Based at the Octapod Association in Newcastle, the Octapod Zine Library is one of Australia's oldest, largest and most significant collections of zines. A broad range of zines covering the past 15 years are included in the collection. A project is currently underway to catalogue the zines. Octapod was responsible for the publication of the New Pollution (1998) - an anthology of zines from around Australia. These zines have formed the basis of our collection, which gets added to each year via people attending the Zine Fair at the National Young
Writers' Festival (as part of the This Is Not Art Festival).
The collection has been classified as significant by the National Library of Australia and we are awaiting the outcome of our application to the National Library for funds to preserve and catalogue the collection and make it more accessible through developing an online catalogue (fingers crossed!). A group recently started up a weekly drop in arvo, to make zines together. There is also a cataloguing workshop scheduled during the This Is Not Art Festival (at Octapod on Friday 3rd October and Saturday 4th October 2008, 10am-12noon).
$2 Book Fair
Book Fair at Newcastle Community Arts Centre
Thousands of secondhand books including modern fiction, childrens, literature, cooking and gardening, humanities etc. A great range for all readers, collectors and resellers.
All at two dollars each.
Opens Friday evening at 6pm on the 28th November 2008.
Runs Saturday and Sunday from 9-5pm
Entry is Free
Renewal movement erupts in Newcastle
Former Newcastle arts personality Marcus Westbury has launched an ambitious plan to allow community groups to use vacant office space in the central business district.
What has started as a plan for a small public meeting has exploded in the past week following its posting on social networking site Facebook.
Mr Westbury said it was time to put together some real strategies to turn Newcastle's "rotting CBD" around.
"We want community groups, artists, business owners, and concerned citizens to join the campaign to activate the Newcastle CBD through low capital, community driven projects"
Australia's Independent Booksellers Announce Short List of Winners for the "Indie" Award.
Australia's independent booksellers have selected the four listed titles for their major new prize, The Indie Award. The $19 000 prize will honour an Australian author for the best book of the past 12 months, with the winner to be chosen by independent booksellers and announced on Monday 6th October 2008.
The four shortlisted titles for the inaugral Indie Award are:
Debut Fiction: Addition by Toni Jordan.
Fiction: Breath by Tim Winton
Non-Fiction: American Journeys by Don Watson
Children's Book: Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Support for Indigenous Culture
The Australian Govt has announced it's approval of almost $400 000 in grants for local Indigenous language, arts and cultural programs.
Local grants recipients are:
-$344 960 for the Awarbukarl Cultural Resource Association for IT resources and language materials for language workers.
-$32 394 for the Loft Venue to support arts and cultural training programs for Indigenous youth.
-$10 000 for the Muloobinda Aboriginal Corporation to deliver a cultural program for Indigenous men in the Port Stevens, Wollumbi and Lake Macquarie areas.
OPPORTUNITIES - Seniors week grants
Applications are open for the 2009 NSW Seniors week Grants Program and 2009 Seniors week Acheivement Awards.
Applications for grants close at 5pm on 19 September 2008 and successful applicants will be notified in earl December.
NEXUS Art Exhibition raises funds for NEXUS Unit at John Hunter Hospital!
Nexus 10 is the annual art exhibition hosted by Newcastle Grammar School which features many of Newcastle's leading artists. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the exhibition, a new relationship has formed with the Nexus Unit at the John Hunter Hospital whereby a portion of the money raised through sales will be donated to this extremely worthwhile Unit at the Hospital.
The exhibit will be held on the top floor of the new Holland building at the school.
Exhibition opening times:
Sat 20th Sept - 11am - 3pm
Sun 21st Sept- 11am - 3pm
Sat 27th Sept- 11am - 3pm
Sun 28th Sept- 11am - 3pm
Octapod Zine Drop In Arvo
Weekly zine making afternoon at Octapod. Do you make zines, or would you like to? Would you like to make zines with others, or work on your own projects with some company? Octapod Community Media Space will be holding regular zine making afternoons on Fridays 3-5pm. Info: podadmin@octapod.org or 4927 0470.
