Vibrant Villages is a Council-led project that aims to enhance the physical environment and promote cultural activities in one of Hobsons Bay’s neighbourhood centres.

Artworks are a key part of Vibrant Villages, and each year an artist is engaged to produce a work designed, developed and constructed with community participation.

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Thirty four individual artists, two galleries, four independent events, one billboard, a public art collection, an arts collective and a shopping square, 24 businesses, two festivals and a party or two over six weeks...Art In Public Places, has concluded for another year.

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26th May – Sorry Day: Sorry Business
27th May until 3rd June Let’s Walk The Mile, Let’s Reconcile

A talk by Indigenous writer Tony Birch and a free screening of an award winning documentary featuring Archie Roach will help frame a cultural focus in Hobsons Bay to mark Reconciliation Week.

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The dramatic surroundings of Newport Lakes Park perfectly suited a recent production of MacBeth, one of Shakespeare’s most popular and well known plays, a miscellany of might and magic, of murder and mayhem.

MacBeth at Newport Lakes was presented and performed by OZACT Great Southern Shakespeare, one of Australia’s leading outdoor theatre companies. Over 200 people attended the performances.

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The 2008 Williamstown Festival was launched by the opening of the Contemporary Art Prize by the Victorian Minister for the Arts and local member for Altona Lynne Kosky MP at the Newport Substation. Special guests included the local member for Williamstown Wade Noonan and Hobsons Bay Councillors.

Recognised nationally for showcasing innovation and excellence in the visual arts, the Contemporary Art Prize attracts hundreds of entries from across Australia, with over 360 entries received, across genres including painting, sculpture, photography, video, multi-media and installation art.

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Much excitement in the arts department with the (soon to be installed) addition to Hobsons Bay’s public art collection, Whirlpool by Anuradha Patel, which will be located at The Warmies.

The Warmies is a unique location that is popular for recreation (especially fishing, boating, walking and cycling), affords amazing vistas of the West Gate Bridge and the CBD, and most especially close up views of huge container ships as they enter the river mouth on their way into the port. Whirlpool is part of the Bay Trail program of markers and public art.

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People with an interest in either rural, maritime or cultural heritage (or all three!) should head down to Seaworks at 82, Nelson Place over the weekend of 14th and 15th June to experience Paddock to Port, an exhibition depicting the production and transportation of wheat and wool from the Mallee and Wimmera paddocks to the port of Williamstown.

The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Seaworks and Williamstown Maritime Association and the Shire of Buloke. For more information please visit Hobsons Bay Visitor Information Centre at Commonwealth Reserve or call tel: 9932 4310.

The Bayside Festival takes place each year at Logan Reserve and Cherry Lake, with the regular Sunday parade providing a link between the locations and days.

The parade showcased the creative skills of local schools and cultural groups through imaginative interpretation of the theme, which this year was related to Easter.

A circus theme linked the weekend activities of the Williamstown Festival.

Kareem, a to-scale elephant puppet wandered around Commonwealth Reserve, spraying children with water from its ‘trunk’, a colourful circus tent evocative of days gone by showcased professional performances, while multicultural arts were evident in performance, displays and food.

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A weekend of good reasons to stay in Hobsons Bay or to visit Williamstown, the fifth annual Williamstown Literary Festival took place in and around the Williamstown Town Hall over the first weekend in May. 

Highlights this year included the children’s program, Andy Griffiths being grilled by his fans (“that doesn’t rhyme”, said one young poppet, “does so,” said Andy back) in a Sunday morning session attended by around 200 people, the youth program event Grandest Young People’s Story Event Ever (GYPSEE) saw RockWiz identity Brian Nankervis invited to host LitWiz, and indigenous artist Richard Frankland spoke powerfully, reading from his novel Digger J Jones and providing a moving catalyst for comment.

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New on the events calendar is the Newport Folk Festival. Presented by the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club along with Newport Traders Association, the very first Newport Folk Festival is staged at multiple venues over three days.

It is styled as a 'people’s music festival, with lots of opportunities to play, sing, dance and learn to do things that you have never done before' and that has to be a very good thing for Hobsons Bay!

For more information contact The Newport Fiddle and Folk Club’s Michael Stewart on tel: 9399 4466, email: planchan@optusnet.com.au, or by checking out the event website at www.nffc.org.au 

Did you know that you can list your event on the Hobsons Bay City Council website? Visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/events and click on ‘Add Event’. See what else is on while you are there!

Expressions of interest are now open, with a closing date of 5.00pm 30th May. For information regarding how to put in a submission or for further details contact Tania Blackwell on tel: 9932 1000 or tblackwell@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Previous 'Conversations' commissions:

 - Kathleen McCann 'Monday 21' installed June 2007 - January 2008
 - Jon Campbell  'yeah yeah yeah' installed January 2008 - June 2008.

The Council has an arts database which is both a promotional tool for arts businesses and community groups and a directory for people looking for arts services.

If you are registered, the Arts and Culture team can keep you informed of interesting developments, launches and opportunities. Visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/artscultureandspecialevents

You can now purchase your tickets in the comfort of your own home. Simply log onto www.hobsonsbaytickets.com.au, select which shows you want to see, and follow the instructions to purchase.

Options include either printing out your tickets  at home or collecting them from the Box Office prior to the show. If you are not computer friendly, feel free to phone the Arts Events and Tourism department on tel: 9932 1000 and order tickets as well.

Fans of the 80s turned out to see Williamstown Musical Theatre Company's production of The Wedding Singer at the Williamstown Mechanics Institute, close to a sell out season with over 2,000 tickets sold.

A strong month of theatre is promised in July; Williamstown Little Theatre presents The Cemetery Club...Cats presented by the Altona City Theatre opens on 4th July, visit www.altonacitytheatre.com.au for ticketing details...local actor, writer and producer Margot Knight is planning an intimate theatre experience of Wicked Widows at the Old Laverton School in Altona Meadows in July as well.