SHH! SNEAK PREVIEW

This Is Not Art, Australia's premier festival of emerging, independent and experimental arts is surging forward in 2008: sparkling, noisy, handmade, bright, fresh and raw. This year's line up, which will be announced on 1st August, includes a veritable smorgasbord of talent from across four disciplines: Electronic Culture, Independent Music, Critical Theory & Writing.

In years past This Is Not Art has featured top artists including Arial Pink, Caribou, Cold Cut, Sage Francis, aniticon, The Herd, Tim Hecker, Leaf Cutter John, Aloe Blacc and Mark Pritchard (Harmonic 33). Guest speakers have included John Safran, Charles Firth, Shaun Tan and DJ Gorky (Bonde Do Role).

This year's line up promises a similar bundle of eclectic events over four impressive days. Highlights for This Is Not Art 2008 include Lucky Dragons (US), Maruosa (JAPAN), Curse ov Dialect (VIC), Zeal (SA), and Last Kinnection (Newcastle).

Stand out artists and presenters on this year's program include The League of Imaginary Scientists (GER), Pig and Machine (JAPAN), Tape Projects (MEL), Michael Farrell (NSW) and Peter O'Mara (WA).

Perennial festival favourites like Dorkbot, the Festival Club, and the Sunday Artists Market and Zine Fair (stall call flyer 28KB JPEG) are settled in the program among exciting innovations, like a brand new festival club (venue to be announced), new venues for events and a festival camping ground for the weekend.

Taking place in Newcastle, NSW every year on the October Long Weekend, This Is Not Art is a fertile thinking ground, a space outside of our institutions, an interdisciplinary feast and an intense party. Get your bags packed (postcard 1MB PDF) and your zines, art, writing or instruments under your arm! This Is Not Art is on the way and promising to be buzzing, better and brighter than ever.