IDEAS SOUGHT FOR IDEAS FESTIVAL

All Queenslanders are being urged to put on their thinking caps and contribute to the Smart State’s next Ideas Festival.

Arts Minister Rod Welford said planning for the 2008 Ideas Festival was underway under the management of Director Kylie Murphy and a talented team of “Ideas Advisors”.

“This will be our fourth Ideas Festival and for the next three months all Queenslanders have an opportunity to help shape the event,” Mr Welford said.

“”We are aiming to provide an interesting, diverse, relevant and challenging program of speakers, demonstrations and exhibitions that will attract more than 20,000 attendances.

“All Queenslanders are invited to put forward suggestions about what interests them and what they want to experience at the Ideas Festival.

“This is about hearing your ideas – the speakers you’d like to hear, the issues and concerns you’d like to raise, and what you want to learn more about.

“The Festival will present leading national and international speakers and thinkers in open public lectures, most of which are free.

“It will also present the work of Queenslanders and celebrate the many achievements of Queenslanders and their ideas, innovations and inventions.”

Mr Welford said the team of Ideas Festival Advisors included people such as broadcaster Phillip Adams, Queensland Chief Scientist Prof Peter Andrews, former Brisbane Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson and Chair of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Prof Ian Lowe.

The Ideas Festival will take place from 27-31 March 2008 at Brisbane’s South Bank.

The State Government will work with major sponsors Brisbane Airport Corporation and Griffith University and other sponsors to present the Ideas Festival.

“The involvement of these sponsors demonstrates their commitment to the further development of the Smart State, and it also makes it possible to present most of the Festival program absolutely free.

The Ideas Festival’s open public call for ‘ideas for Ideas’ will run until June this year. Ideas can be sent to info@ideasfestival.com.au or find out more at www.ideasfestival.com.au.

Media contact: Marnie Stitz on 3237 1000 or 0419 734 985