HCCDC sponsors Newcastle's flagship arts festival, New Annual

01 August 2022

Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC) is thrilled to be an official event sponsor of the City of Newcastle’s flagship cultural arts festival, New Annual.

Returning in September 2022, New Annual brings ten days of art, culture and creativity into the centre of Newcastle – with a vision to put Newcastle on the radar nationally and internationally, as a creative city where exciting, ambitious and accessible contemporary art and culture grow and thrive.

The mission for the festival is to foster a prosperous, diverse and resilient economy, and build capacity in the arts and cultural sector by delivering a contemporary cultural event that showcases Newcastle as a creative hub. New Annual offers immersive and interactive experiences of visual art, contemporary dance, First Nations music and workshops, as well as theatre and comedy – with a mix of free, ticketed and family-friendly events.

Vans the Omega mural, The Big Picture Fest Newcastle 2020

Pictured: New Annual Festival attractions Chalk The Walk, RADIAL and The Big Picture Fest

As part of this years’ festival, HCCDC is the major sponsor of RADIAL - a collaborative filmmaking process with Tantrum Youth Arts and Back to Back Theatre, filmed at iconic Newcastle locations including HCCDC’s revitalised former railway precinct, The Station. Using a circular camera track, RADIAL creates a continuous sequence of action and dance, providing unique place activations where audiences can witness the filming, and then celebrate a public screening of the film on the final day of the festival.

Colourful street art also plays a key role in the festival's program with The Big Picture Fest sponsored by HCCDC, seeing professional murals created during the event, leaving behind a legacy street art trail through the city; and an award-winning Chalk The Walk artwork trail turning concrete footpaths into canvases for a collection of interactive 3D chalk artworks.

Other feature events in the festival's extensive program include Van Goh Alive, Future Innovators Summit, Comedy of Errors, Little Festival, Curious Legends, National Young Writers Festival, Pavillion of Sand, Newcastle Afoot Walking Tours ... and lots more!