Blue Fringe Art & Literature Festival

Belong Blue Mountains is very proud to be an organising partner of the The Blue Fringe Arts & Literature Festival which has become a significant fixture on the Blue Mountains community events calendar over the last 30 years.

Held in October each year to coincide with Mental Health Month, Blue Fringe celebrates and acknowledges the creativity of people with a lived experience of mental illness. The festival's youth categories are open to anyone of high school age in celebration of mental wellbeing and resilience.

Through its life, Blue Fringe has showcased the talents of thousands of poets, artists, sculptors, designers, photographers and story tellers. For many, it is the first time they have shared their work publicly and for some the experience is life changing.

​“Blue Fringe is an opportunity to be heard, to be seen.

It opens up conversations.

It brings mental illness out of the darkness and into the light.”

Blue Fringe opens for entries in August each year with Adult and Youth categories in Art, Photography, Sculpture, Textiles, Short Stories and Poetry. All work entered is then celebrated in a free exhibition at the end of October that also includes a series of special community events and an Awards ceremony with monetary prizes. A stunning coffee table book is also published each year featuring all of the work entered for the festival - this is a wonderful showcase of creativity and resilience.

More information about Blue Fringe including its history, image galleries, how to enter, and books for sale can be found on the official Blue Fringe website www.bluefringe.org.au You can also keep up to date on the Blue Fringe socials.

Thanks and gratitude to the sponsors of Blue Fringe.

The festival would not be possible without the support of many generous local people and businesses over the years. The Blue Mountains City Council and Bendigo Bank have been a long time supporters of the Festival and recognise the important cultural role the event plays in our community and in generating positive conversations around mental health.

Thanks and gratitude to the organisers of Blue Fringe.

The Organising Committee for Blue Fringe is made up of workers from Springwood Neighbourhood Centre, Belong Blue Mountains and a very committed and passionate team of wonderful volunteers.