Dreamed up by Big Day Out – œambience director’ Duckpond, the newly-hatched MicroFestival is an event with a difference. Having launched last weekend, the “travelling arts and entertainment festival” aims to bring an environmentally sustainable, educational and fun experience to regional areas.

MicroFestival is set to hit the road in the April 2010 school holidays, so FasterLouder sat down with Duckpond to hear all about it.

Tell us how the concept for MicroFestival came about?
MicroFestival was originally conceived on a sandy beach at Margaret River in West Australia circa 2003, after a long and psychedelic Big Day Out tour. It struck me that we were always playing shows in major capital cities and neglecting audiences in regional and remote Australia. So the idea was hatched to bring a sustainable mini-festival with a small group of committed musicians, artists and multi-skilled crew into regional communities and create some magic there.

One of the main aims for the festival is to create opportunities for young people in regional and remote areas to be exposed to arts, music, culture and ideas about sustainable living – why is the cause so close to your heart?
I feel we need to have a close look at our modern lifestyles in the western world and whether this amazing planet can support them into the future. In the big cities we are spoilt for choice in arts, music and entertainment, when regional centres are crying out for diversions and a chance to bring communities together. So we want to bring some worthwhile diversions to those communities during the April and September school holidays.

It seems a far-cry from your role as Ambience Director of The Big Day Out?
Not really, because I’m looking at a very big picture of places to visit rather than six capital cities…and perhaps a few of those places could do with a little more ambience! I have been absolutely gifted and blessed with the opportunities I’ve had to work on the Big Day Out since its inception, and now I feel like I want to give a lot back.

We want to capture the essence of what people love about the festival experience: open skies, green spaces and new discoveries. We then want to take those opportunities and experiences to regional and remote communities, where the locals participate in and own the event just as much as we do.

What kinds of activities and experiences can we expect at the different festivals?
Everything from music workshops with their heroes, to art and alternative technology experiences, opening young minds to the many possibilities to save water and power in the future, as well as activities which bring joy and a sense of comedy, laughter and satisfaction at creating something new.

The first event is being held at Ceres Community Environment Park this Saturday to help raise funds fro the rest of the tour, has the Melbourne music community been supportive of your concept this far?
Everyone has just been unbelievable! I am very lucky to have a very dedicated and enthusiastic group of people helping me produce the event, and everyone has really embraced the concept, and very excited to participate and contribute into the future. Several of the group performing on Saturday are from regional Victoria, and I’ve been pinned up against a very wall like wall to make sure they will be on our first tour in April next year.

Is there any one town that you are particularly excited about visiting?
If we get this crazy idea onto one of the football ovals on either Bathurst or Melville Islands north of Darwin in the Tiwi Islands, then I will know we’ve really achieved something and will be able to get a good night’s sleep!

Do you have any plans to take the event to the rest of regional Australia?
An early sketch of Australia and New Zealand has 51 dots on it with letters next to them. I have two very instructive documents that guide me in my mission: an old highways map of Australia from the 1960s and a census map of Australia covered in dots, where each dot equals 1,000 people. Needless to say there are a lot of dots out there, and sometimes some big gaps in between.

It’s a long piece of string, and we’re mad keen to go the distance. Hopefully some of your readers can come when we reconvene in February for the next episode of MicroFestival.

MicroFestival heads out on its first tour in the 2010 April school holidays.

Saturday 10 April 2010 – Warnambool, Foreshore Park
Wednesday 14 April 2010 – Ballarat, Lake Wendourie
Friday 16 April 2010 – Bendigo, Bendigo Gardens
Sunday 18 April 2010 – Wodonga, Civic Park

Article photo by Sophie Howarth