This originally article appeared in the St. George and Sutherland Shire Leader on DECEMBER 8 2020. View the original here

The sound of live music returns to Carlton this weekend when the Shopfront Arts Co-op hosts the free, two-day multicultural festival, ELEVATE.

The ELEVATE festival kicks off on Saturday at 7pm with an open mic night with performances from all ages and all genres.

On Sunday from 11am to 3pm, Shopfront will offer family-friendly fun, with showcases from students aged eight to 19-years and performances from local artists.

There will also be free children’s workshops in dance, drama and visual theatre.

Local musicians will be playing live sets throughout the day in the coffee shops Oscuro, Sweet Marie’s and ElevenEleven in Carlton Parade.

All three cafes will also be offering food specials that can be bought with festival tokens.

The ELEVATE festival will celebrate and showcase local talent, as well as giving local residents the chance to take a tour inside Shopfront’s newly expanded building.

ELEVATE will be held Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13 at the Shopfront Arts Co-op newly-renovated Arts Precinct at 86-88 Carlton Parade.

For more information and to register attendance please go to www. shopfront.org.au/events/elevate/