ConFest is an alternative bush campout festival held in the south-eastern states of Australia at New Year and Easter. The name 'ConFest' derives from combining the words conference and festival. The festival was first held in 1976 near Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. It was initiated and organised by former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Jim Cairns, his personal assistant Junie Morosi and David Ditchburn as a means of bringing together the subcultures of the alternative movement.
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The first gathering was held at the Cotter Dam Reserve, southwest of Canberra. The second gathering, in 1977, was on rented farmland (Mount Oak) near Bredbo, south of Canberra. It attracted 15,000 people. The farm was subsequently purchased with the festival takings as an open community.
ConFest in its early years was a melting pot of diverse worldviews. There was great passion for a better world. Conferences at ConFest attracted up to 1000 people. Workshops were held on all aspects of well-being for people and planet Earth. Some examples were gestalt therapy, massage, politics, meditation, yoga, polyamory, mud-brick construction, geodesic domes, tantra, self-sufficiency, paganism, vegetarianism and music. At the early ConFests, a number of co-operative communities held their first meetings and, at the conclusion of the festival, they went on to find and purchase land.
The Australian Down to Earth Network (ADTEN) was formed as a loose coalition. Festivals were held in every state and territory of Australia. Three state-based organisations were formed, in Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. They organised further festivals, usually on forested private land bordering a river. Only the Victorian Down to Earth co-operative (DTE) incorporated and has survived and it continues to organise ConFests in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales.
In 1995, the emerging trance dance movement first organised overnight outdoor doofs at ConFest following a series of amplified staged music events in the previous years. From 1995-1999 there was a period of conflict about appropriate music technologies at ConFest and amplified music was perceived by many to interrupt other activities at ConFest. ConFest music is now acoustic and campout doofs run independent of ConFests.
Landowners' concerns about public liability resulted in suitable land for sites being extremely difficult to find and DTE Victoria consequently purchased land on Gulpa Creek near Deniliquin in NSW in 2002 and held a series of ConFests on that site. DTE purchased a property on the Edwards River near Moulamein in 2006, which has since been the site for a number of Confests.
Typically around 2500 people attend ConFest with new-comers and old-timers describing ConFest as alive and well. International visitors from Europe, the Middle East, SE Asia, Oceania and the Americas say there is nothing like ConFest anywhere else in the world. Recent visitors from Bougainville, Cambodia and the Philippines are exploring ways to adapt ConFest in their cultures. The majority of ConFest attendees come from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and from other cities and townships around Australia.
Attendees at ConFest typically are interested in alternative and better futures for themselves, others and planet Earth. Workshops are run on a self-organising do-it-yourself basis. Around 12 workshops spaces are set up by site set-up volunteers and typically another 10 ore more workshop spaces emerge. At ConFest, typically between 250 and 350 workshops and events occur. An open-stage concert is typically held on at least one evening and large drum circles play on some evenings. Fire twirling is a feature when there is no Fire Ban in place. The Art Village, energized by two ConFesters supported by others, provides a communal hot tub, steam room, massage area, life drawing and ceramics beside a ConFest beach swimming area. Around 30 massage tables are in constant use.
Confest is particularly attractive to families as it is an inexpensive adventure filled holiday for the kids and the whole family.
The summer confest tends to be more about swimming and relaxing. The Easter confest tends to be more about workshops. Anyone can put on a workshop about anything at confest - that is both the strength and weakness of the workshops!
Nights are great fun at confest with most people choosing either to hang out in the Chai Tent, drum or dance the night away or go to sleep early!
The establishment of semi-organised groups or 'villages' has become popular where anyone is welcome into a village - it simply creates spaces for people with common interests but by no means creates a clique. Common Villages include Gypsy, Gay, Polyamory, Nude and Tepee to name a few. Anyone can organise a village, just gather a group, paint up a signboard and invite people in.
People are free to go naked if they want at confest as it is a clothing-optional event, with many people choosing to swim naked. It is definitely by no means a nudist festival though. The nudity at confest is what many first timers initially notice, but after a couple of days are tuned out of it.
Abuse of alcohol, drugs or any sexual harassment is not tolerated. However there is no official security so such issues tend to be 'negotiated.'
Confest is unique in that all participants are unpaid volunteers. The only exception are the official auditors.
In recent years the weather at Confest has sometimes been quite warm,[1] prompting the organizers to consult the community about the idea of moving the event to Spring. In 2008, the forecast is for cooler weather.[2]
ConFest used to have hundreds of fires. DTE operates ConFest under permits from the Local Shire. Since 2006, because of extremely high fire danger, permits have been granted conditional on having fires only in especially set up fire circles in large cleared areas. Recently there have been around 16 of these fire circles each supported by a covered cooking area, tables, tap and enclosed gas cooking. Attendees are encouraged to form communities around these fire circles and share food. The Gypsy Kitchen has been vibrant and set an example for others. Participants are open to, and encouraged in evolving participant-initiated villages around fire circles.
As of July 2009 - All electronically amplified sound is now banned at Confest except with equipment supplied and controlled by Down To Earth. This means that everyone must have permission from DTE to use anything that amplifies sound at a Confest. Parties wishing to use such equipment must adhere to set guidelines including recommended curfews.
DTE Victoria is an incorporated body under the Victorian Cooperatives Act. The change to the Victorian Cooperatives Act in the late 90s required that members of any Victoria Cooperative have to be Active Members engaged in activity directly related to a cooperatives core activity. As well, a quorum of members has to be present for meetings to take place. Previously DTE had over 1000 members many of whom never attended ConFest and DTE did not have their current addresses. Between 6 and 120 of these members would attend meetings depending on the waxing and waning of energy. As a direct result of the legislation change the number of members is currently around 50 members.
A growing group from Sydney have since 2003 been evolving the Sydney ConFesters Group Gatherings. Between 200 and 300 attend its gatherings typically held three times a year over long weekends. DTE Victoria has provided around $8000 seed money per gathering which is repaid after the gathering. As well DTE provides its public liability insurance cover and tickets. These gatherings have always run at a surplus, which is used to buy equipment for their gathering.
The smaller size lends itself to community closeness. The Sydney Gatherings are evolving a unique feel. They differ from ConFest in a number of ways:
Sydney ConFest also has many of ConFest’s features - a hot tub, steam room, concert, entry fee, welcoming tent, workshop boards & tents, camping facilities, showers and toilets.
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