Ten Days On the Island A Huge Success

20 August 2009

The Ten Days on the Island festival was an outstanding success with attendances significantly up on previous festivals, the Minister for Arts Michelle O’Byrne said today.

Ms O’Byrne said this year’s Ten Days attracted about 197,500 people to 238 ticketed and free events across many parts of the state.

“This represents a significant increase on attendance figures for the previous two festivals which were 166, 000 in 2007 and 160, 000 in 2005,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“It included a record-breaking 114,158 at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery to see the Patricia Piccinini exhibition.

“The box office takings were also the highest ever since the festival’s inception.”

Ms O’Byrne said nine per cent of the ticket buyers to Ten Days on the Island were from interstate and many extended their stay to Tasmania, while another two per cent were from international destinations.

“Of the audience members surveyed during ticketed events, 86 per cent indicated that they were visiting the free visual arts events when they could,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“This represents an extraordinary engagement with all aspects of the festival.”

Ms O’Byrne also hailed the financial return to Tasmania from the festival.

 “The return on the state’s investment in the festival is significant. The added value to the Tasmanian economy from the 2009 festival is $25.43 million-- a nine-fold impact on the investment made by state and corporate sponsors of $2.8 million.

“This shows clearly the importance of the arts to our economy, as well as to connecting our communities as people come together to participate in and enjoy events and performances.

“The Government is getting on with the job of making Tasmania a place of artistic excellence and rich cultural diversity, and Ten Days on the
Island’s ongoing success is testament to this effort.”

More than 730 artists from 20 countries performed in 62 projects in 99 venues in 52 locations across the state.

Further information: Sue Bailey: 6233 2305