The F Project’s Fabric of Live Festival has been named the Warrnambool Community Event of the Year.
Held in October 2023, entrants created wearable artworks – the more creative, the better!
Vice Chair of the F Project and Fabric of Life Festival team member Helen Bunyon said that the event was first held in 2022.
“This was just after COVID, we were trying to think of something we could to do involve the community,” she said.
“We thought we could appeal to the folk who like to work with textiles and other mediums to create really interesting and fun wearable art pieces.
“Ann Krause was the one who suggested it and we went with the idea.
“There were students from schools, people of all abilities that were able to take part in it, there were older people, it was a really inclusive community event that gave people an opportunity to work in a different medium.
“We appreciate the support from the Council who helped us to put it together, and also from the Jones Family Foundation and also the support from the community and the artists.
“We had some judges who had the hard job of trying to choose the different costumes that they thought were outstanding in their area, and some of the judges said “you might have to find some new people (to judge next year) because we’d like to be in it,” it was just a really good vibe.”
Warrnambool Mayor Ben Blain said that the Fabric of Life Festival was a welcome addition to the city’s events calendar and a worthy award winner.
“It was creative, it was colourful, and I’m pleased to announce the Fabric of Life Festival as the Community Event of the Year,” he said.
“It gave artists the chance to work with a different medium than usual, textiles, and didn’t they rise to the challenge?
“The Fabric of Life Festival was a celebration of so many positive aspects of Warrnambool – our rich history in the textiles industry, our flourishing creative community and our sense of ingenuity.
“And like all good events, it brought people together, both physically on the day, but also as a community.”
Tom Richardson has been named Warrnambool Citizen of the Year, Courtney Mathew is the Young Citizen of the Year and Ailiche Goddard-Clegg is the recipient of the Local Achiever Award.
The winners will be officially recognised at a ceremony at the Lighthouse Theatre on Tuesday January 23 from 6pm. The event will also include a Citizenship Ceremony, where 29 people will take the pledge and officially become Australian Citizens.
All are welcome to attend.
Image credit: Janek Krause