The 2011 Akoostik t-shirts, coloured by our competition winner Lachlan Pike, have arrived! This photo shows the comp winners Lachlan, Callum Wesley and Tom Neal (L to R) wearing the new shirts. See below for more info about the competition.

Every year we hold a colouring competition to create the design used on the festival’s t-shirts.

Creative designs: First place winner Lachlan Pike (centre), second place Thomas Neal (right) and third place Callum Wesley (left).

A number of criteria are involved including the use of only 3 colours plus white, neat colouring, the ability for the design to be printed on a black t-shirt and the stand-out aspect of the key information. Entries were excellent this year with local schools invited to enter the competition. 116 entries were received, a record number.

ABOVE: Russell McFarland of Austin McFarland Architects in Wingham during the rigorous judging process to find this year’s winning Akoostik Festival t-shirt design colours.

Lachlan Pike (of Taree West Public School) created the unique colour combinations that most impressed the Akoostik committee members. Lachlan was runner-up last year and definitely has an eye for design. Excellent entries were received by students from Tinonee Public School and Taree West Public School. From the 116 entries, Lachlan’s design gained unanimous votes.

The other place getters were Thomas Neal (second) and Callum Wesley (third). Congratulations to all participants and thank you to teachers for facilitating entries.

Lachlan’s winning design has been printed on this year’s t-shirts. T-shirts will be on sale at the Festival on 15th & 16th October. Entries will be displayed in Wingham Plaza.

Check out this excellent short video about the 2010 Wingham Akoostik Music Festival, kindly provided by Lara Joy from Byron Bay. The backing track is “Sienna” by Tracey Campbell.

Photos from the 2010 Wingham Akoostik Music Festival have been added to the Photos page. Do you see anyone you recognise?

Big thanks to Sophie Bird for supplying the photographs.

The 2010 Akoostik Festival program is now available in PDF format. To view it you’ll need Adobe Reader or other software capable of viewing PDF files.

Click to view the 2010 Festival program (1.5Mib PDF)

The Wingham Akoostik Music Festival is pleased to have had the support of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal in 2009.
FRRR was established as a partnership between philanthropy, governments and business to stimulate rural and regional renewal in Australia.
The foundation takes a leadership role in assisting regional communities to respond to social, cultural and economic change.
In addition, it collaborates with communities around Australia to strengthen their capacity to drive change.
FRRR encourages innovation and creativity from rural and regional communities.
FRRR’s objective is to promote the public benefit rural and regional renewal, regeneration and development in Australia in social, economic, environmental and cultural areas.
Find out more at http://www.frrr.org.au

Radio stations throughout the region have put their support behind the 2009 Wingham Akoostik Music Festival.

Be listening to Max FM 107.3, 2BOB FM 104.7 and Bucketts Radio FM 104.1 for the latest information and promos of the event.

Log on to the new Bucketts Radio site at www.gloucesterfm.com.au

From the Manning River Times, September 18-19, 2009:

The Wingham Akoostik Music Festival is generating interest up and down the coast as the outdoor musical celebration gears up for its third annual event. 

The boutique music weekend - which returns to Wingham Central Park on October 17 and 18 – boasts an exciting line-up of performers including a range of emerging local talents and professionals who will travel to the Manning especially for the festival. 

The organisers have fielded interest from all over the State, and indeed the country, from artists keen to play the festival and people interested in coming to watch. 

The festival has grown in reputation year-on-year since its debut in 2007 and this year’s event is set to be the biggest and best yet. 

The weekend will be headlined by Shane Howard, the man behind the massive anthem Solid Rock, which he recorded in 1982 with his legendary band Goanna. 

The song, which was one of the first in rock to broach the subject of Aboriginal rights, reverberated across the airwaves and it still does today. 

Howard has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s greatest and most prolific songwriters, with artists such as John Farnham and Troy Cassar-Daley recording their own versions of his tunes. 

The festival is focused on the artists performing their original songs in unplugged mode. 

Other artists heading our way to share their talent are Dan Rumour from The Cruel Sea, Thrillbilly Stomp, Luke Davies and festival favourite Afro Moses. 

Organisers will also serve up a smorgasbord of local talent including Kate Delaney and Craig Bourke, Love Parade, The Last Train, Up In Annie’s Room, The Workshop, Wherrol B Flat, Millie Hauritz, Sophiella Watt, Diddley Squat, Peggy Van Zalm and Wills ‘n’ Ways. 

Wingham’s talented youth will also be put on show with performances from Tenika, Hydrafonics, Jim Bird and Illusion. 

The Akoostik Festival is an alcohol-free, family-friendly event with plenty of children’s activities and tasty food and market stalls. 

Tickets are available now from Bent on Food or Ashlea Road Boutique in Wingham, Leading Edge Music in Taree and online at www.moshtix.com.au 

Adult tickets are $25 for one day or $45 for a weekend pass; students are $20 for one day or $35 for a weekend pass. Under 12s are free. For more information, visit www.winghamakoostikfestival.com or phone 0447 771 736.

http://www.manningrivertimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/festivals-reputation-grows/1626990.aspx

From the Wingham Chronicle, September 2, 2009, page 3:

The Manning Valley can look forward to another exciting and diverse event when the Wingham Akoostik Music Festival returns for its third year this October.

The boutique live music event will be headlined by Shane Howard, the man behind the massive anthem Solid Rock, which he recorded in 1982 with his legendary band Goanna. The song, which was one of the first in rock to broach the subject of Aboriginal rights, reverberated across the airwaves and it still does today. Howard has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s greatest and most prolific songwriters with artists such as John Farnham and Troy Cassar-Daley recording their own versions of his tunes.

The 2009 Akoostik Fest will feature a range of artists — including some exciting emerging talents — who will perform all their original songs in unplugged mode.

The lineup also includes The Cruel Sea’s Dan Rumour and his band The Drift, last year’s festival favourite Afro Moses, and the hoedown sounds of Thrillbilly Stomp.

Local talents include Kate Delaney, Love Parade, The Last Train, Up In Annie’s Room, Sofiella Watt, The Workshop, Wherrol B Flat, Tenika Vakauta and The Hydrafonics.

The outdoor event boasts a full weekend of music over October 17 and 18, along with tempting food, great coffee, and market stalls.

The inaugural Wingham Akoostik Music Festival was a massive success in 2007, drawing about 1400 people to the heart of town for the day of inspiring live sounds. The 2008 event eclipsed this success, with the festival program expanding to a two-day event.

The not-for-profit festival has been organised by a small group of Wingham residents for the benefit of the town and to allow musicians the chance to play their original music in a live environment.

Music and food are not the only attractions. The kids are catered for too with a jumping castle, face painting and plenty of fun activities to keep them entertained.

The event is alcohol-free, in keeping with the family-friendly atmosphere.

Tickets will be available soon from Bent On Food or Ashlea Road Boutique in Isabella Street, Wingham, at Leading Edge Music in Victoria Street, Taree, or online at www.moshtix.com.au.