A MARKET for High Street traders over the Easter weekend was cancelled by Freo council to make sure the Fremantle International Street Arts Festival at the same time got the most “bang for buck”.

Last week the council canned the West End Weekender, causing a backlash from some traders who said without it the festival blocks customers and leaves their end of High Street deserted (“End of the week-ender,” Herald, February 10, 2024).

At this week’s council meeting, the council’s new director of arts and community Pete Stone said he understood traders would be disappointed.

“Since returning from the three-year Covid hiatus the festival team has been working really hard to maximise the curatorial impact of the street arts festival,” Mr Stone said.

“The better the overall program is, the more audience we attract into Fremantle and the greater the benefit is to all the businesses.

“Some costs have gone up considerably, in particular travel costs for interstate and international artists.

“Those artists are key to maintaining the national and international profile of the event and unfortunately road closure costs have jumped…”

Artist Natali Bozhanova spoke on behalf of The Artisan Store, saying they represented around 170 different artists who would miss out on a great opportunity.

She later told the Herald the store’s team said it appeared the council was prioritising international artists and the event’s prestige over the welfare of local businesses.

“Instead of facilitating a well-organised and curated market in the middle of the already closed street, the council is suggesting businesses extend onto the sidewalk and street directly in front of their storefronts to create an ad-hoc market environment.

“This approach raises significant safety concerns for pedestrians, as people naturally gravitate towards using footpaths despite road closures. 

“Additionally, not all businesses have the financial means to extend their operations onto the street, as it requires additional resources such as extra staff and stalls. 

“Our sole motivation has been to enhance foot traffic on the closed street and provide a platform for local artists and businesses to thrive. This is an issue of great frustration for us.