Report on Rainbow Festival 2006
The best ever!
This year's Rainbow Festival, the 4th, was the best ever with almost 20 separate events taking place over the 10 days between the Festival Launch on the 6 October and Picnic in the Park VI on the 14th. Rainbow Visions was itself responsible for staging eight of those events, which is a major achievement.
Staging a festival of this magnitude is a huge undertaking and I want to pay tribute to the Festival Sub-Committee and to the RV Management Committee for their tireless efforts in putting the festival together, negotiating with other stakeholders, securing the three year sponsorship from Newcastle City Council, and encouraging some of our members and others from outside the organisation to volunteer their time and energy to help make the festival a reality.
On behalf of the organisation I'd also like to gratefully thank our major sponsors: Newcastle City Council, Braye Cragg Solicitors and ACON Hunter for their valuable support and ongoing commitment to our community through their continued sponsorship of the Festival. Without the financial (and other) support, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to stage the kind of festival that Rainbow Festival is evolving into.
Kevin Markwell
Oh What a Night!
The 2006 Rainbow Festival got off to a great start at Newcastle Region Art Gallery with the launch of the long anticipated calendar, Rouse 2007. Close to 300 people came through the doors enjoying the wine and catching up with more gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and queers than the Lord Mayor could poke a stick at!
Rouse, pronounced 'rouz', means inspire, stir, awaken and provoke.
Rouse
2007 is a work of art celebrating the diversity of our
community, but also a first for the GLBTIQ
community in Australia! And that's exactly what the night was all about:
celebration!
The formal bit was MC'ed by RV Committee members, Celia Munro and Andrew Whitbread-Brown, who did a fantastic job. Co-Convenor, Kevin Markwell gave a run down of how the calendar came about and calendar project manager, Karen Hayes, gave credit to the models and the dedication and commitment of the production team who made the project a reality. Manager of ACON Hunter, Chris Clementson launched the calendar with a very passionate speech linking its name to our community and reinforcing that strength we have right here in Newcastle and the Hunter.
The calendar was unveiled in spectacular fashion with the month of January receiving a round of applause and whistles. Chris teasingly revealed a month at a time to the enthralled audience.
Among our calendar models we have a six times Australian hang gliding champion and top neuroscientist, an internationally acclaimed artist, a couple who have been together 42 years, several authors, a community activist, a social researcher, a respected neuro- immunologist, two major contributors to HIV/Aids fundraisers and a lawyer.
We also want to thank Lauren O'Brien for her stunning and beautiful photographs, Jaemi Pritchard from Headjam Design Studios for her brilliant design work and Justin McKee for his work on securing sponsorships, as well as the businesses and organisations who sponsored the calendar: ACON Hunter, Braye Cragg Solicitors, Kathlyn Picture Framing, Wallsend, Beresfield Cleaning Service, Constant Craving Cakes, Tip Top n Tidy Waste Removal Services and Longbench on Darby.
If you haven't bought a copy or two yet, make sure you don't miss out. Rouse 2007 will make a fantastically original Christmas present at only $20.00.
At the moment you can buy them from ACON, 129 Maitland Rd, Islington, The Pet Shop Boys at Mayfield West or order on-line from Rainbow Visions. More sales outlets will be announced soon so keep an eye on the website. For more info call Karen on 0410 463093.
Karen Hayes
Festival of all Festivals
Immediately following the calendar launch, the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Cr John Tate, launched the 2006 Rainbow Festival amid great cheers of anticipation for the next 10 fun-filled days. The engaging Madeleine von Mantrap and the delicious Alison Coates also gave one of their stellar performances during the formalities.
RV Treasurer, Ivan Skaines, provided an overview of the coming 20 festival events which included a gay and lesbian history walk with Ike and Hal Gayland, a Mixed Froots Dinner and Auction, the Short and Curlies Film Festival, this time featuring Margaret Pomigranets and David Strappon, a youth art exhibition, Bingay at the Pub, a book launch, Picnic in the Park VI and the first ever lawn bowls event.
