Announcement posted by Cerebral Palsy Alliance 29 Mar 2018
Sydney, Australia – 23rd March 2018 - In celebration of their 100 year anniversary, May Gibbs’ iconic and immortal characters, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and their stalwart companions will come to life on the façade of Customs House, during Australia’s largest event, the Vivid Sydney festival, as they journey through the Australian Bush and encounter the weird, the wonderful, and things quite unknown altogether.
The Snugglepot and Cuddlepie light installation will be projected onto the beautiful sandstone exterior of Customs House during Vivid Sydney which runs from Friday 25 May to Saturday 16 June.
2018 commemorates 100 years of May Gibbs’ beloved book, Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
May Gibbs most famous book, Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie was first published in 1918 following her Gumnut Babies series of booklets. It sold out immediately, as did two more printings. The reviews were universally good, including one from Miles Franklin, who bought the complete set of books and showed them to her friends in London.
On her passing in 1969 she bequeathed 50% of the copyright of all her works to Cerebral Palsy Alliance and 50% to The Northcott Society. Through her foresight and generosity, proceeds from the sale of May Gibbs products have supported thousands of Australian children with disabilities and their families.
“We are very grateful for May’s amazing legacy, which continues to provide vital support and benefitting the lives of so many children, and their families living with disability,” said Rob White, CEO Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
May Gibbs’ themed products will be available for sale during Vivid Sydney 2018. Proceeds from the sale of these products will support Cerebral Palsy Alliance to continue their work to enable people with disability to realise their potential.
Quintessentially Australian, the delightful tales and bush fantasy world of May Gibbs has been a source of continual fascination for generations of children. May’s is a world filled with fears and excitement and adventures both extraordinary and everyday. A world peopled with small creatures where the real mixes tantalizingly with the imaginary and provides a window to the magic we all believe still exists in the bush.
Now combined in one edition, The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, features the original tale along with its two sequels, Little Ragged Blossom (1920) and Little Obelia (1921) and has never been out of print.
Born in 1877 in Kent, United Kingdom, May arrived in Australia at the age of four. She drew and painted as a child and went on to study art in Western Australia and in the UK before settling in Sydney as a children’s books author and illustrator.
About Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Cerebral Palsy Alliance provides family-centred therapies, life skills programs, equipment and support for people living with cerebral palsy and their families and operates from 55 sites throughout metropolitan, regional and rural NSW and the ACT. See more at:
https://www.cerebralpalsy.org.au/
About May Gibbs
May Gibbs (1877 – 1969) is one of Australia’s most treasured illustrators, artists and children’s authors. Her bush fantasy world has captured the imaginations of Australians for over a century, creating a uniquely Australian folklore that holds a special place in the hearts of a nation. See more at: https://www.maygibbs.org/
About Vivid Sydney
Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas and now the largest event in Australia. For 23 days - from 25 May to 16 June 2018 – the event places a spotlight on Sydney and reinforces its position as the home of light, creativity, cutting edge music, engaging conversations and the exchange of new ideas. The festival is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. In 2017 Vivid Sydney attracted a record 2.33 million attendees and injected over $143 million into NSW’s visitor economy. For more information visit www.vividsydney.com