Fancy some live music or a theatre performance after a rewarding Saturday cruising the Surf Coast Arts Trail?
A new guide is set to make finding the right gig much easier, shining spotlights on venues, artists and performances across the shire.
Surf Coast Shire Council is producing Arts Trail After Hours to add to the
Arts Trail experience.
Cr Liz Pattison: “Maybe it’s a band at a brewery, dance performances at a community hall, or a theatre performance by a local troupe – Arts Trail After Hours will provide a listing of what’s happening across the creative sector on the Saturday night of the Trail weekend.
“Many of the 15,000 or so people who participate in the Trail come from outside our region.
“We want to ensure that they know what’s on and that they get to see, hear and appreciate the best that we have to offer after all of the studios and galleries have closed for the night.
“We hope the guide might encourage visitors to turn day trips into weekend trips, and inspire local performers to consider hitting the stage for the Saturday night audiences.”
This year’s 16th annual Trail will be on 1 and 2 August.
Arts Trail After Hours will be featured on surfcoastevents.com.au and circulated to more than 5000 Surf Coast Events newsletter subscribers. Events will also be promoted as part of the Surf Coast Arts Trail campaign, providing additional exposure to the thousands of visitors and locals engaging with the Trail weekend.
It will include creative experiences scheduled after 4 pm on Saturday, 1 August at venues including cafes, bars, breweries, restaurants, bookshops, community halls or theatres.
Torquay Taphouse owner and director Renae Ranger said the guide would provide welcome support for artists and venues.
“It will be great. The Arts Trail is fantastic for our community, especially given all of the creatives that live in the area, and we love the opportunity to be involved.
“We usually have solo performers on a Friday and Saturday night, and it would be great to do something special for Arts Trail After Hours, showcasing what we can do to support local performing artists.”
Renae hopes the guide will help attract more people to the region, alongside Arts Trail visitors.
“It’s a whole new dimension for the Trail, and we’ve got some great venues in town, on the Great Ocean Road and in the region that offer great music.”
Venue operators keen to register shows or brainstorm gig ideas can talk to the Council’s Arts Development Team via artsteam@surfcoast.vic.gov.au or 5261 0600.