The inaugural Dark MOFO arts and music festival unveiled its full program a month ago, featuring an impressive list of specially curated musical acts and performances from the international likes of Canadian songstress Martha Wainwright and cult Japanese bands Boris and Mono, through to local highlights like You Am I, The Drones, and The Presets.

One particular feature of the Tasmanian festival, pegged as the ‘dark winter sister’ of the popular summer MOFO event, has been deemed “too obscene” by local authorities.

The frosty sight of a few bums and bits belonging to the public splashing about in the Derwent River has proved too controversial a sight for Tasmanian Police, with ABC News reporting that the proposed nude solstice swim, one of Dark MOFO’s public participation events, has been cancelled by Police who say that it contravenes legislation and public decency.

The artistic skinnydip was originally planned to take place at Nutgrove Beach, in lower Sandy Bay, the ritualistic dip had already attracted over 200 registrants from members of the public keen to brave the chilly waters before the Dark MOFO program had even been distributed. Along with 25 body-painted representatives, the 200+ nude members of the public were to hit the water at sunrise, with Surf Lifesaving Tasmania on hand to enforce safety protocols for the 50 metre swim.

Tasmanian Police have now axed the event, saying that if it were to go ahead they would be forced to arrest participants in their birthday suits on the basis of indecent exposure, obscene behaviour, and disorderly conduct. “While it was a bit of fun… as soon as you start seeing the word ‘arrest’ come through on the email the fun disappears pretty quickly.” – Leigh Carmichael, Dark MOFO

In light of the conservative cancellation of their event, Dark MOFO’s Creative Director Leigh Carmichael, says that they were co-operating with Police to obtain permission for festival events when they were informed the winter skinnydip would breach Tasmanian laws and should be pulled from the program.

“We thought it would be a bit of fun, really,” says Mr Carmichael. “We thought there’d be 15, maybe 20 people, so it was going to be quite a small event…once it got to 200 people… I’ve got no idea, but I imagine a beach full of bums.”

“While it was a bit of fun,” he adds, “as soon as you start seeing the word ‘arrest’ come through on the email the fun disappears pretty quickly.”

Dark MOFO’s priorities are ensuring a good working relationship with the Tasmanian force other their many other events and cancelling the nude swim is an unfortunate victim of that circumstance. Mr Carmichael says he and festival organisers will work with police and Harbour City Council to see if the event can be held in the future.

Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas said that the event would have had the endorsement of the liberally minded local council had they been approached and emphasised that it was the Police’s decision to ban the event.

“We’d be less than a good governance if we didn’t consider everything brought forward to us,” says Mr Thomas. “It probably makes us look like a bit of a backwater, but we’ve got to remember that clearly this hasn’t come up before, and had it come forward five years or eight years ago, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion now because the matter would have been canvassed, debated, paraded and done.”

Even with the cancellation of the ‘bums on the beach’ public event, Dark MOFO still has plenty of cultural drawcards as it takes over Harbour City and its surrounds from Thursday 13th to Sunday 23rd June, with 83+ acts already confirmed for the festival.

View Dark MOFO’s A-Z artist lineup below, along with the dates and calendar, or head to darkmofo.net.au for more details.

DARK MOFO 2013 Lineup

A Dead Forest Index
Alfredo Jaar
Andee Frost
Andy Reed
Angel Eyes
Anish Kapoor
Barbarion
Ben Milgate + Elvis Abrahanowicz
Ben Salter
Bill Hart
Boris
Brad Hammond
Brian Nankervis
Cal Young
Canyons + Daniel Boyd
Christine Manfield
Chronox
Clagg
Craig Pilkington
Darren Hanlon
Dirk Dresselhaus
Domenico De Clario
Dylan Sheridan + Laura Hindmarsh
DZ Deathrays
Ethno Tekh
Fabien Giraud + Raphael Siboni
Fascinator
Fourteen Nights At Sea
Frank Camorra
Giuseppe Penone
Gordon W
Gregorio Zanon
Hermitude
Ian Burns
Ivana Franke
James Baker
Jeff Lang
Jen Anderson
Joanna Dudley
Julius Popp
Kangaroo Skulls
Kirsha Kaechele
Kit Webster + Chiara Kickdrum
Kurt Hentschlager
Lara Favaretto
Lawrence Weiner
Liz Stringer
Mark Wallace
Martha Wainwright
Mathieu Briand
Michael Barclay
Michelangelo Pistoletto
Mick Thomas
Miles Brown
Mixmasters
Mono
Movement
My Disco
Naysayer + Gilsun
Oscar Ferreiro + Heath Brown
Otologic
Patricia Piccinini
Rainbox Connection Djs
Robin Fox
Rufus Didwiszus
Ryoji Ikeda
Sal Kimber
Sally Rees + Rodney Berry
Super Wild Horses
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
The Dc3
The Drones
The Hunter + Jason James
The Presets
The Stickmen
Tim Bruniges
Tim Rogers
Todd Mcmillan
Van Walker
You Am I
Zanzibar Chanel
Zeal + Cycle
Zond
+More

DARK MOFO 2013 Event Details

June 13th-26th
The festival takes place at various festivals around Hobart.
Presale starts Monday April 22 at 10am, tickets on sale Tuesday April 23 at 10am
http://www.darkmofo.net.au/

DARK MOFO 2013 Calendar

Click image to enlarge
DARK MOFO 2013

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