Welcome Messages
Welcome Messages
Message from the Minister for Communities and Housing and Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts, The Hon. Enoch MP
Presented by Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, Pop Up North Queensland (PUNQ), celebrates the unique artists and landscapes of North Queensland.
PUNQ is a burst of creativity across the region, offering exciting exhibitions, installations, performances and workshops presented in partnership with local arts and cultural organisations.
Taking place from Wulgurukaba and Bindal Country (Townsville) to Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), Gudjal Country (Charters Towers) and Warrgamay, Nywaigi & Bandjin Country (Hinchinbrook), PUNQ demonstrates the wide variety of arts and cultural experiences on offer in North Queensland .
In Townsville alone, there will be more than 20 pop-up art spaces over ten days with activities such as pottery, fashion, painting, drawing, music, photography, digital projection, large-scale installations, jewellery, textiles, printmaking and puppetry.
The festival also includes the commissioning of 10 new ephemeral public artworks, a new regional art trail and a series of site-specific performances by Dance North.
The Palaszczuk Government is a proud supporter of PUNQ, providing funding through the Government’s $22.5 million Arts and Cultural Recovery Package to help support local artists, strengthen cultural tourism and connect locals and visitors alike to an experience that is uniquely Queensland.
Events like PUNQ are also helping to deliver our Government’s 10-year arts roadmap Creative Together 2020-2030, supporting our priorities to elevate First Nations Arts, strengthen Queensland communities, share our stories and celebrate our storytellers.
Every year, the arts contributes $8.5 billion to the State’s economy and supports more than 92,000 Queensland jobs, which is why festivals like this are so important.
I encourage everyone to experience the fun and creativity of PUNQ 2021.
The Honourable Leeanne Enoch MP
Minister for Communities and Housing
Minister for Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts
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Message from Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of the City of Townsville
As Mayor of Townsville, I am proud to welcome you to Pop Up North Queensland (PUNQ) Festival, ten days of vibrant artistry curated by none other than Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, quite literally popping up throughout our city centre and across North Queensland.
Over the years the Townsville community has gained a serious cultural appetite, and with it we are quickly establishing a name for ourselves as a city that embraces its cultural melting pot of heritage, passion and artistic flair.
A welcome addition to Council’s North Australian Festival of Arts’ event partners, PUNQ 2021 will have locals and visitors alike falling head over heels with the artistic opportunities here. Townsville will be the base for festival day trips across the North Queensland region as PUNQ extends from its roots to include Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), Gudjal Country (Charters Towers) and Warrgamay, Nywaigi & Bandjin Country (Hinchinbrook).
With more than 68-pop up spaces and program experiences sprawled throughout vacant sites around the CBD, PUNQ will bring people together to let their creative side free participating in a range of unique arts experiences including workshops, performances and exhibitions. Celebrating the distinct landscapes of this region, PUNQ also welcomes a new site-specific installation and performance facet to their festival by renowned First Nations and Australian artists set to transform perceptions across the region.
Townsville City Council is extremely pleased to once again support PUNQ through our Community Grants Program, giving both artists and our community members an opportunity to continue moulding the arts and culture community here in North Queensland.
I look forward to embarking on a journey throughout our CBD and across the North Queensland to experience everything Pop Up North Queensland has to offer in 2021!
Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of the City of Townsville.
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Message from the Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport, The Hon. Stirling Hinchliffe MP
Welcome to Pop Up North Queensland, a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in Townsville’s local culture and community, and hopefully explore some of the superb tourism experiences on offer here.
The impacts of the pandemic have provided incredible challenges, but thanks to the hard work of Queenslanders our state was one of the first to put in place a COVID Safe Event Framework which paved the way for events such as this one to take place.
The Queensland Government is proud to support Pop Up North Queensland, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Destination Events Program and it is a feature on our It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar. Events are an important part of our state’s economic recovery from the pandemic because they attract visitors to the region which stimulates the local economy and supports local jobs. Events are also an important opportunity for communities, friends, families and visitors to come together, creating community pride and reconnecting us.
Congratulations to the event organisers and all those involved in organising this event – may it be a successful one.
If you are visiting for the event, I encourage you to make some time to explore the diverse tourism experiences on offer in this beautiful region.
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe MP
Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport.
Open Hours
Tues - Fri: 9am-5pm
Sat - Sun: 9am-1pm
Gallery closed Mondays, public holidays and during exhibition install weeks.
Follow our social media for updates.
Contact
408 Flinders Street,
Gurambilbarra (Townsville),
Qld, 4810 Australia
PO Box 2394,
Gurambilbarra (Townsville),
Qld, 4810 Australia
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Acknowledgement of Country
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts respectfully acknowledges the Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun and the surrounding groups of our region - Bindal, Gugu Badhan, Nywaigi, Warrgamay, Bandjin and Gudjal - as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather, share and celebrate local creative practice. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people of Australia. They have never ceded sovereignty and remain strong in their enduring connection to land and Culture.
Umbrella is a Member & Signatory of the Indigenous Art Code. This means we are committed to fair and ethical trade with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and transparency in the promotion and sale of artwork. As a Dealer Member and signatory to the Code we must act fairly, honestly, professionally and in good conscience in all direct or indirect dealings with artists.
Help Us Elevate Regional Artists
We champion artists, amplifying their distinctive and authentic voices. We are an inclusive platform for independent, experimental, contemporary arts practice in local, national, and international arts landscapes. We have a 39 year history of connecting artists and audiences and we couldn't do it without your support.
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) with the Australian Taxation Office. Donations to Umbrella are tax deductible for amounts of $2 or more. Click here to donate.
Acknowledgements
Umbrella is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy, and by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. | Umbrella is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receives funding from Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund. | Townsville City Council is a funding partner of Umbrella's program.
