If ever there was a space for young performance artists to showcase their new and bold ideas, it would be Newcastle's Crack Festival.
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The annual experimental arts festival, held as part of This is Not Art, is described as a collection and celebration of new performance from the most promising young artists from across Australia.
Last year, Crack Festival presented 76 events across four days and supported more than 60 artists. It is set to do again when it returns October 3 to 6.
"It's an opportunity for [artists] to experiment with their craft and form new bonds, couched within a festival setting with a decade's history as a launching pad into major theatrical works," festival producer Morgan Little said when asked what Crack Festival is.
"It's a cultural melting pot where exciting artistic collaborations form. And it's a place for arts workers such as myself to hone their craft as producers, managers, artistic directors, technicians, production managers."
The program for the 2019 festival has two focuses: long-term projects developed with support from Create NSW and several key arts organisations from across the state and, quick-response works from artists responding to their Novocastrian surrounds.
Artistic directors Jenna Blayden and Pierce Wilcox said this year's Crack Festival was broken up into the Generate and Prototype programs.
"Generate presents a series of original works with the support of Create NSW, and through partnerships with Tantrum Youth Arts, Shopfront Arts Co-Op, Merrigong Theatre Company, PACT and PYT Fairfield," the pair explained.
"The program is specifically tailored to support young and emerging artists to create work within the framework and support of a key arts organisation, along with mentorship, creative development, and production support from Crack.
"Prototype invites artists to create and perform work over the course of the festival, in response to the city and surrounds.
"It's our most ambitious project ever, challenging our artists to reflect on the sensory offerings, flora and fauna, and fusion of urban and natural that is the Novocastrian landscape.
"Performances will take place at the very top and bottom of the city - a subterranean art lab and hillside mansion, guaranteeing some of the wildest nights Newcastle has to offer."
Crack Festival has formed an important part of the This is Not Art program since 2007.
Mr Little, who is back for a second year as a producer of the festival, said it was inspiring to see the quality and diversity of the work Crack artists create, and to watch them go on to major opportunities after featuring in the program.
He added that the festival presented Newcastle creatives an opportunity to take centre stage on a national platform and show artists from across Australia "what makes Newcastle and its arts scene unique".
"Many young artists feel compelled to move to larger urban centres to pursue their practice," he said.
"I grew up in Canberra, where the recurring joke is that most artists vanish off to Sydney or Melbourne after they finish studying. But it's important to champion artists and arts spaces that exist outside of our two biggest cities.
"The Novocastrian arts scene is warm, welcoming, and woven through with a DIY attitude that makes it unlike anything else in Australia."
For the Crack Festival or full This is Not Art program of events go to thisisnotart.org.