Lenka Kripac - OpenField Arts Festival
The Shoalhaven, particularly Berry, has a national reputation as a beautiful, quiet country town filled with artisan stores. While that is true the arts community of the area has been screaming out for more opportunities to showcase their works. For a group of locals those screams became so loud that they were undeniable & ultimately they knew they had to do something to solve the issue. Thus the OpenField Arts Festival was born.
Speaking to Pario recently festival co-director Lenka Kripac explained how the idea for OpenField first developed & the vision for the festival now & into the future.
"Just before the pandemic I met another mum through a playgroup & we became friends. We were both whinging about there being no real arts infrastructure in Berry itself. For example, Berry didn't have a permanent art gallery or live music venue. I felt that was a real shame because there was no way for artists to meet & share their work," said Kripac passionately. "So we started brainstorming & had the idea to organise a festival that was a sort of mini Bienalle Of Sydney. We're hoping that this 4-day festival will transform the town into a really artistic place every 2 years."
Having the grand idea to create a brand new arts festival was only just the beginning for Kripac & the team. From there they then had to decide firstly, who the festival would cater to. Secondly how the lineup of artists would be compiled, & finally, where those artists would come from.
Who is OpenField Arts Festival For?
In terms of who the festival is geared towards Kripac said, "We're 50% for locals & 50% for bringing new people Berry in the middle of winter." As we continued chatting on this topic Kripac explained further, "We really wanted to attract locals & allow them to have access to the arts. We particularly wanted people to bring their kids because kids in Berry don't really get to be exposed to the arts unless their parents take them out of town."
Drawing people from outside of the area to Berry was also a major goal of OpenField because Berry & the surrounding Shoalhaven primarily relies on summer tourism. As such Kripac & the team felt OpenField would be a great opportunity to draw tourists to town in winter & showcase both the art & the natural beauty of the area during that time of year.
Choosing The Artists
The next big hurdle for OpenField ArtsFestival was populating their artist lineup. Luckily, as we mentioned earlier, Berry is an incredibly artistic area, despite not having a gallery of its own. As such the OpenField team was able to easily build out a lineup that for the majority is local.
"It feels really nice to be a part of something that is attracting attention to this area and showcasing all the amazing artists down here," beamed Kripac. "I've found it really open & amazing. People are excited for something creative & exciting to happen & for that to be led by the local community."
How To Experience OpenField
The format of the OpenField Arts Festival will work in several special ways. Firstly it will it showcase artists from a wide range of artistic disciplines such as visual art, sculpture, contemporary art & music. Secondly, it will showcase the beauty of Berry itself as the festival will encourage visitors to explore every nook & cranny of town as they walk around.
"We wanted OpenField to be a walking festival," explained Kripac. "Everyone is going to have a map, where X marks the spot where art is located. So you’re going to walk all around the town & discover all of the beautiful spots it has to offer."
Follow OpenField Arts Festival's Creative Journey on social media at: @openfieldartsfestival or at www.openfield.org.au
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