MONA's decision to cancel or pause its major festivals has meant some serious holes in Tasmania's tourism calendar. But proponents of lesser-known events, such as Hobart's Beaker St Festival, have welcomed a rare patch of clear air. "I think we often get a bit buried under Dark Mofo," said Beaker St founder Margo Adler.
In April the long-running Mona Foma was cancelled, while Dark Mofo has paused its program for 2024, although the winter feast and famous solstice nude swim will still go ahead. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. Cost increases have meant a grim outlook for Australia's festivals generally, but the hope in Tasmania is that with less competition and extra government funding, other events can grow.
The Beaker St Festival, along with the Festival of Voices in June and July and regional events such as agriCULTURED in August, will be more secure when Dark Mofo returns, Dr Adler told AAP. "So I see it as a really positive thing, when they do come back everyone's going to be on a stronger footing," she said. The Beaker St Festival aims to welcome people to science, through art, music, food, and experiences, rather than boring science lectures.
Hobart has more scientists per capita than any other Australian city, says Dr Adler, and as Australia's gateway to Antarctica, it hosts many international researchers. "There's a lot of science really concentrated in Hobart, you just meet scientists everywhere you go," she said. .
