Twist to make Spring sparkle

Photos: Lisa Haymes

The Coastal Twist’s Arts and Culture Festival is hoping to make a sparkling return this Spring after being cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Coastal Twist broke regional boundaries at its launch in 2019 by connecting the region’s LGBTIQ creatives with new opportunities, audiences and streams on a national scale.

Festival Director Glitta Supernova said this year’s theme of ‘Be the Change’, was taken from Ghandi’s quote – ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’.

“If 2020 was the year of the pandemic, 2021 is the year of re-evaluating how everything we have always thought would run to plan has to shift and how we all have to do our bit to adapt in order to survive,” Supernova said.

“This year we are doubling our festival days and events running for six days with 11 activations,” they said.

“For the 2021 Coastal Twist Art exhibition we are ecstatic to have guest curator and iconic photographer C.Moore Hardy, whose photographs of
Sydney’s LGBTIQ community spanning three decades
are an institution.”

The Coastal Twist 2021 Art exhibition will run from September 29 to October 7 at Jasmine Greens, Umina Beach.

Local LGBTIQ 2D and 3D artists have until August 30 to submit their work or ideas for possible inclusion and sale in the exhibition.

Works can include paintings, photography, printmaking, collage, ceramics, drawing and sculptures.

“There’s excitement; everything comes to life and the noise levels go up as soon as we start getting the word out that Coastal Twist is back for 2021 which is a great thing,” Supernova said.

“We are trying to create amazing experiences for all ages, family types, abilities and this art exhibition will launch the festival.

“The Art Exhibition is intentionally designed to showcase LGBTIQ Central Coast artists to local, state-wide and national audiences through artwork that is expressing their interpretation of ‘change’ in a curated exhibition (which will) reflect (some of) the diversity of our LGBTIQA+ lives.

“The response to date has been overwhelming.”

The festival will see multiple events from live music, to theatre, film and sport, with more details available at https://coastaltwist.org.au/2021callout

Source:
Media release, Jul 23
Coastal Twist