Festival to present a conflux of creativity

CREATIVES from across Victoria and beyond will converge in Bendigo this September for a new two-day arts event.

Presented by the Emporium Creative Hub, an initiative of Creative Victoria, Conflux Bendigo is a “conference-cum-festival”, designed for artists, performers and creators and packed with inspirational performances, educational workshops, informative panel discussions, incredible installations, interactive activities and enlightening presentations.

Emporium Creative Hub manager David Hughes said the event had been designed to help creatives further their practice.

“They can come along and be part of discussions around navigating the metaverse or a creative vision for regional Victoria.

“They can be part of workshops, or they can come and be inspired by some of the performances and installations we’ve got going on. All while connecting with other creative minds.”

The theme of Conflux this year is “A Brave New World”, and Mr Hughes said the aim was to explore what the future of creative practice looked like.

“It comes about from looking back at the last couple of years, thinking about how we’ve adapted and what we’ve learned and using that to look at what the future holds for creative practitioners and their audiences,” he said.

Speakers from across Victoria, as well as Sydney and Adelaide, include NIDA director in residence David Berthold, who will explore what the future of live performance looks like; street artist Baby Guerrilla, who will be delivering creative workshops; and visual artist and Tik Tok sensation Tahlia Stanton, who will be talking about how to build a creative career using social media.

“We’re keen to strike that balance that showcases what’s happening in regional Victoria but also brings in people from other areas that are doing fantastic stuff that serves to further inspire the work that’s already happening here,” Mr Hughes said.

Live music will be performed by regionally based artists Jae Laffer, Louisa Terra, Geoffrey Williams and Eliza Hull, while artistic installations exploring our impact on the environment will provide spaces for people to contemplate and reflect.

“Ultimately, our aim is to create a space where creatives can connect, learn, play and nourish their muse”, Mr Hughes said.

Conflux Bendigo takes place on September 9-10.

For the full program and tickets, head to emporiumcreativehub.com.au/conflux