Look Hear Festival will be held for the eighth time in Newcastle from November 24 to 27. 

“It has maintained a design focus … it’s for graphic designers, illustrators, typographers, but it expands to any creative field really, including industrial design, animation, photography, art. Anything with a creative core to its business,” said festival director Carl Morgan.

Mr Morgan said those working in the creative industries benefited from taking time to step back and think about their practices. 

“We are so invested in creating things for other people, that we need to learn from others how they best do it,” he said.

“Because design itself is an evolving vocation, it is always changing, so it’s good to keep abreast about what is current, what’s effective.

“People who have made clarity of the process can hopefully pass on those skills to other people as well.”

Designers from around Australia, and sometimes around the globe, present workshops and talks at Look Hear.  Its format is a mixture of conferences, master classes, Q and A sessions, interviews, panel discussions, exhibitions and workshops. 

“In a regional city like Newcastle, we are a little bit isolated from what some of the big cities are doing,” Mr Morgan said. “So it’s good to bring those people here so they can explain how things are done elsewhere, hopefully to pull it all together to enrich the creative community here as well.” 

The festival is typically attended by people working in the creative industries and students, but it is open to anyone with an interest in design.

“We get a lot of mums and dads, and high school students, and just anyone who is interested,” Mr Morgan said. 

“I find it’s a really eclectic audience, retired people and lots of kids.”

To find out more about what is on and who is presenting at Look Hear Festival visit: lookhear.com.au or follow it on Facebook: facebook.com/lookhear