Almost every event had record attendances and Rainbow Visions believes this was undoubtedly the best festival yet! A big thank you to Newcastle City Council for its Community Grants Scheme which helped fund much of the festival. Thanks as well to the RV Committee and the sub-committees' hard work in organising, the volunteers, sponsors ACON and Braye Cragg and the people who came along to enjoy time together.
Karen Hayes
Bowling up a storm
The first ever festival lawn bowls event at Lowlands Bowling Club proved to be a hit with 24 people turning up to show their skills (or maybe not), grab a snag and basically just have a bit of fun.
While everyone was a winner on the day, Mary, the mother of one of our members, won the major prize for teaching all of the obvious novices how to play (whether we wanted to or not!) The afternoon proved to be a sure thing as a continuing future festival event. It is hoped there may be a practice run early in the new year, so polish up those balls... sorry, that's bowls ;-)
Karen Hayes
Ike and Hal Press the Flesh in Historic Hike
Those intrepid explorers and life-long learners Ike and Hal Gayland have once again opened the portals of our minds, warmed the cockles of our hearts and enhanced our spiritual and intellectual leanings with yet another entertaining and educational foray through the streets.
Ike and Hal took a band of happy campers through the streets of Newcastle
to introduce us to just some of those special places which make up the
GLBTIQ
history in Our Town. Beginning at the beginning (a sensible place to
start), Hal persuaded one participant to 'channel' an early convict
in the colony so that he could demonstrate the whipping techniques of
our ancestors.
As we were marched through the streets from one gay spot to another, we acquired a small glut of curious onlookers who perhaps learned more than they bargained for. Hal protected 2 locals who were in danger of being run down by passing traffic because they were transfixed by the sight of Ike skilfully wrangling a large tiger snake into a snake bag he had sensibly brought along. Rushing to their rescue in the nick of time, Hal stopped all traffic and escorted them across the road so they could get a more intimate look at the snake handling scene.
Intimacy, wind and words of wisdom probably sum up the experience of a history walk with Ike and Hal - I highly recommend that if you have the chance, you take a walk on the wild side with the Gaylands.... It'll change your point of view.
Celia Munro
Mixed Froots 2006 Festival Dinner
at the Bistro
The Mixed Froots dinner once again went off with a bang in Newcastle
on Tuesday 10 October. The dinner brought together 45 gay-friendly and
GLBTIQ
business people and professionals. At 6.30pm, guests arrived to enjoy
the elegant surroundings of the famed Bistro Restaurant on Darby Street.
On arrival, diners were greeted by the relaxing sounds of the grand
piano superbly played by our own Lee Clayton and enjoyed delicious finger
food supplied by hosts Mark & Neville whilst sipping a glass of
bubbly.
At 7pm diners were invited to move into the restaurant area. The tables looked gorgeous and each place setting was stunningly lit up by a glowing complimentary pen supplied by Braye Cragg Solicitors, our Mixed Froots sponsors. Once guests were seated, everyone was warmly welcomed by Bill Whitbread-Brown, (aka Mrs. White Trash). The Bistro again excelled by serving delicious sourdough with an aged balsamic vinegar and oil, mouth-watering duckling, delicate wood-smoked salmon and scrumptious steak, with the lightest créme brûlé and choc cake to die for.
After dinner the hilarious auction was hosted by Newcastle adventurers and local identities, Ike & Hal Gayland. The boys whipped the crowd into a bidding frenzy, with the highest price of $170 going for a ride on the back seat of a hot local lesbian's motorcycle in the 2007 Mardi Gras Parade. A total of $1200 was raised from the auction, with proceeds going to help fund the 2007 Rainbow Festival. The evening concluded with Lee Clayton on the grand piano while guests enjoyed their coffee and chocolates.
Mixed Froots' monthly social events are held on the last Friday of each month from 5.30 - 7.30pm - this month at The Bistro on Friday 27th October. Check the Mixed Froots What's On page for venue updates. You do not have to own a business or wear a suit to attend so just come along and have some fun and meet new people.
