When Festival of Dreams director Rosie Shalhoub established the event in 2010, she never expected it to expand like it has today.
She was originally asked to organise a 'psychic-themed event' by the management of the shopping centre her store Embrace operated in – a new-age business specialising in crystals and readers.
“I was initially quite taken aback, because I had never run an event in my life. But the shopping centre assured me they would promote the festival, so long as I organised the stalls and psychics,” Rosie explains.
Unfortunately, the centre undertook major refurbishments in 2014, demolishing most of the building plus any opportunity to run the event on the premises.
“My partner suggested we run the festival somewhere else instead. So we explored a couple of different options, but no venue really jumped out at me,” she says. “That was until we toured the Hordern Pavilion, a renowned venue that hosted all the major concerts before the Entertainment Centre and Arena was established. As soon as we opened the doors of the building, I was struck by a vision of the festival, right in front of my eyes.”
Rosie booked the Pavilion immediately, despite the excessively expensive rent, after having paid nothing at the shopping centre. Even today, she says she is shocked by how well such a small-team pulled such a successful festival together.
“We just called people and called people, and accumulated as many exhibitors as possible. We even managed to ring in an acclaimed psychic from America who runs her own television show, called 'Lisa Williams'. From there, the event started to establish itself internationally as well,” she reveals.
The 2016 event has taken on an entirely new angle, according to Rosie. Instead of focusing primarily on psychics, the event surrounds both spiritual and general wellbeing.
“The idea struck when I realised, as a psychic myself, I need to be at my best to perform my best for my clients,” Rosie explains. “My health needs to be in order, my diet needs to be in order, and my head needs to be order as well. The Festival of Dreams now concentrates on attaining wellbeing and balance in all aspects of life – mind, body and spirit.”
As a result, a number of health and wellness practitioners, fitness trainers, aerobics instructors and yoga experts will be gracing the festival line-up of exhibitors, which also includes thirty professional psychics, as per tradition.
“And our psychics are real psychics, who dedicate their entire career to their natural, psychic ability. Not just anybody who has picked up a book on tarot reading,” Rosie laughs.
“The theme of the festival is 'The Great Australian Dream', and we will feature a number of entrepreneurs, business and life coaches, and financial advisors, to help our clientele achieve that, whatever it may be.”
Rosie says, despite initially hunting for exhibitors to join the Festival of Dreams family in 2010, she is now overloaded with applications. “Which is how you know we will only showcase the best of the best – because we actually have to handpick them according to their career history and knowledge,” she explains.
“The calibre of talent at the Festival of Dreams will blow your mind. Come along and get a massage, have a psychic reading, see a naturopath, buy some crystals, and chat to a wealth coach. Take a three-day retreat to put all aspects of your life in order.”
