Folk Festival

The famous Yackandandah Folk Festival was born out of a Yackandandah Primary School fundraising activity many years ago. As part of the folk festival the school organises the Sunday Market and the Community Dinner which feeds around 500 people. We are always looking for volunteers to assist on this weekend in March.

Enquiries can be made to the school on (02) 6027 1431.

For enquiries about anything Folk Festival besides the Sunday Market or Communit dinner follow this link:

https://yackfolkfestival.com/

2027 Folk Festival - We are seeking an Artist to drive our Opening Parade theme and design.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

Artist Commission – Yackandandah Primary School /Folk Festival Street Parade Sub-committee

30th Opening Street Parade (2027)

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Project Title

‘NEON 90’s (or Artist-Proposed Theme)

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EOI Opens: Friday 19 June 2026

EOI Closes: Monday 31st August 2026

Artist Start Date: TBC

Artist Workshops: Held between 5^th October 2026 – 20^th November 2026

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Background

The Yackandandah Folk Festival (YFF) began as a small community fundraiser with just 12 performers in a local pub and has grown into a vibrant, annual three-day festival. A highlight of the festival is the Opening Street Parade, where the entire town comes alive in a celebration of music, creativity, and community spirit.

In 2017, to mark the 20th anniversary, the festival commissioned artist Vicki Luke to curate a visually cohesive lantern parade. This project involved extensive community workshops and collaboration with local schools, resulting in a highly successful and memorable event.

For the 30th Yackandandah Folk Festival Street Parade in 2027, we are seeking an artist to lead a similarly ambitious and engaging creative project.

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Project Overview

We invite Expressions of Interest from artists to design, curate, and deliver the visual direction of the 30th Yackandandah Folk Festival Opening Street Parade, to be held on Friday, 19 March 2027.

The selected artist will:

Develop a unifying artistic vision for the parade
Engage with the community through workshops and creative collaboration
Inspire participation across schools, businesses, and community groups

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Theme

The suggested theme is:

‘NEON 90’s’ – a vibrant throwback to 30 years ago

This theme is provided as inspiration only. Artists are encouraged to:

Explore this concept creatively or
Propose an alternative theme that aligns with the nature of the festival

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Project Objectives

Create a visually striking, artist-led street parade with strong creative direction
Foster community participation
Provide arts engagement opportunities through two (2) skill-sharing workshops
Deliver a memorable 30th anniversary concept idea with a strong “WOW” factor

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Scope of Work

The selected artist will:

Develop the overall visual concept and design framework
Collaborate with the YFF Street Parade Sub-committee
Deliver two (2) community workshops in Yackandandah
Share practical skills, techniques, and creative ideas
Support participants to develop costumes, props, banners, or art installations

Participants

Engagement will include:

Parents, teachers, and community representatives from:
The four local primary schools:
- Yackandandah Primary School
- Wooragee Primary School
- Middle Indigo Primary School
- Osbornes Flat Primary School
Yackandandah Kindergarten
Community groups and local businesses

Participants will take ideas and techniques back to their groups to prepare for the parade in early 2027.

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Artist Fees

Based on NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts) guidelines:

Project design and delivery: $1,108.28
Workshops (2 x half-day): $565.26 – each

Materials

Up to $600 for materials such as:
- Paint (such as neon/glow in the dark), wire, canvas etc.
- Costume-making supplies, fabric, thread etc.

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Selection Criteria

Applications will be assessed on:

Artistic merit and originality
Ability to deliver engaging workshops
Strong conceptual response to the brief (theme optional)