Maitland Street was alive and vibrant on Friday 19 March night with lights, music and people out and about enjoying Narra-BRIGHT.

The festival atmosphere of Narra-BRIGHT saw night shopping, family groups, footpath diners outside food outlets and pubs enjoying the evening and socialising with an almost holiday atmosphere and enjoying the music of Jazz Junction atop Watson’s Kitchen and the high school band on the Post Office verandah.

It was a great community event.

The organisers of Narra-BRIGHT. are to be congratulated on bringing a new dynamism to the Friday night streetscape.

Illuminated storefronts provided colourful facades which were striking and evocative and set the scene for a graphic experience.

Narra-BRIGHT created a cosmopolitan atmosphere which was unique for Maitland Street.

This kind of event can only benefit the community, the retail outlets, hotels and restaurants – many commented that perhaps even a monthly Narra-BRIGHT would be not too much of a reach – it would be welcomed by the community.

In conjunction with the successful CREATE festival Narra-BRIGHT has been a welcome new direction exploring people’s enthusiasm to embrace creativity and community.

The organisers are to be congratulated for their innovation and execution of the project.

The CREATE festival has come to Narrabri and enthusiastic participants and audiences look forward to hopefully welcoming its return.

The CREATE festival was driven by the Crossing Theatre‘s cultural facilities manager Scott Pollock as a labour of love – and a lot of work and organisation – with support from participants and sponsors in the 10 months leading up, which has brought significant cultural benefit to the community.

The arts across the spectrum were given the vehicle and the audience to appreciate creative talents over two weeks of music, theatre and art.

CREATE is a great a showcase for the creative community which is so strong in Narrabri.

Narrabri is home to talented performing and display artists and the occasions on which they can bring their works to a wide audience are too few and far between, particularly in the era of COVID.

The launch of CREATE at The Crossing Theatre was well attended and guests responded with enthusiasm to the opening overview from Scott Pollock who thanked contributors and sponsors and to the mayor Ron Campbell whose support along with that of fellow councillors and council provided the environment for CREATE to be staged and succeed so well.

The closing event of CREATE on Saturday night is being heralded as a ‘party you won’t forget.’

It will be the culmination of an innovative and successful program.

CREATE has the potential to be a valuable and much anticipated annual festival – everyone is looking forward to CREATE 2022.

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