Adelaide’s reputation as a UNESCO City of Music continues to open doors for South Australian artists, with new international relationships emerging from this year’s festival season. The designation provides membership to more than 400 cities across the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and ACOM exists to celebrate and to build relationships and sustainable opportunities for our state’s musicians and music community.
One example of this work is the relationship built between Adelaide and London, Ontario, which is home to Sunfest, a major free world music festival. ACOM facilitated a Sunfest visit to Adelaide during our March festival season through a partnership with the Adelaide Fringe Honey Pot program. The visit was designed to help promote South Australia’s creative landscape, meet local artists and organisations, and explore how cities can create stronger pathways for artists to develop and connect internationally.
The visit has created the foundation for future collaboration. As a direct result of their time in Adelaide, Sunfest committed to working towards stronger and more sustainable connections with South Australian artists and cultural organisations, and invited Nexus Arts to visit Sunfest in July to experience the festival firsthand and to establish new collaborations.
A multiplier event, artists booked to perform at Sunfest are regularly booked to play other summer festivals in Canada and the U.S. This relationship represents a genuine opportunity to build audiences and profiles, and to create pathways for South Australian artists.
For Adelaide’s music sector, the Sunfest connection is a reminder that its UNESCO City of Music designation and its internationally regarded festival season are about more than local activity. They are also a platform for building international relationships that support artists’ careers and strengthen South Australia’s place in the global music community.
ACOM has partnered with Sunfest as it shares a commitment in building meaningful, ongoing, sustainable pathways.
ACOM is currently working to strengthen existing and to establish programs and relationships like the one with Sunfest with organisations, festivals, and showcase opportunties across the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and beyond. Sunfest is a free summer world music festival in London, Ontario, known for bringing together music, food, crafts, and cultural celebrations from around the world. Founded in 1995, it began as a small event and has grown into one of the city’s signature events, drawing large audiences each July.
Sunfest curates its lineup to highlight musical diversity, presenting international performers whose sounds reflect a wide range of cultures, styles, and traditions. The result is a festival built around discovery, cultural exchange, and a vibrant shared experience in the heart of London, Ontario.
Founded in 1984 as a multicultural arts workers collective, Nexus Arts is Adelaide’s leading intercultural contemporary arts organisation, creating opportunities for culturally diverse and First Nations artists while presenting ambitious work to broad audiences.
Nexus Arts works to connect artists with audiences, build creative careers, and promote cultural diversity in the arts by supporting intercultural arts practice through exhibitions, live music, residencies, and artist development programs.
Read more about how Adelaide City of Music is partnering to turn Adelaide’s strength’s into global opportunities.