We would like to take this chance to say thank you to all our amazing artists for what was a truly incredible program. Thank you also to all of our festival directors.

Thank you to the local community and the individuals who supported the festival. This year’s festival would not have been possible but for the incredible support received from the local and wider arts community. The way in which you rallied behind us within days of our call out was truly heart-warming. This amazing support helped to demonstrate the significance of This is Not Art Festival and its value and relevance.

Special thanks go out to our generous sponsors; The University of Newcastle, Arts NSW, Newcastle City Council and Copyright Agency Limited for their pledge to match funds raised dollar-for-dollar.

Thank you to all of our amazing venue providers, especially The Great Northern Hotel for playing host to our Festival Club this year. We would like to thank Customs House, The Lock Up, Renew Newcastle, The United Services Club, GPT, Pivot Studios, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, The Loft, Good Brother Espresso, Hunter TAFE, The Elderly Citizens Centre, Lowlands Bowling Club and The Royal Exchange, and Baggas Pharmacy.

Huge thank you to all of our volunteers, you make TINA a reality with your freely given blood, sweat and tears. Thank you to Blackbird Corner, Ciao Meow and The Book Grocer for providing extraordinary gifts.

Thank you to our media partners 2SER, The Brag, Artshub and our official photographers at Headjam.

And finally, we would like to say an enormous thank you to all of you, our lovely little punters, for making TINA 2011 so freakin’ amazing!

“I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.”
William Shakespeare

Until next year!

Lots of love,

The TINA team

This Is Not Art
c/-Octapod Association
401 Hunter St Newcastle
Newcastle NSW 2300
Australia

E: admin@thisisnotart.org
P: 02 4927 0675

If you haven’t done so already head to www.thisisnotart.org and download your copy of the program and a map. These will be your bibles throughout the TiNA week. Printed programs will also be available at all of the venues throughout the festival.

If you’re feeling lost, confused or just a little bit lonely throughout the festival you can come to our Info booth located at the festival club at Great Northern Hotel, (Cnr Scott and Watt streets) where our lovely volunteers will lend you a super friendly hand and maybe even give you a hug. Printed programs and maps will also be available here. Open From 11:30am-5:00pm each day.

If you’re a bit of a slacker and haven’t got your accommodation sorted yet, make sure you check out TiNA’s Aunt Jenny’s Tent City on the TINA website and download a booking and information form. If you’re more of a fancy pants have a look at www.visitnewcastle.com.au which has heaps of great accommodation suggestions.

All of our venues are within walking distance of each other. If you’re coming in by train, get off at Newcastle station, which is the end of the line and also conveniently located across the road from our Festival Club. If you’re bussing it, or wondering how you are going to get around the city you’ll be pleased to know that there are free buses running up and down Hunter St (Newcastle’s main St) during daylight hours. You can also find some great information about getting to and around Newcastle on the TiNA website.

Located at the festival Club, Shoot TiNA will have a drop box for you to submit your images taken throughout the festival; these images will go toward an archive being built around your TINA experiences and will be displayed in a slideshow throughout the festival.

If you fill out and hand in a TiNA survey while you’re at the festival, you go in the draw to win to win a splendid prize pack from one of our sponsors Blackbird Corner. Included in this prize pack is; a LUMO “Petite Noir” Diana Mini 35mm Camera with flash, a 3 pack of 35mm film, a pair of “I Love to Draw” cahiers and “Creative” badge set by Anorak and a $25 Gift Voucher from Cooks Hill Books. By participating in the survey you help us improve the festival and also support the Arts. That’s a pretty sweet deal for ticking a few boxes. You can either pick one up at the info booth at our Festival Club or grab one off a kindly wondering volunteer.
The boring stuff…Be safe! We love to feel the love at TiNA, and it’s important to us that you stay safe throughout the festival. Late at night, make sure you walk in pairs (hold hands if you like) and of course drink responsibly (wink wink) also be kind and respectful to all artists and fellow festival goers.

