Page 3089 - Week 08 - Thursday, 16 August 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
with their members and to promote their cultures. I look forward to these grants opening for applications later in the year and I also look forward to joining the multicultural community in celebrating the National Multicultural Festival and many other events throughout the year.
MS CODY: Supplementary.
MRS KIKKERT: Supplementary.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary, Ms Cody.
MS CODY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Minister, how are preparations for the 2019 Multicultural Festival progressing?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Cody for her supplementary question. I suspect that Mrs Kikkert’s may also be answered.
I am pleased to provide a further update on the preparations for this year’s National Multicultural Festival.
Mrs Kikkert interjecting.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Who knows? The festival has developed over 22 years to become one of Canberra’s most loved events. This year, as members will be aware, I commissioned an external review to enable continued improvements in the governance and delivery of future festivals.
I will soon be releasing the review report, along with our response, but in the meantime the festival organisers have been progressing with a range of activities. Several planning meetings have been held with showcase coordinators and other stakeholders, including the diplomatic community, to plan an exciting entertainment program for the 2019 festival. The 2019 festival footprint has undergone wide review and consultation with stakeholders. And festival organisers are working to finalise the headline acts, including an exciting new celebrity chef to follow in Poh’s footsteps.
As we all know, food and drink are a major attraction, and applications for stallholders will open later this month, taking into account the feedback received through the review and through other channels. And yes, as I have been saying since February, this will include feedback about who can sell alcohol on the footprint. Applications will also open later this month for the multicultural community performers. An expression of interest process will also be run to engage professional artists from the Canberra music scene as well as international artists.
I encourage interested stallholders and performers to look out for the opening of these applications and to get in early with their applications. The success of the festival has always been due to strong community involvement and, 22 years in, we want to see that community involvement continue.
Mr Barr: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video