Cygnet Folk Festival

Cygnet to focus on the future of folk

by Erin Collins

TN167 Dec 24

Cygnet Folk Festival presents Future Folk.

A focus on our future.

Future Folk also refers to our dream to stay relevant into the future with a well managed event that is relevant to the diversity of our wonderful audiences, from trad to contemporary, from kids to their grandparents and from listeners to dancers and workshop participants.

Also expect to see the young, talented musicians of the future gracing our stages, a stronger focus on bringing you a family friendly event with activities for kids, and our ever-wonderful world class acts for all.

Festival 2025 will have 10 stages jam packed with concerts from our 80 plus festival acts.

Some 400 individual artists will tread the boards over the weekend, in over 300 programmed concerts.

Experience what the Future of Folk looks like.

In 2025, we’ll feature Youth Blackboard concerts in Loongana Park on Saturday and Sunday and present a special youth concert on the main stage of the Festival Green.

The Folk Alliance Australia Youth Showcase and Awards will again be showcased on Sunday afternoon.

Don’t miss Apolline and Homebru teaming up to perform a special concert for us and we feature Folk Alliance’s “Young Performer of the Year’, Felicity Dowd, alongside Cygnet’s youth award winners and many more.

Who are our featured acts?

Well, all of them really!!

Extraordinarily diverse and utterly fabulous artists are heading to Cygnet in January!

You can dance the night away to Elephant Sessions, Austral, The High Street Drifters, Tim Scanlon and Manuka Okubu, La Mauvaise Reputation, Formidable Vegetable or Amaidi.

Be bathed in songs from The Spooky Men, Gaumarjos The Cygnet Song Circle, The Clemtines and Little Boat choirs.

Be enchanted by the wonderful Stiff Gins, Hat Fitz and Cara, Ernest Aines, Pete Cornelius, Miss Eileen and King Lear and so, so many more.

What a weekend we have in store!

You can see a list of all our artists via the link on our homepage at www.cygnetfolkfestival.org and the full schedule is available online.

This year, our dedicated Kids’ Space is moving to Festival Green, a fully fenced outside area with lots of shade and room to play.

There will be kid’s workshops, entertainment and activities from 9am – 3pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Food and drink stalls are conveniently close by for parents, and family friendly entertainment on the main Festival Green stage will run from 10am.

Kids entertainers to look out for include Costa Georgiadis, Bella the Bookworm, Amelie Ecologie, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo!, Formidable Vegetable and more!

Looking to the future for financial and environmental sustainability, we have made the leap to a fully online festival programme.

We recommend that you download the festival program onto your phone before you leave home.

You can then peruse the schedule, and even create your own list of ‘not to be missed’ concerts.

The programme will automatically update with any unforeseen changes, so you will always have the latest and most accurate version right in your pocket.

 

Future Folk a focus for Cygnet 2025

by Erin Collins

TN166 Oct 24

The 2025 Cygnet Folk Festival, to be held in Tasmania will this time present a Future Folk theme, a focus on our future.

Future Folk also refers to our dream to stay relevant into the future with a well managed event that is relevant to the diversity of our wonderful audiences, from trad to contemporary, from kids to their grandparents, and from listeners to dancers and workshop participants.

Also expect to see the young, talented musicians of the future gracing our stages, a stronger focus on bringing you a family friendly event with activities for kids, and our ever wonderful world class acts for all.

We have 10 stages jam packed with concerts from our 80 plus festival acts.

Some 400 individual artists will tread the boards over the weekend in over 300 programmed concerts.

Experience what the Future of Folk looks like.

From January 10 to 12, 2025, we’ll feature youth blackboard concerts in Loongana Park on Saturday and Sunday, and present a special youth concert on the main stage of the Festival Green.

Folk Alliance Australia Youth Showcase and Awards will again be presented on Sunday afternoon.

Don’t miss Apolline and Homebru teaming up to perform a special concert for us, and we’ll feature Folk Alliance’s ‘Young Performer of the Year’, Felicity Dowd, alongside Cygnet’s youth award winners and many more.

Extraordinarily diverse and utterly fabulous artists are heading to Cygnet in January!

You can dance the night away to Elephant Sessions, Austral, The High Street Drifters, Tim Scanlon and Manuka Okubu, La Mauvaise Reputation, Formidable Vegetable or Amaidi.

Be bathed in songs from The Spooky Men, Gaumarjos, The Cygnet Song Circle, The Clementines and Little Boat choirs.

Be enchanted by the wonderful Stiff Gins, Hat Fitz and Cara, Ernest Aines, Pete Cornelius, Miss Eileen and King Lear and so, so many more.

What a weekend we have in store!

You can see all our artists via the link on our homepage at www.cygnetfolkfestival.org and the full schedule will be online by November 1.

