A TASTE FOR LIVING HAS BEEN CANCELLED

14 February 2007

Gasworks Arts Park today advised that the Taste for Living food, wine and arts festival, planned for Sunday 4 March has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Director of Gasworks Arts Park, Crusader Hillis, said: “While it is disappointing to cancel a popular event at Gasworks, it was unavoidable for a number of reasons. We have for some years relied upon the incredible generosity of local restaurants and eateries to provide food for festival-goers as a way of raising funds for deserving causes. However, due to a range of unexpected circumstances, including illness, accident, restaurant expansion and date conflicts, several of our longest running supporters were unable to attend this year’s planned event. Added to this, the rising costs of public liability insurance, a shortfall in funding and an increased need for better production and infrastructure contributed to Gasworks’ difficult decision to call the event off. I’d like to thank the several restaurants, wineries and many volunteers who have supported Gasworks over the past few years.”

No other programming at Gasworks will be affected.  The Deadly Arts Business Ngoloo Wurru Gathering will go ahead as planned on 1 and 2 March with an exposition of Indigenous arts making and performance taking place on Friday 2 March. Everybody in Melbourne is invited to come along and experience this and the visual arts exhibitions developed for the conference and arts program.  

Gasworks remains a vibrant arts centre filled with exciting events with over 2 000 people attending its inaugural Midsumma @ Gasworks program in January and February this year. Staff are busily preparing for a season of comedy, cabaret and children's theatre shows during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April, with plans for a cabaret season, a children’s festival and a busy Fringe Festival later in the year.  The Gasworks Farmers’ Market continue with markets taking place on 17 February and 17 March and on the third Saturday of each month throughout the year. A busy program of arts events, school holiday programs, exhibitions, festivals, workshops and classes will supplement these upcoming events in the remainder of the year.