Sydney’s Northern Beaches has been the birthplace for many renowned musicians and artists, including Angus and Julia Stone, Flume and Lime Cordiale.
In an effort to usher in the next generation of music, Brookvale Arts District (BAD), an artistic enclave framed by Pittwater Road, Harbord Road, William Street, Winbourne Road and Wattle Street, developed the GroundSwell festival.
Running over three days from 27-29 October 2023, the festival showcased a smorgasbord of sounds; skater punk, opera, Latin, neo-funk, art battles, comedy, surf films and more.
GroundSwell drew sponsorship from NSW Government, Northern Beaches Council, the International College of Management Sydney (ICMS), and partnered with Seventh Day Brewery, 4Pines, Manly Spirits, Dad n Dave’s, Manly Spirits, Scoopanova and DEUS (formerly Supreme Coffee).
The event secured coverage from Time Out Sydney, Beaches COVERED, Tawny Frogmouth, Manly Observer and the Sydney Morning Herald.
In addition to generating ample publicity, GroundSwell led to an increase in engagement across all BAD’s social media platforms, with Instagram followers rising by 204%, and total profile visits rising by 323%.
“It was fantastic to be part of GroundSwell. Seeing my work upscaled and spread over such a wide area was great, said renowned Northern Beaches artist, Ben Brown, whose work was featured in the event using an augmented reality (AR) treatment.
“The AR treatment was awesome, and I loved seeing people using the app to view animations of the artworks. I have a long history with Brookvale and plastering the area with my demented drawings was a blast."
“GroundSwell is everything that the Northern Beaches needs,” said film producer, Simon J. Heath.
“BAD is building a genuine community of punks, rockers, artists and stakeholders who back their vision for a place in the sun where music and art thrive,” added Heath.
GroundSwell will be returning in late 2024, featuring local and international artists.
To learn more about GroundSwell and how you can participate, contact BAD’s District Coordinator, Lara Allport, on the BAD District Page.
We acknowledge that we live and work on Aboriginal land and recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of First Nations Australians. We also acknowledge all of the traditional owners of the land in NSW, and pay respect to First Nations Elders, past and present.
