NEWS RELEASE

Multicultural Festival Success

Friday 5 DecemberOrganising Committee President Ben Brauer said this year’s inaugural Festival went off without a hitch despite the threat of severe storms late in the afternoon of the Festival Day.

He praised the efforts the organizing committee members and volunteers for their dedication and hard work in making the event truly a great success. With an estimated attendance of over 5,000 visitors, the Festival proved itself to be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the diverse cultures present on the Gold Coast through a display of music, song, food and information.

27 Food, Cultural, Craft and Information Stallholders were represented. Music and Dance performances from 35 different nations, on 3 stages, kept the crowds entertained all day.  
Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke OAM opened the Festival, and expressed his delight that the Gold Coast had finally managed to stage such a wonderful multicultural event, showcasing the many diverse cultures representing the more than one-in-four Gold Coast residents born overseas.

NEWS RELEASE Multicultural Festival preparations gain momentum Monday 29 September

In an endeavour to showcase young talent, the 2008 Gold Coast Multicultural Festival will feature up-coming young Gold Coast artist Amy Cushway at the opening of this year’s Festival.
Amy was recently awarded the People Choice Award by the Gold Coast Music Industry Association. Amy was also a finalist in the Q Song 2008,  Queensland’s largest Songwriters Competition.
Organising Committee President Ben Brauer said this Festival will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the diverse cultures present on the Gold Coast through a display of music, song, food and information.

"All major Queensland Cities already have a their own successful multicultural festivals. One-in-four Gold Coast residents were born overseas. It will be the first time that so many cultural groups have been represented here on the Gold Coast on the one day," he said.
 
27 Food, Cultural, Craft and Information Stallholders have made firm bookings. 40 different cultural performances are already scheduled for the main Festival Day - 16th November.

Additional Bookings will only be taken from cultural groups & stallholders that are not as yet represented.

The 2008 Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Press Release: Tuesday 9 September 2008.

Mayor to open the first Gold Coast Multicultural Festival

Mayor Ron Clarke will be opening the Gold Coast’s first Multicultural Festival celebrating a range of diverse talent and international taste treats in a festival atmosphere.

President of Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Association Ben Brauer said the festival will become a key event for the Gold Coast.
“The Gold Coast is the only major city in Queensland that has not had its own Multicultural Festival,” he said.

“According to current statistics 24.9 per cent of the Gold Coast population was born overseas and we are celebrating that fact with the Gold Coast Multicultural Festival."

The Gold Coast Multicultural Festival provides an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the skills and talents of our city’s diverse cultural communities,

“We anticipate an attendance of 10 - 12,000 people on the main festival day.”

The Gold Coast Multicultural Festival will be held at Carrara Stadium on Sunday 16 November with lead up activities from the 8-15 November held at various Gold Coast locations.

The 2008 Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Press Release: 17th July, 2008.    

Applications for Sponsorship, Performers and Food-,Craft & Information Stallholders are NOW AVAILABLE. Closing Date for Applications is September 15, 2008 by close of business.   

The 2008 Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Press Release: 27th May, 2008.    

Preparations for the 2008 Gold Coast Multicultural Festival are gathering pace with over 40 nationalities having expressed an interest in taking part.  

The festival, a first for the Gold Coast, is planned to be held on November 16th at Carrara Stadium and will feature:

It will be preceded by a week of events at a variety of Gold Coast venues, including dance classes, craft and cooking lessons and a multicultural film festival.  
Organising committee President Ben Brauer said, “ A quarter of Gold Coast residents were born overseas, and their cultures contribute to making the Gold Coast a vibrant place to live. The festival is aimed at bringing these different cultures together, celebrate their diversity, and create a greater sense of tolerance and understanding.”  
“This is a unique opportunity for you to learn exotic dancing, practise a new recipe or study a new craft,” he said.
The film festival will be an exciting outdoor event featuring both classic and modern films from different genres and nationalities.  Financial and in-kind support is being provided by Multicultural Affairs Queensland and the Gold Coast City Council.

Organisers invite expressions of interest from additional commercial sponsors.  “This festival will grow as people realise how much fun it is to experience new foods and activities. We are working with a wide section of the community. We are extremely lucky to have so many diverse cultures present in this one location”, Brauer stated.  

Organisers are working to firm up the festival program, and will be looking for additional volunteer helpers to assist in the lead-up to, and during, the festival.

