From the original Festival website:

The thirty-year anniversary will be marked in many different way over the five days (of the Festival), including a special guest appearance by Robyn Archer on Saturday 20 March at Tramway. Robyn is a singer, writer, director, artistic director, and public advocate of the arts, mainly in Australia though her reach is global. Many fans remember her from her stage successes such as A Star is Torn and Tonight Lola Blau: some know her only as one of the world’s foremost exponents of German cabaret songs. She is known for her own writing, including political songs in shows like Pack of Women and Kold Comfort Kaffee and has been a highly successful Artistic Director of arts festivals. Robyn Archer is one very energetic woman who still doing all the above and more and has

recently been appointed Creative Director of the Canberra Centenary 2013.

The text from Robyn’s talk is in the documents section of this website.

“It is at such times as these, and have they ever been like this before – in war surely – but scarcely in our lifetimes, which may turn out to be the last of the very best times, we have to think clearly about what art does, and what we as artists do. I feel confirmed in the view that we can’t be seen just to be fiddling while the globe burns… and I’m sure there are many who feel the same way.”

robynarcher.com

smartartists.co.au