Rainbow Visions and the MF Sub committee would like to thank our sponsor, Braye Cragg Solicitors for their sustained and generous support, as well as the following businesses and individuals for making this night possible:
- Neville, Mark and all the staff from the Bistro
- Brian at Villa Clone
- Phillip at Flower Palace Hamilton
- Kevin Markwell
- David Kelly
- CHROME men's grooming salon Bolton St Newcastle
- Tim & Lynda at Our Style Furniture & D,cor Islington
- Jim Enis & Sherynne Smith from Life Activities Inc
- Barry Roberts Automotive at Redhead
- ACON Hunter
- Ike & Hal Gayland
- Jane Fondle
- Lee Clayton
- Terry Leahy
- Pam Nylon
- Nell Lamb
- Bill & Andrew Whitbread-Brown
And the biggest thanks to all those Novocastrian frooty suits who attended the night and those who supported the auction.
Lee McDougall
Short and Curlies a Huge Success
Seven short films were screened at part of the Short and Curlies Film Festival before a full house at the Newcastle Regional Museum on Thursday, 12 October. The event was hosted by those well-known personalities Margaret Pomigranets and David Strappon who offered their own unique interpretations and critiques of the films and also invited the audience to rate the films.
The following films were shown:
| Teen Christian Beach Party | Director: Richard Vette | |
| And Everything Nice | Director: Craig Boreham and Peta Jane Lenehan | |
| One End Stands | Director: Maiara R Skarheim | |
| Frocks Off Jamel | Director: Rosetta Cook | |
| Time Will Tell | Director: Kelly West | |
| Mona Lisa | Director: Kelly West | |
| "Queens"land | Director: Matthias Cerwen-Merv |
During the screening, Rainbow Visions also announced that we have received a free entry (up to the value of $100) to Shoot-Out which runs from 6-8 July 2007 and we will be inviting people to make submissions to "win" the entry. More information about Shootout is available at http://theshootout.info/newcastle/ and more information about the competition will be provided in the next newsletter and on our website.
Hopefully a number of other GLBTIQ
individuals and groups will also take part in Shootout 2007 and we will
be able to screen some of the queer themed short films at next year's
Short and Curlies event.
We thank the following individuals and organisations for their support of the event: Braye Cragg Solicitors for sponsoring the event, QueerScreen for allowing us to screen the films and last, but not least, to Margaret and David for giving up their time to be a part of the Rainbow Festival.
Ivan Skaines
Another triumph for Ike and Hal!
Is there no end to the talent of the khaki combo? For those who missed Ike and Hal Gayland's "It's Only Natural" you missed one of the highlights of the festival. My face was already aching from smiling and laughing before the show even began! The sight of the intrepid duo strutting around in oh-so-tight khaki shorts, with much displaying of nether parts, had the audience in fits.
What followed was an evening of faunal and floral fun and frivolity. The audience, comprising people from as far away as Sweden, Brisbane and Sydney, was treated to an intimate evening that included a pictorial introduction to the whole Gayland family, including the matriarch of the clan, Gay-Lee Gayland; a frank and fearless history of the loving brothers including charming anecdotes about their formative years top and tailing it; trivia quizzes that both entertained and informed; dance performances by the pert and talented, but unfortunately sensory-disabled, Ranger Tracey, and the introduction of the voluptuous and sensuously-booted Jane Fondle.
All this, plus lots of audience participation (I hope the guy who was wrapped in gladwrap to simulate the prey of a particularly vicious wasp with a very long egg-laying apparatus, played by Hal, has recovered); a delicious supper (who will forget those sausage sangers or the curried egg - mmm!); prizes (damn I wanted one of those garden gnomes); a chance to make new friends (particularly with Jane Fondle and Ranger Tracy), and even a chocolate wheel!
All in all a great evening! Thank you Ike and Hal! I haven't laughed so much in a very long time.
Jennifer Thurgate
Picnic in the Park VI
The build up to the Picnic day had been going on for 4 months. Council applications, marquee bookings, generators, sound equipment, access keys and licences, performers, volunteers, the list goes on! But the big question was: Would the weather be kind on the day?!
Well what a day it was! 7am saw us opening the bollard gates at Gregson Park, greeting the Council stage and positioning it, then leaving the friendly council guys to erect it. We picked up the marquees, (thanks Newcastle City council) and found they were really easy to erect and our Picnic Helpers did a great job with that. (Thanks Guys).
