Summary

Isol-Aid online music festival poster design 'DON'T PANIC. WE ALL GET A SECOND HELPING.' by artist and graphic designer Sebastian White, featuring a box of penne shaped pasta rendered in red and blue. This design directly references panic buying and subsequent grocery shortages of staple items in Victoria at the beginning of the pandemic, as Stay at Home Public Health Orders were announced.

Physical Description

Full colour digital poster.

Significance

The Isol-Aid poster collection is a visual representation of innovative music festival Isol-Aid, founded and based in Melbourne in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolded in 2020, and its impact on the local music community. These posters provide a rich historical document of contemporary practicing performing artists, many of whom are Victorian based, at this moment in time. The designs also include visual representations of items related to daily life during pandemic restrictions. From an artistic perspective, the designs are highly effective, vibrant and meaningful composition, carring rich potential for interpretaion now, and into the future.

Artist Sebastian White has developed a recognisable visual style for the festival, drawing on a nostalgic packaging design aesthetic, which is evident across the vast array of posters created through 2020. White's designs respond to the impact of the pandemic on daily life with poignancy and humour, creating a new topical visual concept each week. Designs have included references to panic buying, essential grocery items, take away food, sanitisation products, home hair dye, parcel delivery, colouring in, gardening, home exercise, jigsaws, mask wearing and Victoria's Stage 4 restrictions on movement.

Isol-Aid Festival founder, director and programmer Emily Ulman, is a musician, educator, festival curator and music booker, based in Melbourne. The festival was conceived in response to the impact of pandemic restrictions on the Australian music community. The cancelling of events and closure of music venues due to social distancing requirements implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Australia, had a devastating financial and social impact on the Victorian music community. Performing artists and music workers lost income and career opportunties through the cancellation of performance bookings, national and international tours, recording studio bookings and residencies.

The festival arose initially to raise funds for Support Act, "Australia's only not-for-profit organisation to provide relief for musicians and music industry workers facing physical or mental health issues, or financial hardship", and to connect artists and audiences through an online performance experience.

Melbourne is recognised as the live music capital of the world (ABC: Melbourne Live Music Census 2017), and the local music community is valued for the significant cultural, social and economic contribution it makes to the state of Victoria. These posters, as respresentations of the festival, are an expression of the music community's response to issues affecting the livelihood and mental health of artists during the pandemic.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    COVID-19 Pandemic Collection 2020

  • Collecting Areas

    Leisure, Cultural Diversity, Working Life & Trades, Information & Communication, Home & Community, Social Spaces & Youth

