Shaping and showcasing the young artists of the future will be at the forefront of the 2025 Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts to be held in Grenfell from Thursday 5th to Monday 9th June 2025.
President of the Henry Lawson Festival Committee, Belinda Power, explained the program is gearing up to be one of the best yet for the June long weekend with a focus on nurturing artistic talent. Features include an all new busking competition with both youth and open categories along with an exciting Bioluminescence Project providing the opportunity to get hands on creative experience within the festival program.
“The Bioluminescence Project is providing young people aged between 13 and 24 with the awesome opportunity to learn video skills, video editing, digital sound design and recording, event management and video projection mapping over two days of workshops ending with a live audio-visual installation at the Grenfell Showgrounds on the Friday of the festival,” Belinda said.
“Anyone who is interested in technology, learning new skills in a creative industry, being part of the region’s premier event, or simply creating something unforgettable - should take advantage of these free workshops. Spots are limited and can be booked via Humanitix.”
Bioluminescence is supported by the Regional Arts NSW and is in partnership with the Henry Lawson Festival Committee and Arts Out West. This project was made possible by the Australian Governments Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia.
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“We are also looking forward to unearthing some great new talent with local music legend and the Voice Australia contestant, Josh Maynard, heading up an all new busking competition on the Saturday of the festival,” Belinda said.
“An outstanding guitarist, singer and songwriter, Josh grew up on a property west of Cowra. He has been travelling throughout eastern Australia performing for the past few years and is excited to head home to see some local talent. Josh will also be performing and it’s sure to be great entertainment for all.”
The busking competition will be held on the Bromar Busking stage between 2-4pm and will include $250 prize for the winner in each category along with a People’s Choice Award where the crowd decides.
Anyone interested should register via the festival website before 26th May. Accepted entertainers will be notified no later than 1 June.
Local music talent will also be centre stage on the Friday night of the festival with the popular country rock group - Elk Mountain Band - set to bring the house down at the Grenfell Showground Pavillion. This three piece crew has been setting dancefloors on fire recently throughout the Central West performing everyone's favourite rock hits and country classics.
“The World is Full of Kindness” is the feature poem and theme for the 2025 festival competitions. These include Art, Short Story and Verse, Busking and prizes for entrants in the Street Parade with many categories and excellent prize money up for grabs, these competitions are sure to attract a selection of talented artists exploring Lawson’s satirical reflection on the idea of kindness in society.
The poem this year aligns with Lawson’s broader themes of hardship, injustice, and the challenges faced by ordinary people. The key message is as relevant today - that true kindness transcends differences promoting a belief in the inherent goodness of humanity.
Don’t miss the cut-off date for the 2025 Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival Art Prize closing soon. Applications will be accepted until midnight, 23rd May. Art prizes will be offered in the Painting and Local Artist (any media) sections with $1,500 on offer for both the Open Art and the Acquisitive Art sections including painting, watercolour, drawing, pastel and print making. A People’s Choice Award for $250 is also up for grabs. More information is available via the festival website.
