The Arts on the Plains Event successfully launched their program yesterday (Sunday 9th July) with 23 different activities and events set to be showcased throughout the district during August 2023.

The program was launched at the Gawler Civic Centre during the monthly Gawler Makers Market by Australian cartoonist and illustrator Mr Peter Broelman.

Peter is the resident political cartoonist for the Adelaide Advertiser and lives in Gawler.

The launch of the program is the fruition of meetings held for some time, between local artists, arts groups and local Member of Parliament Tony Piccolo, to explore the feasibility of running a local event to leverage the promotion of the arts and creative industries during the annual SALA Festival.

Mr Broelman said The Arts on The Plains Event seeks to promote local artists and art groups by co-ordinating and promoting a range of activities and events over a four-day period.

“I hope the event will encourage more young people to become involved in the creative industries and perhaps pursue them as a career,” said Mr Broelman.

“There might even be a budding cartoonist out there,” he said.

This year the four-day event will be held from Friday 11th August till Monday 14th August. The four-day period was chosen so schools could be involved and also enables the Gawler Makers Market to be part of the event.

The event is sponsored by the Gawler Business Development Group (GBDG) and supported by the Town of Gawler, with marketing and promotional support provided by Mr Piccolo and the Gawler Community Gallery.

GBDG Chair, Ms Louise Drummond said the Board was financially supporting the event as the creative industries help to generally promote economic activity in the town.

“The arts are part of the economic wellbeing of the town,” she said.

Mr Piccolo said the Gawler Markers Market focusses on artisans from a range of backgrounds, producing a range of products, so it seemed logical to involve them in the event.

“The Arts on The Plains Event is about promoting the local creative industries and effort and showcasing them to the rest of the state,” said Mr Piccolo.

“By having a dedicated four-day event which involves more than 23 individual activities and events, the Arts on The Plains Event is likely to attract visitors to the town.”

“If the event is a success this year, we hope to stage a bigger program in 2024.”

Mr Piccolo said another important element of the event was to incorporate as many local businesses as possible, so some business premises will be hosting an arts event or activity.”

While The Arts on the Plains Event will focus on the four-day period, many activities will run for longer periods with some exhibitions open for the whole month of August.

The program launch was MC’d by local artist and Chair of the Gawler Community Gallery, Ms Judy Gillett-Ferguson.

The event will be officially launched with a special guest speaker at 2 pm on Sunday 6th August at the Civic Centre, 89 Murray Street, Gawler.