Not the Canberra you used to know

 ANU alumni David Caffery and Yolande Norris are at the forefront of Canberra's cultural development. Photo by Stuart Hay.

ANU alumni David Caffery and Yolande Norris are at the forefront of Canberra's cultural development. Photo by Stuart Hay.

Festivals, art, and the creative minds driving Canberra’s cultural renaissance. By Natassja Hoogstad Hay

Two years on from Canberra’s 100th birthday and the city’s creative industries are more confident than ever. Whether it’s public art, a daring new restaurant or a new festival on the calendar, Canberra’s creative side is shining.

Canberra’s international profile is also on the rise. A glowing article in The New York Times in 2014 gave an inside view into Canberra’s “decidedly hipster underbelly”, and pointed readers to some of Canberra’s best cultural and dining experiences. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development named Canberra the world’s most liveable city.

This shift into a creative capital means there are more opportunities than ever for artists, musicians, designers, curators and all types of creatives.

Yolande Norris BVA ‘05 says she’s had an amazing professional run staying in Canberra since graduating.

“There are lots of opportunities and not much competition,” says Norris.

“Many people in my year moved immediately following graduation, but moving didn’t have much appeal for me. In my final year of art school, I started working at the National Gallery of Australia so I wanted to stay and see how that worked out.

“I don’t think I would have done half as much as what I’ve done if I hadn’t stayed.”

It’s worked out well for Norris, whose resume includes working in curatorial roles for the Gorman House Arts Centre, the Canberra Contemporary Art Space and for arts and social change company Big hART.

Norris was also founding producer of the now annual You Are Here, a 10-day festival showcasing Canberra’s more underground art scene.

The growth in festivals is one of the hallmarks of Canberra’s cultural re-emergence, giving our city's creatives plenty of opportunities to engage with the broader Canberra community.

Fashfest, a four-day celebration of local fashion designers, was sold out in its second year. The inaugural DESIGN Canberra Festival took off in 2014, another opportunity to showcase local talent across food, design and innovation. Enlighten festival lets local and international artists digitally dress up some of Canberra’s most iconic buildings.

Geographically, Braddon and NewActon have emerged as the centres of Canberra’s cultural development.

Braddon has become a favourite hangout for many Canberrans. Head to Braddon for a weekend brunch on a sunny day and you’ll find cafes overflowing and crowded local designer and vintage shops.

On the other side of the city, NewActon, developed by the Molonglo Group, has won awards for its stunning architecture, top-notch dining options and its businesses are working hard to support local artists.

Its premiere event, Art, Not Apart, is a “mirror of Canberra’s creative industries”, according to Molonglo Group events manager and cultural coordinator Dave Caffery BA (Hons) ‘12.

Caffery started working in cultural events while still studying at ANU. He sees supporting artists with opportunities and infrastructure as key aspects in continuing Canberra’s cultural development.

“Venues are so important to the existence of an arts industry, be they exhibition spaces, music venues or anything in between,” he says.

“Installing new sound systems in the courtyard, having the exhibition space focused on local arts and promoting those artists and then our arts festival Art, Not Apart is a culmination of those activities.”

Open to anyone in Canberra, Art, Not Apart has struck a chord with locals, expanding from 1,500 people attending in its first year, to 7,500 in its last instalment in 2014. The next festival takes place on Saturday 14 March, 2015.

So what’s the reason behind the recent and rapid growth in Canberra’s cultural capital? Norris points out the centenary in 2013 played an important part.

“The centenary injected much needed cash for people to try things that they had wanted to do for a while,” she says.

The support of a powerful developer like Molonglo Group certainly helps through providing a new gallery space, supporting Art, Not Apart and providing other infrastructure in NewActon.

“There’s a lot of passion to see this development happening,” says Caffery.

“We’re getting momentum and it’s snowballing. Private organisations, especially local people, promoters and arts organisations are starting to make the change.

“Where it used to be just a few people trying to make some changes, we’re now seeing a lot of people making changes together.”

For decades Canberrans have had to deal with a stuffy, public service image and a reputation for roundabouts and blandness. It seems like this may be changing, once and for all.

A version of this article appeared in the February 2015 edition of ANU Reporter. Download the digital version to your tablet