This Is Not Art

This Is Not Art
Name	This Is Not Art
Location	Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Years active	1998–present
Founded	1998
Genre	multidisciplinary arts festival

This Is Not Art is a multidisciplinary arts festival and cultural organisation based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, that foregrounds experimental, independent and hybrid practices across art, music, digital culture and community engagement. The event operates as an annual convening that brings together participants from theatre, film, visual art, literature, new media and activist networks, creating a platform for emergent work and critical discourse. It has been associated with collaborative projects, artist-run initiatives and alternative venues, engaging practitioners from across Australia and internationally.

Overview

This Is Not Art presents a program that spans independent film, experimental music, performance, digital arts and publishing, attracting participants connected to Sydney Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Brisbane Festival and Perth Festival. The festival acts as a nexus for communities that include artist-run spaces such as Firstdraft, ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), Carriageworks and Institute of Modern Art, alongside academic partners like University of Newcastle, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales. Its audience and contributors often overlap with national bodies and initiatives such as Australia Council for the Arts, Screen Australia, Create NSW and Regional Arts Australia.

History and Development

Founded in 1998 amid a landscape shaped by groups including Performance Space, The Substation, Brunswick Arts Space and West Space, the festival evolved from a convergence of activist media, independent publishing and underground music scenes. Early iterations intersected with events and collectives like Documenta, Sonic Acts, Read My Lips, Kaldor Public Art Projects and Biennale of Sydney in ethos if not structure. Over time, it incorporated strands influenced by experimental film practitioners linked to Australian Centre for the Moving Image, electronic music communities echoing Modular Recordings and DIY publishing networks akin to Gutter Press and Overland. Institutional collaborations broadened through partnerships with municipal entities including City of Newcastle, state institutions and national arts festivals.

Festivals and Events

The festival assembles a constellation of satellite events, workshops, screenings, performances and symposiums that have featured artists and groups with relationships to Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), National Film and Sound Archive, Australian Centre for Photography and Bundanon Trust. Regular components have included short film programs curated with practitioners associated with Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW, and live music line-ups drawing from networks tied to Triple J, Rolling Stone Australia, NME and Pitchfork. Community-led projects often engage collectives such as Vertigo Theatre Company, Back to Back Theatre, Chunky Move and Force Majeure, while seminars and panels host contributors affiliated with ABC Arts, SBS, The Guardian Australia and The Conversation.

Organization and Funding

Operationally, the festival is produced by an arts organisation that has negotiated support from funding bodies and philanthropic sources including Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, City of Newcastle, New South Wales Government grants and private foundations comparable to Ian Potter Foundation and Beswick Family Foundation. Governance models have referenced precedents from artist-run organisations such as ACME Studios, Artspace (Sydney), Tate Modern administrative practices and community governance exemplified by Community Arts Network (CAN) structures. Volunteer and internship programs have created pathways linked to vocational training providers and tertiary institutions like TAFE NSW and various universities.

Programming and Artistic Focus

Programming emphasizes cross-disciplinary, experimental and community-engaged work, drawing curators and artists with links to Rivoli Cinemas, Sydney Opera House, Belvoir St Theatre and Malthouse Theatre. The festival foregrounds independent publishing, zine culture and artist books with practitioners connected to National Library of Australia, State Library of New South Wales, Library of Congress exchange networks and small presses similar to University of Queensland Press and Giramondo Publishing. Digital arts and new media strands involve contributors from labs and centres such as Monash University’s MediaLab, QUT Creative Industries, CSIRO research partnerships and maker-community nodes like FabLab.

Reception and Impact

Critical reception has noted the festival’s role in incubating projects that moved into mainstream programs of institutions including Art Gallery of New South Wales, Musica Viva Australia, Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival. Commentators from outlets like The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian and Time Out (magazine) have highlighted its contribution to regional cultural infrastructure and artist development. The festival is credited with fostering networks that intersect with biennials, independent cinemas, small press ecosystems and community arts initiatives, influencing career trajectories linked to residencies at Bundanon Trust, prizes such as the Archibald Prize and commissions from national companies.

Category:Festivals in New South Wales Category:Arts festivals in Australia