FUNPARK FESTIVAL
A celebration of place, culture, local talent, young people and creativity
Bidwill Square, 26 March 2022
After three postponed events, FUNPARK finally transformed the community of Bidwill into a vibrant outdoor festival featuring performances, music, food, art, film screenings and workshops. Merging contemporary art practices with local experiences, the event offered a diverse array of talent, activities and place-based activation of public space, celebrating the local community.
In the lead up to FUNPARK’s Festival, our team programmed a series of workshops to include the community in the design and execution of the event, including crafting with Bidwill Uniting's Women’s Creative Space group, as well as local children, facilitated by our wonderful Festival Designer Imogen Ross. We also ran Hip Hop, Parkour and Hula Hooping and Kids Reporter workshops.
On the big day the festival featured an incredible line-up, showcasing some of Western Sydney's best artists, including one of the most exciting and powerful new rappers in Australian music BARKAA; Hip Hop dance group The Pioneers Mega Crew; Mt Druitt soul & hip-hop favourite Manifold; Parkour superstars Dauntless Movement Crew combining breakdancing, parkour and acrobatics; Iti Te Ra Dance Troupe, showcasing Pacific Islander culture through dance, drumming and music; the incredible Mount Druitt Aboriginal dance group Garabara and MRVZ celebrating Western Sydney through Hip Hop.
The day also features a First Nations Welcome and Smoking by local Elders, Uncle Wes Marne and Uncle Greg Simms, Films at the Underpass - a screening program in collaboration with Blacktown Arts and curated by Vonne Patiag featuring video works by Mount Druitt creatives, 0-5 play area, creative workshops, interactive art installations, food and market stalls, drumming and fire dancing.
A highlights video of the event can be viewed HERE
A written report can be found HERE
Watch FUNPARK Festival on ABC Art Works
CREDITS
FUNPARK Director/ Festival Curator: Daisy Montalvo
FUNPARK Documentation & Marketing: Sivani Yaddanapudi
FUNPARK Engagement and Community Liaison Officer: Robyn Hardge-Scott
Festival Designer: Imogen Ross
Festival Producer: Vanessa Hyde
Festival Production Manager: Dylan Bass/ DYSS Events
Graphic Design: Huy Nguyen
FUNPARK Participating Artists: Imogen Ross, Funpark Kids Reporters, Garabara Dance Group, Amanda McKenna, Shiho Sparkle Hooper, Kiri Pederson, Dauntless Movement Crew, The Pioneers Mega Hip Hop Crew, Motu Girls, With One Voice Mt Druitt Choir, Shelley Tansley, Manifold, Curious Creators, Iti Te Ra Dance Troupe, MC Trey, MRVZ and BARKAA.
Coalition Organisations: Bidwill Uniting, Blacktown Arts, CuriousWorks and PYT Fairfield.
The FUNPARK Festival was presented by the FUNPARK Coalition with support from The NSW Government’s The Festival of Place. The FUNPARK Program is generously supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, the NSW Government through Create NSW and Multicultural NSW’s COMPACT Program, Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation and Blacktown City Council.
In the lead up to FUNPARK’s Festival, our team programmed a series of workshops to include the community in the design and execution of the event, including crafting with Bidwill Uniting's Women’s Creative Space group, as well as local children, facilitated by our wonderful Festival Designer Imogen Ross. We also ran Hip Hop, Parkour and Hula Hooping and Kids Reporter workshops.
On the big day the festival featured an incredible line-up, showcasing some of Western Sydney's best artists, including one of the most exciting and powerful new rappers in Australian music BARKAA; Hip Hop dance group The Pioneers Mega Crew; Mt Druitt soul & hip-hop favourite Manifold; Parkour superstars Dauntless Movement Crew combining breakdancing, parkour and acrobatics; Iti Te Ra Dance Troupe, showcasing Pacific Islander culture through dance, drumming and music; the incredible Mount Druitt Aboriginal dance group Garabara and MRVZ celebrating Western Sydney through Hip Hop.
The day also features a First Nations Welcome and Smoking by local Elders, Uncle Wes Marne and Uncle Greg Simms, Films at the Underpass - a screening program in collaboration with Blacktown Arts and curated by Vonne Patiag featuring video works by Mount Druitt creatives, 0-5 play area, creative workshops, interactive art installations, food and market stalls, drumming and fire dancing.
A highlights video of the event can be viewed HERE
A written report can be found HERE
Watch FUNPARK Festival on ABC Art Works
CREDITS
FUNPARK Director/ Festival Curator: Daisy Montalvo
FUNPARK Documentation & Marketing: Sivani Yaddanapudi
FUNPARK Engagement and Community Liaison Officer: Robyn Hardge-Scott
Festival Designer: Imogen Ross
Festival Producer: Vanessa Hyde
Festival Production Manager: Dylan Bass/ DYSS Events
Graphic Design: Huy Nguyen
FUNPARK Participating Artists: Imogen Ross, Funpark Kids Reporters, Garabara Dance Group, Amanda McKenna, Shiho Sparkle Hooper, Kiri Pederson, Dauntless Movement Crew, The Pioneers Mega Hip Hop Crew, Motu Girls, With One Voice Mt Druitt Choir, Shelley Tansley, Manifold, Curious Creators, Iti Te Ra Dance Troupe, MC Trey, MRVZ and BARKAA.
Coalition Organisations: Bidwill Uniting, Blacktown Arts, CuriousWorks and PYT Fairfield.
The FUNPARK Festival was presented by the FUNPARK Coalition with support from The NSW Government’s The Festival of Place. The FUNPARK Program is generously supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, the NSW Government through Create NSW and Multicultural NSW’s COMPACT Program, Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation and Blacktown City Council.