Inaugural Footprints Eco-Festival
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Inaugural Footprints Eco-Festival11-3pm Sunday 6 June 2010
Due to storms in Sydney on Friday 4th June 2010, some of the the EcoFestival was relocated to the Leichhardt Townhall. The treeplanting, sand painting, creatures from the creek performances and tours of the wetland, community gardens and heritage were cancelled.
Though the Saturday and most of Sunday turned out to be fine, another storm was brewing as the festival closed, which partly vindicated the relocation. A relocation to Annandale Neighbourhood Centre combined with delayed cancellation of site specific activities such as the tours and tree planting may have seen these go ahead.
Leichhardt Council ran a shuttle bus, to transport visitors from Whites Creek Valley, Annandale to the festival at Leichhardt Town Hall, in Norton Street.
There was a formal welcome to Country by Aboriginal Elder, Aunty Euphee, followed by a variety of entertainment and stalls, in the townhall.
The council chambers and town hall did provide a charm to the event. Visitors, traipsed up to the carpeted stairs to the Reverse Garbage Jewelry Making workshop in the Councillors Room. Or further on to talks on Climate Change and composting demonstrations in the Council Chamber.
Some even made it to the Book Swap and Eco-Annandale Exhibition in the Supper Room. The exhibition featured photos and water colours of local provenance flowers, wildlife, sculptures made of glass and milk bottles and a slide show of the community in Whites Creek Valley, the day before.
Salon Rita demonstrated that with "care and thoughtfulness" (Ellin Krinsley), even eco-warriors can become glamorous models in a c!ao Fashion Parade.
For the more sporty, the UNSW Trailer provided a chance of a hole or two of Solar Powered Wii Golf or Wii Tennis serves. The fluorescent shoe laces were a big hit as was the indigenous plant give away by the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery
Please do send in your impressions,
Marghanita da Cruz
It was a "nice day...good vibes" - Sue Kallas
"Great pics of Aunty Euphee (thanks Tim), the Aboriginal Elder who undertook the Welcome to Country at the start of the event. She's quite the character and a great speaker. And appropriately she arrived by bus! The Ecofestival was a great day, and although we all would have loved to have held it outside, moving into the town hall retained the sense of community and kept all the activities free from the ravages of the elements.-Tim ".- Tim Stackpool
"There was some good information to pass onto the kids at childcare" - Visitor
"The talks and stalls were informative" - Visitor
"Great & congratulations to all who were involved in the organisation of the day, the stalls, entertainment. 'It is an ill wind that blows no good' as many who attended, for the first time, gained an insight into the wonders of the heritage Town Hall & how it can be used so effectively on special occasions - look forward to next year's event" - David Lawrence
"Heavy storms did not stop the festival, the festivities in Town Hall were fun, despite the abscence of the wetlands. 100mm of rain only did minor damage to the wetlands, the plants are still there and the fogs loved the rain, even heard a couple of frogs in the Town Hall.
With a bit of time to slowly meander through the town hall it was interesting to reflect on the history performed in this grand building. The Aldermans Room (yes it is the Aldermans Room, not the Councilors Room as these web pages say.) Something to do with heritage. There is a poster hanging on the wall in the chamber explaining the history of the railing first constructed to protect the Alderman from the public. (OK there is now female councilors).
When Open Council was voted to power, the rail was removed and Nick Origlas (Nick lost this election) imiediatly sat at the top of the Councilors Table.There was the noisy meeting when the councilors locked the doors and herded the public into the main hall. The public simply busted through the doors and greeted the startled Councilors in their hallowed chambers.Most people who visit the chambers seem to search every nook and crany looking for rats.After one Mayor lost the elections a very large stack of very good wine was found in the clock tower. A number of Councilors would drink good quality Scoth out of coffee mugs during meetings.
One day i was very dissapointed the mayor did not turn up for a meeting. To cheer myself up, i dropped into the local pub, unexpectantly found the mayor and we then had a very productive meeting. Are sober councilors better behavied? I mention no names to protect the innocent and myself.Leichhard Council is very interesting and it follows the old law of politics, in every election, a politician wins. (do you know the difference between Liberal and Labour? - tell you next week)." - Ethylred
11-3pm Sunday 6 June 2010.