The LLINC Grrrlls had organised to pick up the large Braye Cragg marquee, which was to be a chill out area and acoustic stage, so we all set about erecting it. It was a major effort taking 10 strong grrrlls and guys to get the thing up, but with coordination it went up with no hassles.
The previous day, that very hot Saturday, had found us digging and marking flag holes, measuring the site for the stalls and generally familiarising ourselves with the site plan, so on the day we were able to plant the flags, set up the stalls, and put out the garbage bins, no probs!
The stage was up and ready by 8.30am and the stage decor started to happen, didn't it look good? (Thanks Peter and Alan.)
The generator arrived on time, the sound equipment arrived on schedule and DJ Jeshar and Ty set to work setting up the system. This year we provided a 'green room' for the performers which gave them a space to change and recharge which was much appreciated.
By 10.30 all the stalls had arrived and the Park was busy with all the preparations, and a huge thank you to Margaret Hogarth who managed this part of the picnic in her usual systematic and careful way. The Glamorous Trash and Treasure was taking shape and the Mad Cow finally appeared. People were arriving now and claiming the best spots. The Classic Cars and Froots on Scoots were getting into position and didn't the vehicle display look good?! We had a Citroen, little BOOP which had featured in our Mardi Gras entry; 2 Rolls Royces, a turbo Porsche up from Sydney, and a fabulously done up Kombi Van.
DJ Jeshar was already setting the mood with a great selection of funky
tunes and we were all much relieved as it seemed the weather would be
kind. The park was filling up with our community members and what a
diverse and interesting GLBTIQ
crowd we are. Young and old, colourful and conservative, single and
partnered, pierced and tattooed, everyone was mingling around meeting
friends and making new ones.
Our MC Maynard, that famous Retrosexual, was introduced to the crowd and the shows began. Mirror Image stunned us with a rendition of a medley from the Rocky Horror Show and got us off to a great start. The kids queuing for a ride on the Mad Cow were transfixed! The acoustic guitarists, Joanna, Shanna and Honi were introduced to the crowd before they went off to perform in the chill out area, and Tammy did a show on the stage. Fiona, Glenn and Mark did a great job looking after the performers and keeping everyone on schedule. (Thanks Troy for the drinks and the pizzas!)
Maynard continued to entertain the crowd with his comedic banter and did a great job making interesting what could have been boring safety announcements, and chaotic notes from off stage.
The Gateway Hotel dancers did 2 fantastic shows which were seamless in their execution and totally entertaining. They even had a conga line going!
Ike and Hal did their usual antics with the Tug of Love and the Handbag Hurl, and the kids enjoyed diving into the prize box. Every kid got a prize. Ike and Hal Gayland are great stalwarts, ambassadors really, for the Festival and Picnic. Every year they put aside their many media engagements and enthral us with their witty and informative entertainments, thanks guys!
With a big roar and fanfare we were invaded by the Roadrunners Biker club up from Sydney for the day. They put up a great display of throbbing 2 wheel vehicles and caused quite a stir. They had made their Sunday run especially to attend the Picnic, and we also welcomed Leather Pride from Sydney to Newcastle for the first time.
The Pet Shop Boyz sponsored the Pets on Parade and generously donated prizes for the most Butch, the most Femme, and the Cutest animal contestant. There were 25 dogs parading around the circuit and weren't they the cutest things! 3 proud owners went home very happy.
Well what a great day it was. The Gateway Hotel held the official Recovery Party, with a DJ and free Sausage Sizzle, and wasn't the place jumping. The Picnic Helpers dismantled the site in record time and thanks to you, our wonderful crowd, we only had to pick up a third of a garbage bag after the event from the whole park which is amazing as we had over 900 people in attendance. As we finally left the park you wouldn't know that anything had happened at all - FANTASTIC.
A BIG thank you goes out to all the people involved in this event; from the Rainbow Visions committee and the Picnic Helpers to the sponsors, stall holders, Trash and Treasure members, car and bike owners, Newcastle City Council and power and sound suppliers.
Robert Heathcote
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