I’m not sure where 2018 has gone, but suddenly it’s October – an exciting and slightly anxious time for the Ten Days on the Island team as we arrive at the pointy end of the 2019 festival planning process. It’s suddenly and gloriously springtime, the tulips are out in a riot of colour on Table Cape, and in just a few weeks we’ll announce some of our highlight events – a taste of the delicious festival experiences we’ll share with you in March next year across Tasmania.

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking a lot about the transformative role of art in our society – how art can transform the world. Recently I attended a talk in Melbourne by the American author Sarah Sentilles who sees art practice as a way of imagining ‘the total reinvention of the world’, nothing less. This initially sounds crazy, but actually it’s a very practical idea, as Sarah explains: ‘The act of making something, of saying this is what I see, this is the version of the world I see or hope for, reminds us that we can make better neighbourhoods, we can make better cities, we can make better governments. It is a reminder of the constructed status of the world and that each of us is a make

What I like about this ambitious statement is its embrace of the idea that we each have the power, if we choose to act on it, to make the world a better place. To be better global citizens, if you like, by reinventing our own neighbourhood. And what better neighbourhood than this amazing island? I have so loved discovering its visual delights and fascinating stories over these last few months and I can’t wait to discover more and more through the creative adventure of curating this festival, connecting with audiences and artists across Tasmania.

We’re in the process of reimagining Ten Days on the Island 2019 as a festival that enriches the diverse Tasmanian communities we serve by connecting people across the island through shared, purposeful creative experiences that rouse in all of us a sense of adventure and simultaneously, that make us reflect on ourselves in the world. In the coming months you’ll hear the word ‘connect’ a lot, and hopefully experience some meaningful connections too when we reveal the program…We’re excited!

Watch this space!

Lindy Hume
Artistic Director

Image: Opera Queensland,
Lindy is currently away from the island, wearing her other hat as a practising artist. She’s rehearsing Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni for Opera Queensland in Brisbane – here’s a shot of Lindy in action.