Community Gathers at Whites Creek Wetlands, to inspect Storm Effects, World Environment Day, Saturday June 5, 2010 see 
video
DUE TO RAIN FESTIVAL RELOCATED TO LEICHHARDT TOWNHALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and some activities were cancelled more...
Eco-Annandale Exhibition | Sponsor c!ao | Map | Footprints Eco Festival Official Website | Twitter #ecoannau |
* Book Swap * Eco Markets * Wetland, Heritage & Community Garden Tours * e-waste jewellery making * Sand Painting * Tree Planting * Creatures from the Creek * Roving Performers * Ecologically Sustainable Annandale Art Exhibition * Growing Herbs at Home * Bush Tucker T
11.00am Welcome
11.15am Mic Conway's Rubbish! Kids Show
12.15am EQ Jazz Quartet
12.45pm Climate Change Balmain Rozelle
1.00pm The Lurkers, Bluegrass Environmental Activism
1.45pm C!AO Vintage Fashion Parade.
2.00pm Jan Preston Boogie Woogie Piano Queen.
11.15am - Anna Rose
12pm - Transition Leichhardt Talk
12.45pm - Bush Tucker
1.30pm - Growing Herbs at Home
2.15pm - Compost Building Demonstration
11am - 3pm Eco-Annandale Exhibition
11am - 12pm - Book Swap receives books and sorts
12pm - 3pm - Book Swapping
Wetlands -11.15am, 11.45pm, 12.15pm, 12.45pm, 1.15pm, 1.45pm and 2.15pm
Gardens - 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm
Heritage -11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm
12pm - 3pm Circus Solaris
11am - 3pm Sand Painting
From 12pm - Creatures of the Creek
11am - 3pm Reverse Garbage E-Waste Workshop
Cycle, Walk or catch the 470 or 370 Bus. More information: Public Transport Trip Planner
HistoryNew Venue, Leichhardt Town Hall is on the Corner of Norton St and Marion St in Leichhardt.
The Leichhardt Town Hall is currently with all the stalls and all the bands within it. See plan.
All of the talks will take place in the Council Chambers at the top of the stairs.
The art exhibition and book swap will take place in the Supper Room also at the top of the stairs.
The Reverse Garbage Workshop will take place in the Councillors Room at the first landing up the stairs.
There is a Lift up to the top of the stairs that can be used for transporting gods up to the rooms upstairs including the Councillors Room....more
Storms in Sydney on Friday June 4, 2010 required the relocation of the festival to Leichhardt Town Hall.
The "Creatures of the Creek" was originally developed and performed in a dry River Bed as part of an intercultural performance "Serpiente del Rio" 2008 in Tlalpan Bosque (Park) in Mexico City. The performance was based on the Mayan Creation Myth the "Popol Vuh". The coming from the pods was an aspect of birth, but a synthesis of nature (the snakes) and human. Later in 2008 we performed again taking our pod work and birth and growing life from the "Serpiente del Rio" and performed in Sydney at the "Glass Studio and Garden, Sydney" using the pods and the same feeling of creation and birth and growing life.
"Between Sydney" works interculturally primarily in Sulawesi,Indonesia and in Mexico. In both countries their performing collaborators are from those countries. Between Sydney's interest is in finding the meeting places and transformations of bringing different cultural, stories, myths, rituals, performance styles together. They are inspired by nature and perform primarily in the natural environment. In June 2010 "Between, Sydney" will be performing with colleagues from Sulawesi, Indonesia at the Roaring Hooves Festival, Mongolia.
Call for Expression of interest for vendors to attend the first Footprints Ecofestival, Annandale. Applications close: Friday 14th May 2010 unless all spaces are filled.
There will be a variety of entertainment, likely to include tours, talks, workshops, music and dance performance, Eco-Annandale Exhibition, stalls and a book swap.
Footprints Festival Steering Group Meeting Wednesday 17 February 2010.
The Footprints festival is to be a low key local community event 10-3pm Sunday 6 June 2010 (World environment day 5 June 2010)
Incorporating talks, tree planting, bushtucker, tour of wetlands, workshops, visual and performance art and stalls on the theme of Environmental Sustainability.
Focussed around Whites Creek Wetlands and Cottage, and between Piper and Wisdom Streets.
Visitors encouraged to walk and take public transport.
Council staff are proceeding to seek formal approval for the event.
