5 MINUTE: Wynnum Fringe Festival 2021
Fantastic, jaw dropping, heart-warming, and iconicâ all words to describe the return of this yearâs Wynnum Fringe Festival in my electorate of Bonner.
Deputy Speaker, I rise today to celebrate this festival and its showcase of the arts over six jam packed days last week.
In the weeks leading up to it, there was an incredible buzz in our community.
Every corner of the Bayside was transformed with pop up stages, bars, eateries, and countless local businesses who offered their space to be used as performance venues.
Everyone got involved, whether it be as a volunteer, patron, local business owner or a performer.
It was a true demonstration of our community spirit; we all embraced this festival and made it a celebration of the Bayside.
Deputy Speaker, I must take this opportunity to acknowledge festival founder Tom Oliver who has outdone himself this year.
A passion for the local arts scene that is one in a million.
The Bayside is tremendously lucky to have Tom and I speak on behalf of the community in that his vision for this yearâs festival didnât just go as far as benefitting the arts, but also local businesses,
community groups and our economy.
Tom is putting the Bayside on the map.
Deputy Speaker, we all love the arts â it brings us joy, has a powerful way of bringing communities together and inspires the next generation of talent.
The Morrison Government is committed to this sector and secured the return of Wynnum Fringe as an annual event by delivering $236,000 in funding.
Itâs been another challenging year for our arts and creative sectors, but weâre seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
And events just like this give us great excitement as we enjoy the simple things we have really missed.
I was privilege to attend the festivalâs opening ceremony alongside Tom Oliver, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner as well as the community.
What a turn out it was Deputy Speaker!
As part of the special ceremony, the Quandamooka Elders presented âYana Marumbaâ which means walk good.
We started at the shores of Moreton Bay and walked up to the festival hub on Bay Terrace where we finished the night with a free street party.
People of all ages came together for this ceremony, united by our love of the arts.
I also want to take this opportunity to recognise the over 300 artists, performers and musicians who took over the Bayside, entertaining locals and visitors alike.
There was sell out show after sell out show Deputy Speaker, which just speaks volumes to the level of talent we were so honoured to have in town.
We couldnât have been more excited to welcome them to the Bayside.
The countdown to next year is on!