BLACK STUMP will be held at
CATARACT SCOUT PARK, BADEN POWELL DRIVE, APPIN.
CATARACT SCOUT PARK is a 160 hectare property in APPIN NSW, about 40 minutes drive from the Sydney CBD.
STUMP was first held at CATARACT in 1987 and remained there until the end of the 2007 festival. Stump returned "home" to Cataract Park in 2011.
For more info check out: http://www.nsw.scouts.com.au/cataract/
Chances are we'll know the answer! If you have any questions about the facilities at Black Stump, please contact us at info@blackstump.org.au
It all started in 1983 when David Hogg, then chair of Baptist Youth Ministries, realised that 1985 was going to be International Youth Year. He thought it would be so good for Christian young people across the Churches to get together and celebrate what it meant for them. He went across to Pebblebrook in NZ - run by Mark Pierson - others had been to Greenbelt Festival in the UK. So, there gathered together key people from the Baptist, Churches of Christ, Uniting and Anglican Churches and from CYTA, Scripture Union, Youth for Christ. The first Chair of the organising group was Terry Dean.
The first festival was in 1985 at Cattai, and they wanted to have a distinctive Australian name so they called it "Beyond the Black Stump Christian Youth Teaching, Music and Arts Festival". What a mouthful, hey?! Beyond the Black Stump is a mythical place that is "out there", the unknown, yet it resonates with the Australian pioneer spirit. These were the sort of things that were projected through the Black Stump Festival.
The first one went so well that people said there had to be another, so the next year it was held again. The year after was a gap year to get things together, and then in 1988 it shifted to Cataract Park. There was a gap in 1995 due to a financial blow out in 1994, a gap again in 2000 because of the Olympics ending on the October long weekend and another gap in 2010 when the Board of Directors made the tough decision that it would be financially irresponsible for the festival to proceed for that year. The gap in 2010 gave the team a great chance to revision Black Stump for the future and ultimately the decision was made to move Stump back to Cataract Park. We enjoyed a great home coming to Cataract Park in 2011.
Over the years Black Stump has launched the careers of speakers and teachers, bands, artists and technicians. Stump has always been a place where new bands, musicians and soloists can get a wider exposure and become known. Stump is committed to continue to raise up local, home grown Aussie artists.
The organisation of Black Stump has been expressed in numerous forms over the years with individuals, Churches and organisations pouring time and resources into making Stump happen. The company is called Combined Christian Youth Activities and that trades as Beyond the Black Stump Festival with a Board of Directors and co-ordinators for all the key areas. It is like a co-operative of volunteers who give hours and hours of time to make it happen. The current Chairman is David Hogg.
Black Stump is a phenomenon that by God's generous grace keeps developing and growing as we try to hold together the radical calling of Jesus, build community for a long weekend in October and find an expression of communication, music and arts as we search for faith to become real and God's kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven.
You get an awesome 4 days of Australia's best Christian Music, Arts, Word & Action, including camping and use of amenities. Basically, once you're in the gate there are NO EXTRA CHARGES for anything listed in the Program.
All the music, all the shows, entry into all the venues as well as the Bible Studies and Workshop Electives are "all included in the price". The only thing you'll need to pay for is any food or merchandise you choose to buy...
(There may be other specific activities that will cost, but they will be advertised).
Applications to perform at Stump 2012 will open early this year. Keep an eye out for info on our Facebook page and our website on how to apply.
Yes, Kids Stump runs for kids aged 5 - 12 years old . Sorry, we do not have facilities to cater for children younger than 5. Registrations for the Kids Stump programme will be available on Friday 28 September. Be on the lookout for the big orange Kids Stump signs!
Please note that children must be currently attending School and be in Kindergarten to Year 6. Unfortunately we cannot cater for Pre-School or Prep students.
No - The programme itself is free. Lunch is supplied for the children and a small donation to cover this would be most welcome.
The feedback form for this year's festival can be found here - http://www.blackstump.org.au/evaluations.aspx
If you'd like to discuss anything in detail, please feel free to email info@blackstump.org.au
Feel free to share your ideas on the Feedback Form located at - http://www.blackstump.org.au/evaluations.aspx
If you would like to give suggestions in length, please contact the following areas -
Arts - arts@blackstump.org.au
Electives - electives@blackstump.org.au
Music - music@blackstump.org.au
Village - village@blackstump.org.au
Word and Action - teaching@blackstump.org.au
Vendor applications will open in JUNE for Stump 2012.
There are a few ways you may want to advertise through Black Stump:
The Program is given to all attendees at Black Stump with an approximate distribution of 3,000. It is an A4 booklet in one colour (usually black) and all adverts are in black and white. For more details drop us a line at the Festival office via admin@blackstump.org.au
Customised Advertising packages are also available.