The Fish on a Bike Returns was a showcase event of Eyre Peninsula Arts Communities and Organisations, alongside a celebration of the re-opening of the ArtEyrea Workshops in Port Lincoln, South Australia.

The ArtEyrea building is home to the Port Lincoln Art Group, Quilters Guild, Drawing Group and the City Band. It also has facilities to support print making and ceramics. The event attracted artists and patrons for a weekend of workshops, makers’ markets, exhibitions, demonstrations, open studios and performances. A ‘Public Arts Trail’ brochure and on-line map that was also launched at the event, and will be an ongoing tourism asset for visitors to Port Lincoln.

The event assisted in filling a cultural gap in visitor marketing and has reinforced the potential benefits for the local economy to reach out to foster stronger links with the wider Peninsula arts communities.

Eyre Arts Action Incorporated received funding to produce professional designed digital marketing materials, including logo and website; install an exhibition hanging system in ArtEyrea; and develop a Public Arts Trail in Port Lincoln. The event developed the event management skills of Eyre Arts Action team members and built stronger connections with arts communities throughout the Peninsula. The Fish on a Bike Returns attracted over 1300 attendees both physically and digitally, a 500% increase on the anticipated visitation.

Drawing people from the Peninsula and beyond showcased what Port Lincoln has to offer arts communities, encouraging return visits for future workshops and experiences, but also demonstrating what other arts experiences and infrastructure are available outside of Port Lincoln that may encourage Port Lincoln and Adelaide arts practitioners and enthusiasts to more frequently visit other parts of the Peninsula as well.

This project was funded by a Cultural Tourism Generator grant, an extension of the Cultural Tourism Accelerator Program. The Cultural Tourism Accelerator Program was an Australian Government initiative delivered through the Regional Arts Fund to help strengthen local visitor economies. The Program sought to increase tourism visitation in regional, rural, and remote communities across Australia, by providing financial support for the promotion of arts and cultural activities.