2014 JUNCTION ARTS FESTIVAL Revitalises Empty Shopfronts and Businesses Through Art

LAUNCESTON -- Empty shopfronts, retail spaces and other spaces formerly used by foreclosed businesses will be reinvigorated with colourful, bright and innovative artworks as part of Launceston's Junction Arts Festival from today 10 - 14 September, 2014.

From an installation combining the unlikely subjects of climate change and karaoke, to a jewellery workshop using old clocks and watches, to an all-night live music venue dubbed The Junc Room are among the artistic ventures taking place in abandoned business and retail spaces during the Festival.

In recent years, Tasmania's economy has seen a decline resulting in many businesses folding. In particular, retail spaces have been hardest hit when coupled with Tasmania's remoteness from industry centres and the increase in online shopping.

"Tasmania is facing some challenges at the moment and what that means is that we have to work even harder to ensure that economic engine drivers like our CBD remain viable," said Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten. "One of the ways the Council is doing that is through its City Heart project, which is essentially about revitalising infrastructure but also about finding creative uses for underutilised public spaces.

"Every year Junction Arts Festival brings a selection of these spaces to life; makes them places that attract people, where there's noise and colour and movement. We want to see if we can do that all the time. The most obvious example is Civic Square, but there are other. Junction uses art and performance to change a space. As a Council, we'll use infrastructure. But infrastructure doesn't have to be boring - it has colours, textures, patterns, and design elements as well."

Junction Arts Festival Director Natalie De Vito said: "For decades, developing cultural capital has supported regional development and rejuvenated cities in economic decline - like with Bilbao's Guggenheim or, more locally, like Hobart's MONA helping foster stronger economies.

"In New South Wales, Renew Newcastle spawned a nation-wide reconsideration of alternative modes of reactivating city centres through temporary pop-up spaces. In a similar way, Junction Arts Festival's pop-up art works and installations revitalise our cities unused business spaces and contributes to rejuvenating Launceston's CBD, supporting liveability, economic growth and community development," she said.

During the Festival, artist and photographer Kim Lehman will reflect on Launceston's tough economic climate in photographic exhibition half empty, half full. A series of photo-journalistic images of empty retail spaces that make up the current landscape of Launceston's CBD will be presented digitally and looped on large monitors and installed in three empty shopfronts. The project highlights the concentration of empty tenancies, reinforcing the need to activate disused spaces and engage in discussion about alternate uses for empty buildings.

Junction Arts Festival runs 10 -14 September, 2014 in sites all over Launceston, Tasmania. For more information and tickets visit junctionartsfestival.com.au or call 03 6331 1309.

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