What we did:

We designed, programmed and delivered both festivals end to end, managing every element from artist contracting to on-the-ground production - and brought both events in on budget.

Get Festive! (15–16 December 2023):

• Curated and delivered 10 hours of entertainment across the opening weekend of the December school holidays

• Programmed roving Christmas entertainment including elves, puddings and Christmas crackers

• Hired and managed the Little Wooden Christmas tent, hosting 18 x 15-minute family-friendly performances

• Delivered a live music and street theatre stage with MC, Welcome to Country by Peramangk elder Mandy Brown, Bollywood music, Gospel Choir, African drummers, Adelaide Hills Ukulele group and more

• Organised a craft tent run by local arts centre Ink Pot Arts, hosting a sustainable Christmas decoration workshop for children

• Coordinated 5 local food trucks and a boutique bar serving Adelaide Hills beer and wine

• Engaged 35 artists and creatives plus 7 arts workers and production crew

Mount Barker Street Arts Fest (9 March 2024):

• Curated and delivered 6 hours of free outdoor street arts entertainment

• Programmed a variety of 40-minute street theatre performances from local, interstate and international jugglers, acrobats and comedians

• Delivered roving entertainment through Gawler Street and the Adelaide Hills Markets during the morning market trade

• Installed and managed a free-standing aerial rig with dynamic aerial performances

• Featured community performances by Ink Pot Inc., Scotts Highland Dancers and RockIT Performing Arts

• Commissioned local young artists to paint an Art Wall on the Town Square's external storage facade

• Delivered a live DJ and band, plus 4 local food trucks and boutique bar

• Engaged 22 artists and creatives plus 7 arts workers and production crew

Event impact:

Winning a competitive tender and delivering two distinct, fully produced festivals from a single grant is exactly the kind of value-for-money outcome councils are looking for - and that's precisely what Bamboozled delivered for Mount Barker. Together, the two events activated the newly opened Town Square across two key calendar moments, engaged the local arts community, celebrated Mount Barker's growing multicultural identity, and put a significant number of local artists, crew, food vendors and businesses to work. From a sleigh-load of Christmas mischief in December to world-class street arts in March, Bamboozled gave Mount Barker District Council two events for the price of one - and a Town Square that felt truly alive.