1998 Art is... ENERGY

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Festival Manager: Carolynne Hamdorf

Of course everyone will remember the delight and joy that Balehenge created in May Park. The hay sculpture created by 'Ratartat' would have to be one of the standouts of the festival over its many years. Its success as a piece of sculpture and the presence it created is simply too powerful for words.

Lying in the middle of May Park on your back, staring at the sky through the circular arches of the straw monument was simply blissful. It transported people, hushed small children, silenced traffic and brought people together in strange and unusual ways. It was thanks to Geoff and Peter for this great gift to Horsham and again the wonderful Festival Committee for making it happen. It was also the year that Council heavily invested in the Festival and really trusted us to deliver.

In 1998 we saw lots of fantastic exhibitions, writing competitions, workshops for kids, a huge mob of scarecrows, the enigmatic New Zealand iron artist Jeff Thompson and his delicate and beautiful sculptures, the second community performance entitled Wimmeradance, performed in the as-yet-to-be tried and tested 'Maydale Pavilion'.

Wimmeradance, had a cast of 1000s, from giant possums, to tiny costumed field mice. It gently and humourously told the story of our region from drought to war, its' geology and its' indigenous history. It was superbly drawn together by Mahony's direction.

1998 was a mammoth year. It set a precedent for successive years and what could be achieved with vision, determination and drive.

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