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BUSINESS NEWS - The Wilderness Art Festival 2023 gets inspiration… Meet Stretch. The Steampunk singer-songwriter and storyteller.
Stretch is a character that comes out of the world of Steampunk - a fantasy concept of a Victorian-themed world that is sitting on the edge of an apocalypse.
Within this world, there is no electricity - only steam and modern technology adjusted and tweaked to work under the limited resources that are left on offer.
Stretch shares stories of what her world looks like - the people within it, their struggles and how they overcome the challenges that they face. Evidently, even though Steampunk seems vastly different to the world we know, there are many similarities between the two worlds. Many people are lost within themselves and the future is looking daunting...
Abandoning her world of steam, Stretch jumps onto the stage and uses her songs and tales to uplift the people of this world, exploring various ways of coping with change, social anxiety and displacement. She speaks of self-worth, encourages the pursuit of passion and celebrates the uniqueness that each individual has to offer.
Stretch creator
The concept of Stretch was created and is performed by Lauren Smith. Lauren has always had a passion for people, the arts and the stage. After completing her degree in acting and
performance art in Cape Town, she moved to the Garden Route and began her career as a
singer-songwriter.
She has been developing her character and performing in various venues around the Garden Route for the past five years and is currently working on her solo show that she plans to take on tour across the country.
Festival
The Wilderness Art Festival takes place from 20 to 23 April and is hosted at three main venues: Wilderness Hotel, Palms Garden Square and Milkwood Village.
Over 80 artists’ and sculptors’ works will be on display. Musicians, storytellers, poetry, live performances and book launches can be enjoyed.
The main events are the launch evening with live music and light buffet at 17:30 for 18:00 on Thursday 20 April; the Night of 1000 Drawings at 17:00 on Friday 21 April; the Freedom Feathers Fashion Show at 15:00 on Saturday 22 April; and Kevin Coffee Artist’s coffee and acrylic art pouring demo on Sunday 23 April. And these are just a sample. Full programmes will be available in Wilderness CBD.
The Wilderness Art Festival has something for everyone and is open to the public.
Octopus sculpture by Kat Livesey and fish sculpture by Brenda Fantozzi.
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