For anyone interested, there is ample opportunity for you to assist in the following Event Coordination Committees:

Please contact us if you have the skills and/or motivation to become involved in organising this dynamic event.

Interested in Volunteering?  Please pre-register here:

Your Name
Email
 
Contact No.
 
Category

    
Thank you.

Public Forum - News Flash March 4, 2008

 On Friday 29th February, the Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Association held a public information forum at the Southport Community Centre to provide information to interested parties about the 2008 Festival.
       Gold Coast Multicultural Festival - Public Information Forum February 2008

Interest was extremely strong with members of the African, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Philippine, Saudi Arabian, and Turkish community/organisations present; as well as a number of Arts & Cultural, Community Associations, Government Services (e.g. Health & Migration), and individual Performers and other Interested Parties.

Further interest was registered from numerous communities and individuals who were unable to be present on the night, but asked to be kept informed of Festival progress.

The 2008 Gold Coast Multicultural Festival will be held in the grounds surrounding Carrara Stadium on Sunday, 16th November of this year.

The Festival Day will be preceded by a week of cultural activities (as listed on this website).
Festival Participation forms are now available on our website. Parties and/or organisations interested in participating in the Festival at any level (i.e. artists, stallholders, community groups, etc.) are requested to complete a participation form and return it to us by Friday March 14, 2008.

       Gold Coast Multicultural Festival - Public Forum February 2008

GOLD COAST MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL - NEWS FLASH - 21ST FEBRUARY 2008

A public forum will be held on Friday 29th February for individuals and organisations interested in the following activities at the inaugural Gold Coast Multicultural Festival to be held in November 2008:

Meeting Date & Time: Friday 29th February 2008 at 7.30pm.

Location: Southport Community Centre, Lawson Street (next to Southport RSL)

NOTE: Activities currently included in the Festival planning are:

These activities will be held on the Festival Day, and in the week preceding the Festival Day in November 2008.

Articles in the Gold Coast Sun, February 20, 2008

Please note: Access to the newspaper's Archives to read the articles below is a subscriber service. However, The Gold Coast Sun is being distributed as a free newspaper in most areas of the Gold Coast. When accessing the Archive, choose the publication first, and then enter your keywords, e.g. Multicultural Festival.

Lots of cultures, one celebration page 15
ORGANISERS of a new multicultural celebration have appealed for
Gold Coasters to get involved. The week-long celebration of cultural
diversity is scheduled for Carrara in November by the Gold Coast
Multicultural Festival Association. ``We are forming...

Ethnic expo to bridge our divisions Cultures mingle page 18
ORGANISERS of a new multicultural celebration have appealed for Gold Coasters to become involved. The week-long celebration of cultural diversity is scheduled for Carrara in November by the Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Association. ``We are form..

 Lots of cultures in one united week of celebration page 19
ORGANISERS of a new multicultural celebration have appealed for Gold
Coasters to become involved. The week-long celebration of cultural diversity
at Carrara in November is being organised by the Gold Coast Multicultural
Festival Association. ``It's a...

PRESS RELEASE – February 1, 2008

INITIAL FUNDING APPROVED

More than 18 months of community consultation and planning has culminated in the approval of core funding of $10,000 by Multicultural Affairs Queensland for the 2008 inaugural Gold Coast Multicultural Festival.

The Gold Coast Multicultural Festival Association Inc. has also received overwhelming support and donations from Mayor Ron Clarke and the Gold Coast City Councillors for this event.  

The inaugural Gold Coast Multicultural Festival is planned to occur in November 2008, and is aimed at uniting the many diverse cultures that co-exist on the Gold Coast.
The event will provide a variety of activities in the week leading up to the Festival Day, culminating in a day of ‘Fun & Cultural Diversity’ that all Gold Coast Families and visitors can enjoy.

Activities currently included in the event planning are:

The GCMFA management committee is currently in the process of forming sub-committees to assist with the organization of the different facets of this major event.
Anyone who feels they can contribute actively by joining a sub-committee should contact GCMFA committee member Nao Hirano via email:

nao@mccgc.com.au

It is recommended that any organization or individual interested in participating in the festival (e.g. food stall holders & cultural groups) should become a member of the GCMF association now in order to qualify for concessions.

For a downloadable membership form  (PDF), please click here.