It can be a big bad world out there, and whilst we have made every effort to ensure that you will have a hassle free experience, we cannot guarantee your stuff will remain unstolen or unleftbehind at a venue and do not take responsibility for one’s property. Either lock your valuables away or keep them on you! There will also be heaps of volunteers walking around with super pretty lanyards strapped around their necks, like majestic TINA warriors, so don’t be afraid to ask for help or just come and say hello.

We are so excited to have you and we hope that you have an amazing festival!

One such festival that has flourished within the organisation of This is Not Art festival is Sound Summit. With a sense of pride not dissimilar to that of a parent, when their child moves out of the family home, This is Not Art festival wishes to announce that in 2011 Sound Summit has reached its own coming-of-age and for the first time this year, will is hosting its very own independently managed and run festival, all but across the same dates as TiNA.
The two festivals will be held in concurrence. So now Newcastle has not one but two festivals in a long weekend.

The not quite empty nester TiNA wishes Sound Summit the very best in its age of endeavour.

visit www.soundsummit.com.au for more details

Launched in 2010, Australia. Pozible has successfully helped various creative projects get funding,  from the amount of AUD$24 up to AUD$175,000.

How does Pozible work?

Pozible provides project creators with a platform to present their ideas to a worldwide audience. The need for project creators to spread the word on their project to as many people as possible within the time frame they have selected for their project to be on Pozible, their aim is to gain as many supporters and pledges as possible to achieve the target amount each project creator has set for themselves. When a supporter pledges, the money pledged will be placed in a pool where the money remains on hold until the goal of the user is reached. If however, the project goal is not reached, the money pledged will be returned and there will not be a charge. In return for support, project creators will offer rewards depending on the level of funding; essentially differentiating itself from the normal funding process.

For more information, visit the Pozible website at: http://www.pozible.com.au

Whether you are a part-time photographer or an inspiring xylophone musician, Pozible is here, for you.

Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) has recently come forward and generously pledged to deliver another $9,000 by matching donations dollar for dollar.

CAL is a not-for-profit, member-based company which provides practical support to artists, authors and those working within the creative industries, in regards to management of copyright.  Connecting  the creators, owners and users of copyright material.

CAL Cultural Fund Manager, Zoë Rodriguez, has indicated “TINA is an amazing five day showcase of young and emerging Australian talent. It’s vital we continue to do all we can to assist in mentoring new talent and deliver exciting creative works and performances from these established festivals,” Rodriguez said.

In addition to this we have received a strengthening of in-kind support from local businesses and  RPM Productions  has graciously pledged $2,000 of in-kind technical  support .

To add to this, Newcastle City Council  discussed TINA as an agenda item at the most recent council meeting deciding to increase their financial support and include provisions for better planning and assistance for TINA into the future.

The This Is Not Art festival coordinators and the Octapod Association have been overwhelmed by the amount of support shown, it has  reasserted the relevance of the festival and boosted morale in a way that can not be described.

So THANK YOU ALL so very much and we hope you can come and enjoy all that this year’s festival has to offer. So see you there. September 29th till October 3rd 2011.

Download full media release here:  TiNA IS BACK IN BLACK

With her team of lovely volunteers she’s rolling out the lawn and inviting you to come and stay at their home away from home.

We don’t discriminate – whether you’re in a tent or a swag, rolling in a van or truck, or going a little Bear Grylls on us and roughing it under the stars, Aunt Jenny’s Tent City has got all the cheap accommodation you need.

Open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, it’s so gosh darn popular you may need to book.

Head over to the Tent City page to get the full scoop on what’s what and how to let Aunty Jenny know you’re coming.

Images, recordings and writings about past festivals are  sought for an exhibition, online archive and a book. So if you have some great images, video, writing or recollections you’re prepared to share about TINA we’d love to see what you’ve got.

You can submit a bunch of different ways:

• Email
• Facebook
• Flickr
• Vimeo