Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to draw attention to the ever-developing and growing arts community on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Honourable members would be aware that there is a significant number of artists in the region, including painters, sculptors, sketchers, dancers, actors and musicians, through to film makers, film lovers and creative writers. They represent a group of people who are helping to advance the creative elements that help to make up the intricate and fascinating living thing that is the human being. All members of the human race are born with an appreciation of creativity. While some may struggle to master this trait, those who do develop such skills find it both challenging and satisfying. Of course, there is much personal gratification to be gained from creating something in one of the arts fields.

I was fortunate enough during the Christmas break to be able to attend the launch of the WARM 07 festival. ‘WARM’ stands for ‘Writers, Artists and Readers Month’. The promotional material for WARM 07 notes that it ‘is a literary festival to nurture, showcase and celebrate talent, particularly on the Sunshine Coast’. WARM 07 will be a series of events that will be held throughout June 2007 that will celebrate the power of the written word and of creative writing itself—an art about which American journalist and feminist Gloria Steinem once said: ‘Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.’

The event will complement two other existing events on the Sunshine Coast—the Noosa Long Weekend, which I understand actually lasts for one week; and the Voices of the Coast Festival, which brings together poets, writers and performers with a range of creative events dedicated to the written word. It caters for both adults and children, although it has been particularly successful in promoting the joys of writing to young people. The WARM 07 festival complements these two writers events. It will include an awards function and gala dinner, a publishing conference held at the University of the Sunshine Coast, various writing workshops, as well as book readings, author breakfasts and lunches, exhibitions, stage performances of various theatrical works and much more.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the organisers of this new event on the Sunshine Coast. They are helping to encourage the appreciation of and participation in the wonderful, adventurous world of creative writing for older and younger people alike.

The Sunshine Coast is a rapidly growing area. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. We have a lot going for us. It is a wonderful place in which to bring up children, a wonderful place for families and a wonderful place to retire to. The fact that the WARM 07 festival is underway means that we will be able to help bring about an increased appreciation of the arts. An appreciation of the arts is a very important part of human existence. The Sunshine Coast is a wonderful place, and the WARM 07 festival will make this wonderful place an even more wonderful place to live in and also to visit.

Ian Causley (Page, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for members’ statements has concluded.