“ART, Not Apart”—the name says it all. 

Billed as a diverse arts festival in NewActon, its organisers hope to create, twice a year, “a space for all artists to present their works side by side, irrespective of style, to thousands of people.”

It’s free, it’s on Saturday March 16 from 1 to 7pm and it will feature grassroots artists (including over 20 artists from interstate), musicians and markets with the focus is on live art and open studios.

This is art with all its angles. No-one’s apart, Producer David Caffery is saying, or to put it differently, everyone’s side by side.

So, the festival will feature Canberra Symphony Orchestra Ensemble with a live painter, cabaret next to Megalo’s screen printers, Street artists next to authors and poets, digital artists next to a bicycle workshop, contemporary exhibitions next to a kids fort, industrial designers next to sculptors, performance poets on one stage with acrobatics and comedy, jazz, reggae, big brass and electronic music, Palace Electric’s French Film Festival, a busking competition with a $1000 prize pool and the Sound and Fury Speakeasy (after-party).

As well, there will be a performance art party in a basement of the Nishi building, where you can “dare to witness questionable cabaret, heavy hitting performance poetry, dubious characters and stiff cocktails.” The Sound and Fury Speakeasy will be running from 4pm until after midnight.

Caffery says he knows of musicians travelling from Sydney because they think they can beat our artists —we’ll see.

“Art, Not Apart” festival, NewActon precinct, Saturday, March 16 from 1 to 7pm. If rain is forecast, the event will be pushed to Sunday, March 17.