  • Inscriptions

    Page one: 'THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC COMMUNITY presents / Isol-Aid! An INSTAGRAM LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL / NO. 2 / BACK IN STOCK!! / 28-29 MARCH / SAT - SUN / ALEX LAHEY / ALEX THE ASTRONAUT / ALI BARTER / BIG SCARY / CAMP COPE / COURTNEY BARNETT / GRETTA RAY / CXLOE / JEN CLOHER / JOSH PYKE / MIDDLE KIDS / MARLON WILLIAMS / SARAH BLASKO / SEE BACK FOR MORE / TASY PERFECTION IN 24 HOURS OVER 2 DAYS / 74 ARTISTS ' Signed bottom left: '@sebi white' and signed bottom right 'Sebi' Page Two: 'DON'T PANIC. WE ALL GET A SECOND HELPING. CHE CK OUT THE ARTISTS BELOW BY TUNING INTO THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGES AT THE TIMES GIVEN! / SATURDAY MARCH 28 11:55 WELCOME! @MILLYLALA & @MERPIREMUSIC / 12:00 EVELYN IDA MORRIS @EVELYN IDA MORRIS / 12:20 CHARM OF FINCHES @CHARMOFFINCHES / 12:40 CAITLIN HARTNETT @CAITLINHARTNETT / 13:00 GROOVY DAUGHTER @GROOVYDAUGHTER_ / 13:20 ALANA WILKINSON @ALANAWILKINSON / 13:40 JACK THE FOX @JACKTHEFOXMUSIC / 14:00 FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK @FREYAJOSEPHINEHOLLICK / 14:20 ALEXANDER GOW (OH MERCY) @OHMERCYBAND / 14:40 ANGIE HUDSON @ANGIEHUDSONMUSIC / 15:00 LISA MITCHELL @LISAHMITCHELL / 15:20 ELANA STONE @ELANASTONEWORLD / 15:40 LIAM LINLEY @LINLEYLIAM / 16:00 DAVID M WESTERN @DAVIDMWESTERN / 16:20 CONNOR BLACK HARRY @CONNORB_H / 16:40 PORPOISE SPIT @PORPOISESPITBAND / 17:00 KARATE BOOGALOO @KARATEBOOGALOO / 17:20 GINA (PEACHNOISE) @PEACHNOISE / 17:40 BILLY BARKER @GDAYITSBILLHERE / 18:00 BATTS @BATTSMUSIC / 18:20 GEROGIA JUNE @GEORGIAJUNE / 18:40 EGOISM @EGOISMX / 19:00 BOAT SHOW @BOAT.SHOW / 19:20 THE DEAD LOVE @THEDEADLOVE / 19:40 EMILEE SOUTH @EMILEESOUTH / 20:20 GRETTA RAY @GRETTARAY / 20:20 GEORGIA MAQ @GOLDSOUNDZ_/ 20:40 JEN CLOHER @JENCLOHER / 21:00 GL @GLBEAT / 21:20 NOT A BOYS NAME @NOTABOYSNAME / 21:40 CXLOE @IAMCXLOE / 22:00 ALI BARTER @ALIBARTER / 22:20 ANNE HAMILTON @ANNIEHAMILTN / 22:40 #1 DADS @TOMIANSEK / 23:00 ALICE IVY @ALICEIVYMUSIC / 23:20 KINGSWOOD @KINGSWOODBAND / 23:40 SUPEREGO @SUPEREGO_AUS / 24:00 TIME SHIEL @TIMSHIEL SUNDAY MARCH 29 11:55 WELCOME! @MILLYLALA & @MERPIREMUSIC / 12:00 ALLYSHA JOY @ALLYSHA_JOY / 12:20 MONTAIGNE @ACTUALMONTAIGNE / 12:40 SUIZHEN @SUI_ZHEN / 13:00 ANGIE HART & EMMA HEENEY @ANGIEHARTMUSIC / 13:20 RYAN DOWNEY @RYANDOWNEYMUSIC / 13:40 PHIL JAMIESON @PHILJAMIESON/ 14:00 GENA ROSE BRUCE @GENAROSEBRUCE / 14:20 FLOODLIGHTS @FLOODLIGHTS___ / 14:40 BIG SCARY BIGSCARYMUSIC / 15:00 MIDDLE KIDS @MIDDLEKIDSMUSIC / 15:20 EMILY ULMAN @MILLYLALA / 15:40 KAT EDWARDS @KATEDWARDS__ / 16:00 THE ORBWEAVERS @THEORBWEAVERS / 16:20 ANDY GOLLEDGE @ANDYGOLLEDGE / 16:40 MERK @MERKPERK / 17:00 DALLAS FRASCA @DALLASFRASCA / 17:20 JOSH PYKE @JOSHPYKE / 17:40 HATCHIE @HIHATCHIE / 18:00 LIZ STRINGER @LIZSTRINGERAUS / 18:20 SAM CROMACK (BALL PARK MUSIC) @BALLPARKMUSIC / 18:40 SLY WITHERS @SLYWITHERS / 19:00 SWEATER CURSE @SWEATER.CURSE / 19:20 ALEX THE ASTRONAUT @ALEX.THE.ASTRONAUT / 19:40 BUGS @BUGSBAND / 20:00 MARLON WILLIAMS @MARLONMWILLIAMSSINGS / 20:20 COURTNEY BARNETT @COURTNEYMELBA / 20:40 CAMP COPE @CAMP_COPE / 21:00 SARAH BLASKO @SARAHBLASKO / 21.20 ALEX LAHEY @ALEX_LAHEY / 21.40 SARAH MCLEOD @SARAHMCLEOD1 / 22:00 PLASTIC @INSTANTPLASTIC / 22:20 GRIEVOUS BODILY CALM @GRIEVOUSBODILYCALM / 22:40 PINK MATTER @PINKMATTERBAND / 23:00 THE VANNS @THEVANNSBAND / 23:20 ODETTE @ODETTE / 23:40 DJ NICK MCKK @NICK_MCKK / 24:00 SURPRISE CHEF @SURPRISECHEF '

  • Classification

    Art & craft, Community activity, Promotional materials

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Type of item

    Image

  • Keywords

    Music, Music Festivals, Performing Arts, Fundraising Events, Mental Health, Charity Fundraising, Social Media, Broadcasting, Graphic Design, Graphic Arts, Posters, Welfare, Community Art Festivals, Community Organisations, Community Groups, Music Performances, Musicians, Homes