The Kingston District Council has partnered with Kingston SE Small Steps to attract grant funding to deliver a unique public art project as part of the Fringe on Tour Festival heading to the tiny coastal community in March.

The council recently secured funding through Wellbeing SA’s ‘Strengthening Community Wellbeing after Bushfires Grant’ to bring the Fringe caravan to Kingston to provide a free pop up hit of Fringe flavour.

The latest grant is courtesy of Stand Like Stone and will see council engage nationally recognised Limestone Coast artist/educator/community worker JoJo Spook to conduct a series of workshops during Fringe Festival, recently named the Sea & Sand Carnival. 

Council’s Chief Executive Officer Nat Traeger said she was excited to see the project come to fruition.

“JoJo will construct mini ‘Larry the Lobsters’ made out of recycled materials and these will be brought to life using volunteers and fringe-goers who will weave collected ocean debris through them,” she said.

JoJo Spook is excited to be part of the event, particularly in Kingston where she recently piloted an ocean rubbish program with the Kingston Community School.

“I am passionate about the marine environment, collection of ocean debris and educating others in the process”, she said.

“Having undertaken a similar project at the Ceduna Arts Centre, where the subject was a turtle named ‘Kevin’, I am looking forward to working with the public on this environmental project and perhaps creating an opportunity for people to be involved in something different, whilst advocating for environmental awareness.”

The council is also seeking funding through the Country Arts SA Cultural Tourism Accelerator Grant Program to add other arts and cultural events to the festivities, including engaging a sand sculptural artist for an ephemeral art installation, as well as a large-scale mural artist to develop a public artwork on the brick wall around the rotunda in the Kingston Lions Park. 

Ms Traeger also confirmed that Adelaide Fringe had secured a further $10,000 for the Kingston event through RISE (Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand) arts and entertainment funding from the Federal Government.

The funding will be used to support additional Fringe artists to tour Kingston on March 4 as well as adding value to the Fringe on Tour event program on March 5.