About the Event

As Australia’s largest regional arts gathering for over two decades, Artlands is a strategic exchange that responds to emerging trends, discovers new ideas, considers adapted approaches and showcases artists as well as highlighting the creative and cultural sector across regional, rural and remote Australia.

2021 heralds a new approach to the delivery of this critical national event. Artlands will be curated alongside existing festivals, exhibitions, and gatherings connecting with creative programming and providing ongoing platforms for dialogue and critical conversations across all States and Territories. This approach encourages connections and engagement with local creative industries and practitioners and facilitates an integrated process of shared ownership and outcomes generating increases participation and audiences.

In 2021 Artlands will be delivered alongside Junction Arts Festival, in Launceston, lutruwita (Tasmania).

Junction Arts Festival was first presented as a one-off event annexed to the 2010 Regional Arts Australia conference and, as a result of local support for a festival in Launceston, has continued as an annual fixture of the national events calendar. Junction exists to bring quality arts and cultural experiences to Launceston. As it celebrates its 10th year, with the re-addition of the Artlands conference, Junction continues its tradition of developing, commissioning and presenting participatory and community engaged contemporary artwork.

Through Artlands 2021, Regional Arts Australia will highlight the role Junction plays as an incubator for artists and arts workers.

As we move into a new era of program delivery and connection, Artlands 2021 will adopt a flexible, hybrid model, using digital to augment the live experience.

In addition to the host venue Junction Arts Festival, Artlands 2021 will partner with 4 national venues who will become local Artlands hubs

The hub venue partners for Artlands 2021 are:

  • Araluen Arts Centre in Arrernte Country (Alice Springs)
  • Empire Theatre in Western Wakka Wakka, Giabul and Jarrowair Country (Toowoomba)
  • Red Earth Arts Precinct in Ngarluma Country (Karratha)
  • Fabrik in Peramangk and Kaurna country (Lobethal)

Partner venues will create regional hubs where locally-based gatherings around key livestreamed Artlands 2021 sessions will enable conference speakers and delegates to participate from their home states.

The Regional Hubs have access to the entire digital program (everything listed as online and in person) but are making their own programming decisions about which individual sessions will be shown.

Sessions listed only as 'In Person' refer to sessions that are only happening at the Launceston venue.