Our dedicated Kids’ Space is moving to Festival Green, a fully fenced outside area with lots of shade and room to play.

There will be kid’s workshops, entertainment and activities from 9am-3pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Food and drink stalls are conveniently close by for parents, and family friendly entertainment on the main Festival Green stage will run from 10am.

Kids’ entertainers to look out for include Costa Georgiadis, Bella the Bookworm, Amelie Ecologie, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo!, Formidable Vegetable and more!

Looking to the future of financial and environmental sustainability, we have made the leap to a fully online festival programme.

We recommend that you download the festival program onto your phone before you leave home.

You can then peruse the schedule, and even create your own list of ‘not to be missed’ concerts.

The programme will automatically update with any unforeseen changes, so you will always have the latest and most accurate version right in your pocket.

The programme includes all the usual information: full act descriptions; festival info; map; parking directions; and, of course, the full schedule.

 

Organisers share their views on recent festival

TN157 Aug 23

Cygnet Folk Festival, Tasmania, Coordinator, Bridget Binnie, sent Trad&Now an update following their recent successful festival. “It was fantastic to be back after a two year hiatus and we are so proud to have put on a successful festival once again”, Bridget said. “We have received wonderful feedback from those who attended, performed, volunteered, billeted artists and members of the local community, all of whom we can’t thank enough for being involved. “I would also like to thank the Festival Committee who worked tirelessly to put the event together and give a special thank you to our core crew members who each work throughout the year to ensure that everything runs smoothly. “We are brimming with ideas for the next festival and after having a well earned break we are ready to start planning another superb festival to be held between the 12th – 14th January 2024, save the date”, Bridget said.

Artistic Director, Erin Collins, added: “What a joy to have performers back on our stages and on floors and roving the park, to see workshop rooms full, a huge turnout for the festival choir and orchestra, dancers and smiling faces all weekend. “Amongst all the events over the weekend, a couple deserve special mention. “We were very happy to welcome to our wonderful youth showcase Oceanique from WA, the winners of the Folk Alliance Australia Youth Award for 2022. “From our own Youth Blackboard competition, congratulations to LJ Parks and The Unknown, first and second prize winners. “Thanks to Rosalie Woodruff for the donation of cash prizes for the two recipients, and to Daniel Townsend for generously offering to mentor both acts during the coming year. “The future of folk is certainly in good hands and voices! “A new award was instigated this year, a bequest from the family of the late Dr Dennis DuBetz going to two acts from the festival. “We’re very happy to announce that these have gone to Isabel Rumble towards her debut CD and to Youkali (Kasey Patrick and Andrew Vievers) who contributed enormously to several projects over the festival weekend. “Even though we’ve just wound up from the festival, performer applications for 2024 are open until April 16. “We can’t wait to see what may be in store for next January”, Erin said.

Finally, a few words from the President, Anne Foale: “It’s time to look ahead to planning the 2024 festival (and beyond). “The current Festival Committee is a strong group of locals with a passion for being involved in the nuts and bolts of putting on a grass roots festival. “If you’ve ever considered joining the committee, our upcoming AGM will be held on April 17. “We are most grateful for the significant support provided by our small group of festival patrons – thank you, you know who you are. “Finally, thank you to our sponsors for the 2023 festival, we could not have put on the festival without your support”, Anne said.

 

Festival organisers are SO excited to be “back in full swing

by Erin Collins

Published in T&N 152 November 2022

The 2023 Cygnet Folk Festival (Tas) will return in January 2023 for the first full weekend event since January 2020.

Like so many in our music community, we have had over two years of cancelled events and the inevitable disappointment in not only being unable to present a much-loved festival, but the inevitable loss of income for all our beloved musicians and crew who work so hard to make ours and other events happen each year.

Also, as with so many events in regional towns, the festival provides an annual boost to many local businesses who are of course feeling the ripples of the past two years’ pandemic and reduced visitations.

Thankfully, Cygnet has thus far been spared the devastating weather events that have impacted other festivals.

We collaborate with many of these aforementioned businesses and others in the community, such as local schools and churches to produce the festival.

Churches have the BEST acoustics!

The local scouts do an amazing job managing the festival campground, and like so many similar events, we run on the wheels provided by a veritable army of fantastic crew and volunteers.

Tasmania has a proud aboriginal history and stories of survival, and we are honoured by the generosity in which they share their stories, musicianship and culture with us.

We work closely with South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC) for cultural support and guidance.

In 2023, we will host a couple of very special collaborations with the first nations’ community during the festival.

