ENTERTAINMENT

Opening the door to music, art, literature and more.

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

Doors to many of the Gold Coast’s venues, galleries, theatres and events may still be closed but what artists are up to behind them is being revealed by new live streamed digital programme, Bookmarked@7, launched this week by Somerset Storyfest.

 

The interactive programme shares extraordinary stories and insights from within the Gold Coast arts and cultural community, as interviews are broadcast via Facebook Live from 7pm every Monday night.

Somerset Storyfest CEO and Festival Director, Andrea Lewis, acknowledges that creative industries and practioners have suffered in recent times.

“Like other events and industries impacted by the pandemic, the cultural industry on the Gold Coast has been hit hard and the Storyfest team have been busy devising new ways to help support, inform and enrich the local community,” said Ms Lewis.

The programme highlights legacy projects that will live on long after COVID-19 and welcomes award-winning journalist and writer, Dr Caroline Graham, as its resident host for the series.

 

Caroline conducts in conversation style interviews with a diverse range of practitioners including writers, musicians and visual artists from the Gold Coast community, discovering how the pandemic has impacted their creative practices and what lovers of the arts are doing to help support each other.

Bookmarked@7 emerging Producer, Kaitlin Johnson, is passionate about the arts, having studied internationally and worked with people in a variety of sub-industries including film, theatre, music and visual arts, and is excited to be a part of the Storyfest initiative. “The premiere of Bookmarked@7 on Monday night was a great success, with live viewers tuning in to ask questions of featured guest Samantha Morris throughout the 45-minute stream,” said Ms Johnson.

Co-founder and director of BlankGC magazine and the Gold Coast Music Awards, Samantha Morris is well-known for busting boring stereotypes of the Gold Coast’s cultural offering, and provided great insight into the thoughts and experiences of those in the local music scene.

“There are so many amazing people doing amazing things, it’s a fantastic opportunity for lovers of the arts to discover upcoming projects and what’s happening throughout the Gold Coast,” said Ms Johnson.

 

Upcoming guests (Mon 8 June) include Tijuana Cartel – winner of this year’s Gold Coast Music Awards ‘Live Act of The Year’ award. They’ve performed live on the biggest stages in Australia, and toured New Zealand, Asia and Europe. Hear them chat about their musical practice, and why it is important to stay connected with audiences.

The Facebook livestream episodes will be mediated, meaning viewers will have a chance to ask questions of featured artists in real-time.

Those unable to tune in at 7pm every Monday night for the Facebook Live broadcasts, will be able to find the recorded episodes in the Somerset Storyfest Facebook page timeline or videos section.

Storyfest has literature at its heart but embraces promotion of the arts in general, including theatre, music, film and the visual arts which contribute to the cultural landscape of the broader community.

Visit the website to subscribe or keep up to date with happenings throughout the year
www.storyfest.com.au