About the PAVE Festival


PAVE stands for Performing And Visual arts in Emerald. It is an umbrella event designed to allow various community groups and local performers to showcase programs and talents to the broader Emerald community and surrounding areas. Emerald is a lovely village, nestled in the Dandenong Ranges. The community is often threatened by bushfire and floods and is semi rural, presenting access issues for people within the community who don't drive.

PAVE reaches across all social demographics to provide affordable access to arts based projects and performances in Emerald, whilst offering another reason for people outside the community to visit the town.

The Performing And Visual arts in Emerald (PAVE) Festival committee is a sub committee of The Emerald Community House (ECH) and made up of representatives of 6-8 community groups and several independent artists.

The goals of PAVE are to:

  • Build community stamina, creating strong working relationships that strengthen the community's reflexes to respond to natural disaster adversities and challenges
  • Promote the arts as an entertainment or involvement option for all ages
  • Provide an outlet for local artists, (visual and performing) to display their talents
  • Provide opportunities for people of all demographics to access The Arts at low or no cost and particularly involve youth "at risk" due to the lack of local facilities and public transport
  • Bring arts into the lives of those not normally attracted to them
  • Create an inclusive community event that can be built on annually
  • Place particular emphasis on youth, the elderly and families who find access to arts activities difficult due to poor public transport facilities
  • Promote Emerald as a town of cultural significance and support local business through tourism
  • Promote partnerships and cooperation between small community organisations in a semi-rural community
  • Celebrate Emerald venues and spaces

PAVE Festival 2011

Thanks to all the volunteers, performers and artists who helped make the PAVE Festival a huge success again in 2011.

The purpose of the PAVE festival is primarily to bring the streets of Emerald alive and build community strength through the arts.

Music is a big part of the festival. The stellar event, 3MDR's Women and Song night opened the festival at the performing arts complex "The GEM" on Wednesday 6th April. This year's event welcomed back Monique Brumby, as well as newcomers to the event but certainly not the Australian music scene, Cyndi Boste, Lisa Miller and Tiffany Eckhardt.

Joe Camilleri The Ska Vendors Kerri Simpson Lloyd Spiegel

GrooveFest

We were delighted to showcase our headline event GrooveFest featuring Joe Camilleri, The SKA Vendors with Kerri Simpson and local singer songwriter of international fame, Lloyd Spiegel. The local up and coming duo Lily and King added some more sugar and spice to this event.

The Uniting Concert continues to delight song-lovers with Saturday performances from local performers helped by the beautiful acoustics and surroundings of the Uniting Church. The audience will not be left behind at this performance!

Classical music lovers were treated to the beautiful sounds of the Dandenong Ranges Orchestra returning to PAVE this year at the Gem Theatre.

The Art Society exhibition was held for the duration of the festival from Wednesday to Sunday at the Emerald Lake Environment Centre and the popular photographic exhibition returns in a new location at the art society studios (Church Street) with a theme of the Forces of Nature and the Human Dimension. Two photography workshops included Cyanotype workshop taken by Ellie Young, custodian and practitioner of historic photographic processes.

Local Comedian Michael Connell brought his band of mates from the Comedy Festival on Friday 9th at Emerald Junior Football Club. The Comedy Night is always a great way to relax and exercise the smile muscles at the end of a stressful week.

Two new features of PAVE in 2011 were the Burlesque & Gangster night on Thursday 7th and Stories Plus on Saturday 9th April. Burlesque dancing was popular in the Victorian Era and is back in a big way. This is a great way to sample this adult-only art form at the beautiful Gem Theatre.

Stories plus is a new concept that combines storytelling with dance, music, origami and cartooning to intrigue and delight children and adults alike.

Readers and Writers were delighed at the Poet's breakfast, the "Yarn Event" and the Golden Cow Poetry event the on Sunday 10th April.

The ever popular historic bus tour of Emerald was hosted by Local Councillor and prominent historian, Graeme Legge on the Saturday.

This year the much loved Emerald Winterfest returned in a new guise - as the Emerald Funfest. It was held on Sunday 10th April and brought the PAVE festival to a close with a bang. The 2011 FunFest had a Steam Age theme, featuring historic displays, period costumes, street performers and special activities at Puffing Billy Station.

Rides and activities for preschoolers through to adults, free face painting, Tubby the Robot, Play Buses, Magic and Circus Performers, Penny Farthing displays, Laser Challenge, story readings and workshops are just a taste of the activities. A jazz tent provided more refined entertainment with wine and cheese on offer.

PAVE and the Funfest is a great way to end the school holidays for all the family.

For more information on PAVE and the Emerald Funfest please contact Non Blair on 0419 345 750, or email info@pave.org.au