ART is the heart of the day at the upcoming Bathurst High event, BLOCK Fest. On Saturday, December 2, the school campus will be thriving with dance and drama performances, as well as art exhibitions and live music performances from the best of the Central West. From 3pm until 7:30pm, stepping through the Piper Street gates to the high school campus will transport you to a multifaceted world of music and arts, as well as market stalls and food trucks. And this sustenance will be entirely necessary for attendees to become fully immersed in an afternoon full of quality entertainment, highlighting the talent of the town. "It's also about showcasing the local talents of the area," said Bathurst High principal Ken Barwick. "It's a sort of mini version, in a way, of the School Spectacular that happens in Sydney, and I'm very proud of it." Mr Barwick said he was also very proud of all the staff and students involved, including music teacher Chris Tierney, who was instrumental in getting the event off the ground. Alongside the head of creative arts, Veronica Manock, Mr Tierney has been working tirelessly on BLOCK Fest, with the hopes that it will one day, become an iconic school tradition. "Last year was our first inaugural event and then this year we are back again trying to continue and build a legacy and showcase the performing arts at Bathurst High school," Mr Tierney said. "This year we have amazing student performers, student artworks, and on top of that we have dances and drama performances as well." All the excitement is set to take place from the school gym, and on the quad will be the main stage which will feature some of the days biggest highlights. And to top it all off, the talented Australian rapper Urthboy will be headlining the event, and will be playing alongside local talent including Lueth Ajak, and the Swing Factor band. Mulga the Artist has also created a custom mural for the event, which will be unveiled on the night. "All these things come together with workshops from the artists and the students, to try to build capacity from students and develop their skills as musicians and artists," Mr Tierney said. One of these students, is year 9 pupil Belinda Baker, who will be participating in her second BLOCK Fest, but this time, in a much larger capacity. Last year, Belinda had a few artworks on display, and this year, she will be standing on the main stage, beside the headlining act. "This year I have a few artworks, music, and I'm in vocal group, which is backing up for Urthboy," she said. "I'm very excited, I think it's going to be a really fun experience, and I think everyone should try and get involved because I just think it is really cool." Tickets for BLOCK Fest are on sale now via 123tix, starting for free for children below five-years-of-age, to five dollars per child from up to 17 years old, $10 for adults, or $25 for a family.