One of Australia’s longest running and most successful international art festivals will embrace new technologies and provide all year-round attractions following support from the City of Sydney.

The 2016 Biennale of Sydney will receive $720,000 in cash as support from the City of Sydney to boost audience experiences, with a 12-month program featuring virtual tours, live artist talks and video streaming. It has also committed to supporting the Biennale for the next three festivals in 2016, 2018 and 2020.

The Biennale runs for three months and offers education programs, artist talks, forums, guided tours, school programs and family days. Since its inception, the festival has showcased the work of nearly 1,700 artists from more than 100 countries. More than 623,000 visitors attended last year’s festival.

“The Biennale of Sydney is one of the great festivals of contemporary art – it opens up the heart of our city and is free and accessible to everyone,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

According to Access Economics, the Biennale contributes almost $64 million to the Australian economy and more than $50 million to the NSW economy, with an estimated return on investment of $102 per visitor.

“Events like the Biennale vastly enrich our city’s cultural life and showcase Sydney as one of the world’s great event capitals,” said the Lord Mayor. “They also shine an international spotlight on our city, boosting tourism and bringing significant benefits to the local economy, helping to secure jobs across different industries and locations.”

The Biennale of Sydney is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to engage local and international audiences with innovative contemporary works, to promote cultural exchange and to inspire audiences to experience art in new and creative ways.

The Biennale of Sydney
biennaleofsydney.com.au