▁and ▁master ▁classes . ▁Events ▁were ▁held ▁at ▁Federation ▁Square ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁and ▁the ▁Festival ▁commission ed ▁the ▁Play works ▁Theatre ▁Company ▁to ▁produce ▁four ▁one - act ▁plays ▁to ▁be ▁performed ▁during ▁the ▁Festival . ▁An ▁‘ Empty ▁Chair ’ ▁was ▁instit uted ▁to ▁represent ▁those ▁writers ▁unable ▁to ▁attend ▁due ▁to ▁per sec ution . ▁It ▁became ▁a ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁the ▁political ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁Festival ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁with ▁the ▁Last ▁Word ▁debate ▁over ▁the ▁Ab original ▁St olen ▁Generation ▁producing ▁much ▁controvers y . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁Festival ▁was ▁carbon ▁neutral ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁show ▁a ▁growth ▁in ▁program ▁and ▁aud ien ces , ▁with ▁the ▁schools ▁program ▁reaching ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁students . ▁This ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁last ▁year ▁for ▁the ▁Festival ▁at ▁the ▁C UB ▁Mal th ouse ▁Theatre . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁M WF ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁Federation ▁Square . ▁Using ▁the ▁B MW ▁Edge ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁AC MI ▁cin emas , ▁the ▁Festival ▁also ▁set ▁up ▁its ▁own ▁box ▁office , ▁and ▁increased ▁aud ien ces ▁by ▁ 1 2 . 5 % ▁to ▁ 4 5 , 0 0 0 , ▁with ▁income ▁increasing ▁by ▁ 4 0 %. ▁With ▁a ▁bigger ▁program , ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁program ▁was ▁free . ▁The ▁partners hip ▁with ▁The ▁Age ▁was ▁re work ed ▁and ▁the ▁Festival ▁removed ▁The ▁Age