December 2008 - January 2009 Newsletter - Newtown ...

Still with the eco theme, also in the park we hadPlanet Ark Park launching National RecyclingWeek and hosted a Clothes Swap Party andBIKESydney presenting bike trials, unicycletrials and radical display of bike feats. One of themost popular additions was the giant MobileWorm Farm.The dreamy Kids Zone was a hit!! The evergrowingpopularity of this area is a testament tothe changing demographic of the Newtown area… a new baby boom is among us! The stage areahosted All Day Dreaming with performersmesmerising the kids and in the creative spacethere was Generate Your Dream where the kidscould be involved with interactive workshopsand activities. The usual favourites were backwith Pony rides, jumping castles and bubbleman!!!!Also around the park was nearly 300 marketstalls selling wonderful culinary feats, art andtreats, making the Newtown Festival one of themost ideal pre-Christmas shopping expeditionson the Sydney calendar. The creativity andcolour continued with the delights of the bellydancers and Capoeira dancers and array of streetperformers.The Writers Tent was again hosted and presentedby local bookseller Better Read Than Dead. Thisyear we were blessed with yet anotherphenomenal program creating a very popular and‘different’ corner of the park. The programdelights included Newtown’s Performance Poets,Maggie Hamilton on ‘What’s happening to ourGirls?’ Susan Duncan on ‘The House atSalvation Creek’, Malcolm Knox on ‘Scattered:The inside Story of Ice in Australia’, HughMcKay on ‘Advance Australia Where?’, JamesPhelan and Mark Abernethy on ‘Killer Thrillers’,Christos Tsiolkas on ‘The Slap’ and DavidSmiedt and Mark Dapin on ‘Traveller’s Tales atHome and Abroad’.As in previous years festival patrons were askedto consider giving a gold coin or note donationat the entry points. These donations go towardfunding the Centre’s activities and programs forthe disadvantaged people in our community.Thanks to all those in the community thatgenerously donated a gold coin or more!So to wrap up, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NewtownFestival and a big THANK YOU to allsupporters and contributors including NNC staff,bands, volunteers and Board Members. We lookforward to seeing you again next year.Tina Demetriou and Sue AndersenFestival DirectorsOld Town Hall, Corner King & Australia Street, PO Box 19 Newtown 2042Ph: 9516 4755 Fax: 9519 2509 Email: admin@newtowncentre.org www.newtowncentre.orgA just community that includes and acts10