Held on Sunday October 26, the festival is the largest event of its kind in NSW, where animal lovers come together to celebrate their compassion towards our furry friends and to discover new ways to support this movement.
Jessica Bailey from The Cruelty Free Shop in Glebe is the founder of the festival. She approached Animal Liberation NSW 10 years ago, wanting to fund an event to raise awareness on animal advocacy issues. The event was initially held in a local town hall with a handful of stalls. Within three years this event had outgrown the hall and moved to a city park. In 2013, attendance numbers grew to 8,000, meaning the festival has been pushed to an even bigger venue: the Exhibition Hall in the Australian Technology Park.
Although Jessica is now only involved in a patron role, Animal Liberation NSW continues to fund and support the festival due to continued demand. “Animal abuse, in all its forms, is a worldwide issue,” says Animals Liberation NSW. “Often we become overwhelmed by the amount of animal abuse that is occurring: factory farming, testing of cosmetics, animals used in entertainment, and we think that we can’t make a difference. Yet, as consumers, we have a lot more power than we think. Our dollars can change the way that animals are treated just by making a few changes, whether that is buying ethical cosmetics and household cleaning products, becoming members of organisations that are campaigning for change, or rescuing a life of a pound cat or dog and choosing not to buy from pet shops. Each of these choices should not be underestimated.”
With their growing success, the event organisers are hoping to attract more animal lovers with a range of new activities. They are introducing a cruelty-free fashion parade to showcase designers, both locally and internationally, working with textiles and fabrics from non-animal derived sources. An Animal Art Show is also new to the festival, featuring a range of established and emerging artists. All artwork is for sale, with a percentage of each sale acting as a donation to Animal Liberation NSW.
Other activities including live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, a variety of cruelty free stallholders, kids entertainment and presentations, showcasing inspiring individuals and ethical businesses in the community. There will also be ample opportunity to get to know animal welfare groups, including Edgar’s Mission, the Cat Protection Society, Little Oak Sanctuary and Animal Justice Party, to name a few.
“When I think back over my many years volunteering at the Cruelty Free Festival I recall the mouth-watering cruelty free pies and delicious cakes, but the festival is so much more than just delectable treats,” says Emma Hurst, a festival volunteer. “There is an undeniable sense of community and compassion. The air buzzes with positivity, which is unsurprising when you bring together a collective of animal lovers. It is something I have only ever experienced at this festival, and every year that feeling grows as more and more people commit to making changes in their lives to help animals.”
With a 20 per-cent increase in attendees in 2013, the event organisers believe this reflects community sentiment: that more people are embracing solutions for animal welfare, through their purchasing decisions. Nathan Vambuca, a 2013 event attendee, says: “It will be my one year anniversary of being cruelty free at this year’s Cruelty Free Festival. Last year, the festival showed me how easy it is to make this cruelty free lifestyle choice permanent. I was in the dark about the options available as well as organisations out there whose aim is to inform those who are like me in the community. The information available at this festival was invaluable.”
Overall, positive community response to cruelty-free living means more people are aligning their actions with their ethics: a task made easier with the variety of readily available alternatives, which are becoming increasingly mainstream today.
