The show goes on, Shepparton Festival celebrates its 25th year

THE SHEPP FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS... Uncertainty mars months of careful planning as Festival organisers are excited the Festival is about to get underway this Friday and press on, Shepparton Festival members, COVID marshal, Alaina Tuckett, deputy chair, Leigh Findlay and general manager, Louise Tremper. Photo: Steve Hutcheson

TAKE a box of jitters, a pound of pandemic, free flowing art and moment by moment on/off decisions, mix it all together and we arrive at the 25th anniversary of the Shepparton Festival.

The stages are set, all the artists are in the wings, the choreography means the play changes and events rearranged. The beginning becomes the ending, but the show goes on.
The Festival opens this Friday with week 1 highlights including, Shine on Greater Shepp, where projections, murals and pastes-ups will brighten dark walls and corners with light and colour.

Wild Horses Rising at Talis. Driven by a desire to communicate emotion, local artist Mark Niglia creates movement and life that allows others to interpret feeling through sculpture.

Within, Awaken Dance Theatre Company are thrilled to return with another powerful piece of dance theatre, in partnership with The Australian Ballet Education and Outreach. This collaborative, contemporary piece explores our personal journeys through the unknown from a raw, urgent and inward perspective and champions the strength Within to propel forward, navigating through the cycle of normal, abnormal and the new normal.

And finally, Art and Ale with Tank. What better way to spend an evening than with a paintbrush and a cold beer in hand? Join well-known local artist, Tank, in this painting workshop and appreciate a locally brewed beverage at the same time. Beer, tucker and art materials will be supplied.

Due to the uncertainty of the day, events are being rearranged to meet with people’s abilities to move so patrons are advised to continually look to the Shepparton Festival website for details about the events, their locations and their scheduled date and time at www.sheppartonfestival.org.au