SWELL Festival 2020 to give Gold Coast much needed economy boost

A beloved Gold Coast arts festival has announced it will go ahead amid the ongoing pandemic, with the event tipped to be essential to the local economy’s recovery.

A POPULAR Gold Coast beach arts festival going ahead is being seen as key to the city’s economic recovery.

As it has for 17 years, Currumbin Beach will be transformed into an outdoor art gallery for the annual SWELL Sculpture Festival.

All up, 50 installations are planned across 1km of sand, but due to the border being shut, some projects may not be able to be displayed.

SWELL executive director Dee Steinfort said: “We’ve got 27 Queensland artists, 15 are from the Gold Coast. We have 24 from NSW and the rest are from Victoria and South Australia.

Sculptor Clayton Blake is getting ready for SWELL 2020. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“With the border closures, we are working with the interstate artists. Some will be able to set their work up. If this isn’t possible, we’re completely understanding. We just have to work with the conditions and make sure everyone’s safe.

“We’ve got works using all kinds of mediums,” she said, adding steel, chicken wire, silk, stone, wood and natural fibres all featured with strong themes of crisis, community, politics and environment.

Swell 2019. Picture: Nigel Hallett

MORE NEWS

Gold Coast Equestrian Club calls on council to give it a home after 20 years

Film Black Water: Abyss makes debut at UK cinemas

What’s like clubbing during covid

The first piece of art, Thermoformed, was set up on Monday by sculptor Clayton Blake.

SWELL attracts 265,000 annually but this year Ms Steinfort was unsure of visitation numbers: “We’re fortunate SWELL is an outdoor event so there’s plenty of room to be covid-safe. No one really knows what will happen this year. It will depend on what will happen at the time.

“We won’t be focused on crowd counts, we’ll be focusing on everyone having a safe and wonderful time.”

Crowds at SWELL 2018. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Tourism Minister Kate Jones: “Major events like this pump thousands back into the local businesses, support local jobs and help to rebuild our economy.

“The Gold Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. SWELL gives visitors another reason to book a trip.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate: “SWELL is one of the great events on our calendar. It is wonderful to see it going ahead this year despite everything going on in the world.”

SWELL runs September 11-20. Artists are in the running to share $27,500 in prize money, with a $15,000 major winner’s cash prize.