“Celebrate and strengthen community” was the reason Susan Evans from On The Flip Side decided to create a local community event at our very own Brompton Community Garden and 19 on Green Community Centre.

Susan started experimenting with community events a few years ago and quickly discovered this was her calling.

Using her experience from her own band, Susan was initially organising music events, but this evolved into organising events for all manner of artists.

Her recent events involving the combination of music, art and community included -

• #nofilter fair in Carclew which was ‘an imagination of a hipster fair’
• “Fort Dreamland” which was a blanket fort event with live music and stalls in Victoria Square, and
• The first Flip Side Festival in 2018 which hosted an art exhibition and several bands

By this time, she really felt this was the way she wanted to work – celebrating artists and musicians to help shape community. It was this focus on the artists and musicians which fostered excitement, a great vibe and interaction between performers and patrons.

In 2019, when the Flip Side Festival went bigger, Susan partnered with her friend Timothea Moylan who took on the artistic role – curating exhibitions.

The Flip Side Festival became a two day event, and focussed on local female talent showcasing women-led music and arts. The festival included visual art experiences including experimental music, fire artistry and glow in the dark face painting, and the second day was an all day Sunday music session out in the sun.

Susan said the biggest joy was having all the band members watching other bands playing - some that they might not normally have played with - and just watching how excited everyone was for each other. There were also a couple craft workshops which patrons really loved.  Flip Side Festival was meant to be held on 18 October this year but due to COVID-19, this was cancelled.

Susan was chatting about this to Michael Abbott (19 on Green co-ordinator) when she had the idea of creating an event to celebrate community, musicians, artists and locals.

She said “It just makes sense to me to create an artistic community in the community I call home”.

Michael thought it was a great idea, and so a collaborative event was created where 19 on Green has come on as a partner and is proving in-kind support, being a venue co-host and organising a range of workshops on the day, including casual yoga, beeswax wraps and terracotta painting.

The live music and artists include Hey Harriett, Ricky Albeck, Sawcy Paws, Church Moms, Big Sloe and Carly Coburn (playing 90's classics), and the live art by local artists Jasmine Crisp, Althea Mallee, and Erin Paterson

The music and  live art is set in amongst the  Brompton Community Garden, and the workshops will take place at 19 on Green.

It is a perfect opportunity for the local community, and particularly some of the newer residents moving into the area, to truly see and appreciate what they have access to at their doorstep.

The nature of meandering around, chatting, listening to music, attending workshops, and having a snack or a beer (thanks to Pirate Life, and the Staazi & Co vegan food van with vegan options) is conducive to making new connections, friendships and being very much a part of our community.

Susan has wanted to see how this event is received and is happy to do a repeat if the community give it a tick on the day.

Just like many of the businesses we have spoken to, many of those impacted themselves have decided to do something bigger outside of themselves, using their skills, talents and connections to collaborate, be creative and play a role in re-booting the energy of this very unusual year.