Returning to Cygnet stages is the wonderful Frank Yamma, one of Australia’s most significant Indigenous songwriters, with an ability to cross cultural and musical boundaries. An initiated Pitjantjatjara man, Frank sings in his native language and English. His mighty songs, magical guitar playing and deeply evocative voice tell stories of country, protection, heartache, travel and love.

We’re also bringing Tin Camp Studios to our newly relocated Willie Smiths Paddock.

Tin Camp Studios is the brainchild of Warren Mason and provides a safe and welcoming space for unique music and cultural events.

The studios are constructed from salvaged materials and modelled on typical 1950s Aboriginal housing that could be found on the fringe of countless Australian townships.

For the first time, we’ll be offering day tickets to this one outdoor space, with access to the Willie Smith’s marquee and Tin Camp Studios, both with a whole weekend of amazing music and other events as well as food and drink and roving performances.

We will also be showcasing “Brothers of Country”: A band of brothers from across Tasmania, Australia and the World. Raw, earthy sounds of the Tasmanian bush from Elder Songman, Dougie Mansell, singer and drummer Mwase Makalani, Yao and Chichewa man from Malawi, Yorta Yorta and Yuwaalaraay man, Warren Mason, Tasmanian born Yorta Yorta man First Nations producer and musician, Josh Langford, Tasmanian Aboriginal pakana traditional dancer, Harley Mansell, walker and keeper of stories, Sean Mansell, and Adelaide born cultural magpie, Matthew Fargher.

Ours is one of the most popular and long-lived events of the Tasmanian summer calendar having just, with a significantly smaller event than we’d hoped for, celebrated 40 years!

In 2023, as we celebrate the opening of international borders, we welcome back to Cygnet, The Paul McKenna Band from Glasgow, touring for the Festival of Small Halls with the wonderfully enigmatic Emily Lubitz.

In Tasmania for their first visit, will be The Jellyman’s Daughter from Edinburgh.

We’re also very excited to bring to Cygnet the extraordinary voice and protest songs from Grace Petrie from Leicester.

From over the ditch (AKA NZ), we’ll showcase the beautiful voice and playing of Holly Arrowsmith, duo, Looking for Alaska, and welcome back festival darlings, Albi and the Wolves.

Performer highlights of the weekend from around Australia are Pitjantjatjara man, Frank Yamma, Tibetan singing and playing from Tenzin Choegyal, and always remarkable songs and stories from folk icon, Eric Bogle.

From NSW, Austral are making a name for themselves around the festival circuit.

We’ll hear Sephardic and Sevdah songs from Saray Illuminado, a unique take on Aussie songs from Bush Gothic and remarkable duo harmonies from Lior and Domini, We Mavericks and Charm of Finches.

Returning to Cygnet will be Lithuanian singers and dancers, The Lost Clog, festival favourites Fred Smith, the award-winning Michael Waugh, David Bridie, Lucy Wise, Liam Gerner with Luke Moller, Ruth Roshan and Tango Noir and many more.

Other Aussie legends include Bill Jackson, Tiffany Eckhardt, Michael Fix with Mark Cryle, Ruth Hazleton, our own Meyers and McNamara, Peter Hicks, and The New Holland Honey Eaters, the namesakes of whom have been prevalent in my Spring Garden.

There will of course be workshops and masterclasses, some very special themed performances, including Fred Smith’s “Sparrows of Kabul”, Liam Gerner and Luke Moller’s take on Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson in “The Bulletin Debate”, Bruce Watson’s “The Man, the woman and the Edison Phonograph”-the story of Fanny Cochran Smith recording with Bruce’s ancestor, and John Hickey’s “The Young Irelanders in Van Diemans Land” to mention but a few.

The dance programme will run in a couple of venues over the weekend and will feature the best of both local and interstate acts with some great callers to teach those steps.

We’ll also be presenting some world class circus from ROOKE with their family friendly show, “Tony’s Imaginary Circus”, as well as pop up performances and workshops from the equally talented and seemingly ever multiplying Sands Family Circus.

Like so many folk festivals around the country, ours is a showcase of eclectic music genres featuring both Australian and international musicians, dance, poetry, masterclasses, kids’ entertainment, food, wine, art and local handicrafts.

Cygnet folk Festival is set in the breathtaking scenery of Tasmania’s Huon Valley; and summer in Tasmania and the Huon Valley in particular, shouts cherry, apricot and berry season.

If you’re driving down to Cygnet from Hobart, there’s a plethora of roadside stalls to satisfy your summer fruit cravings.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce that five of the eight award winners at the recent Australian Folk Music Awards through Folk Alliance Australia presented on October 26 will be performing at Cygnet Folk Festival next January.

So come see these and many more fantastic acts in Cygnet in January.

We are SO excited to be “back in full swing!”

The full performer line-up and tickets at www.cygnetfolkfestival.org