April News

Farewell Summer. Hello Autumn.

An Ode to Festival Season

Hello BA Family,

Ah, the bittersweet symphony that is the tragic close of our beloved summer festival season. How swiftly those sun-soaked days have drifted below the horizon, leaving us with nothing but glitter trails, a gallery of sunburns, and an echoing soundtrack that replays the tunes of memories made. We've packed away our tents and bid adieu to our temporary neighbours. The fields are slowly returning to their tranquil pre-festival states.

As we cozy into our Autumnal affairs, it’s impossible not to address the elephant in the room. Some of our favourite festivals are facing what seems like an intermission that has stretched out into an indefinite pause. Between the relentless march of climate change and the gnawing bite of the cost of living crisis, the Australian festival scene is under pressure (and Queen would not approve).

Let’s talk turkey (or tofu, for our plant-based pals). This year, several events across our country had to cancel or scale back, not just because Mother Nature threw (very valid) tantrums with heatwaves and unexpected storms, but also because soaring costs are making a four-day festival the same price as a 2 week Europe trip. And we shouldn't be forced to choose between the two.

Yet, it's not all doom and gloom. This is a call to arms, or better yet, a call to cups—reusable ones, of course. in the thick of a fight for sustainability, and every little bit of effort counts. While we may be mourning the loss of some festivals, we're also celebrating the incredible strides we've made towards reducing waste. Your enthusiasm and commitment to our beautiful planet can turn the tide. You're not just festival-goers; you're the front-line defenders of the vibe and the environment.

We encourage you to believe that we can reimagine these spaces, making them not only epicentres of culture and music but bastions of environmental revolution.

Be legends. Be leaders. Be alternative. 

What We’ve Been Up To

One Planet Festival: Torquay Takes Action

In collaboration with Parents for Climate Action, we set up and got to work with our Reuse Revolution System at the One Planet Festival in Torquay. Being so close to the ocean at Elephant Walk, it was imperative no single-use packaging made its way into the waters. Our efforts resulted in washing 1,589 dishes for over 2,000 patrons! We hope to see more events in the Torquay and Geelong area implementing these sustainable initiatives.

Going Off Grid: A Waste Free Weekend  

The Off Grid Living Festival has been around since 2018 starting in a field in El Dorado and then moving to the Chiltern Racecourse as the event rapidly expanded in popularity. Over two days, hundreds of workshops take place on everything to do with sustainable living from electric cars and building off-grid mobile homes to homesteading and building your own natural material home. All that learning and wandering makes you work up an appetite, which is why over 30 food vendors were onsite providing fuel for all of the patrons. We washed over 11,000 dishes, saving as many single-use items from landfill, well and truly in line with sustainable living. We worked with the Indigenous Education Foundation to save cans and glass for the Container Deposit Scheme, seeing 622 items produce funds that were donated to indigenous-led cultural and ecological education.

Mussel & Jazz Festival: South Melbourne Market uses Shuck Don't Chuck

The Port Philip Mussel and Jazz Festival held at South Melbourne Market not only celebrated seafood and smooth tunes but also championed sustainability through the Shuck Don't Chuck initiative. In collaboration with the Nature Conservancy Australia, this innovative program recycles used mussel, scallop, and oyster shells for regenerative restoration projects within Port Philip Bay. This year, the initiative successfully diverted 936kg of shell waste from landfill, transforming potential environmental burden into beneficial resources to restore marine habitats. The event's commitment to environmental health highlights the power of community and conservation working hand in hand to protect our natural ecosystem.

Farm My School: Educating Our Future

The Farm My School initiative is a dynamic education program designed for Garden Specialists, and STEM, Science, & Humanities Teachers, focusing on cultivating students' understanding and respect for food production at their very own school. This immersive program operates from Bellarine Secondary College, Drysdale, providing practical, hands-on learning experiences that foster critical thinking in the realms of food growing, regenerative farming, and sustainable living. Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, the program spans various age-appropriate topics from understanding the role of pollinators and the importance of healthy soil, to the intricacies of worm farms, all taught by qualified educators who are passionate about instilling a sense of stewardship for the environment in the next generation.