In the days following this year’s Ten Days on the Island, there has been much to dwell on in the form of family and friendship, war and politics, as well as sinking into the stuff of life and letting days drift along. It takes some time to come up for air again and find clarity of perspective in reflection.

Two and a half years ago, I landed on the North West coast and started my journey around the island to understand and connect with place, people and the arts sector here. What quickly became apparent to me was the overwhelming sense of the natural world – from the sea to sky – that permeates the everyday. So many people choose to live here, driven to follow their dreams and aspiring to quality over quantitative aspects of life. So many who are of this place choose to stay, fiercely protective of this unique and beautiful corner of the world.

I wanted to develop a program that honoured the foundations of the Festival by continuing to provide for Tasmanian audiences and artists first and foremost whilst also communicating across the mainland and around the world that this place and this Festival in particular offer a deeply creative context and transformative artistic exchange.

There are many to acknowledge and thank for their part in bringing this Festival to life. To the Palawa people of Lutruwita/Tasmania and their First Nations collaborators and colleagues who created a meeting place of welcome, and artistic and cultural exchange, I offer my thanks for setting the tone and context for the Festival. It was profound to witness the gathering of artistic voices from around Lutruwita and across the oceans, grounding us all in this place and marvelling at the various journeys taken to come together here, whether recently or further in the past.

To our artists, who bring us hope as we face a world of troubles, I offer my thanks for your creative risk-taking. Imaginative expression offers us the ability to envision a better world – together. We turn to our artists to celebrate our shared humanity, our shared connection to mother earth, to listen and laugh, tremble and push boundaries. Festivals are a time for big ideas and feelings and our artists and storytellers do this best. These experiences have created ripple effects into the future that we are yet to define but together we can build on this impact.

And so finally, to our community – to you, our audiences – I offer my thanks for embracing the power of gathering and storytelling. Thank you for your response to our artists; for the joy, the care, the consideration. For joining us on our journey around the island or just your own small part of it. I have so enjoyed talking to a number of you about your experience of different performances and artworks and how they have impacted on you. We are thinking ahead now to the future, the next two years and ten years and beyond. What are the stories that need to be told and what form will they take? Join us as we continue our conversations with key artists between festivals, exploring the process of creativity and finding joy and meaning in a creative life.

– Marnie Karmelita