political to the light-hearted.

Educationally, the Electrofringe holds workshops and presentations to inform artists about intellectual property, rights management, distribution, international touring and negotiating contracts. Experimenta provide advice into their commissioning process and discuss practicalities and considerations for artists exhibiting work for large audiences. It also allows musicians to learn about the history of Australia's Experimental Music to inspire and instruct their work. Practical learning includes learning to play music through hand gesture using reacTIVision! and Christian Haines introduces a simple application to inform an audience of basic programming concepts within the mobile phone.

Electrofringe is a great way to get inspired, meet fellow artists and network amongst peers and professionals. Festival co-director, Somaya Langley says, "Each and every year the festival provides an opportunity for media artists to present their work, meet new people and form new collaborations. Electrofringe truly is representative of the range of individuals and types of practices happening within media arts in Australia and also in the world."