The festival at the junction of artistic innovation and tourism KPIs

Government support from Events Tasmania instead of Arts Tasmania in no way prevents Junction from offering a strong cultural program every year.
Audiences gather outside a brightly-lit venue in Prince's Square. They, the building and the night sky are reflected in a dark pool of water in the foreground.

From an immersive installation evoking the numinous via projections cast on billowing silk inside Launceston’s oldest church, to rooftop performances and art in bars, the annual Junction Arts Festival has maintained its grassroots connections while simultaneously growing in both scale and ambition.

‘Junction is deeply rooted in Launceston and northern Tasmania, and I think through its [combination of] professional and community art engagement, we really draw in a beautiful audience,’ says Elle MacLeman, the Festival’s Programming and Development Manager.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts