Regional Arts NSW today announced a total of $380,800 in new arts funding from the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund for 25 new projects to take place in regional, rural and remote NSW communities in 2008. Full list of projects [below]
The list of successful applicants includes an array of projects in diverse art forms including puppetry and circus, film and video as well as music, dance, visual arts and theatre. Communities right across the state - from White Cliffs in the far west, to Tweed in the Northerns Rivers, to Eurobodalla in the far south - are set to benefit.
"The Regional Arts Fund plays a key role in the arts and cultural development of regional and rural New South Wales," said Meg Larkin, Chair of Regional Arts NSW.
"Regional Arts NSW is delighted to present a list of exceptional new projects
for 2008 which is full of great ideas to produce new works of direct relevance
and genuine interest to people living beyond the sandstone curtain," Ms Larkin
said. "Many of these projects will have long-lasting cultural, social and
economic benefits."
The list of successful applicants includes a number of projects targetting youth
audiences, as well as two projects working with people with a disability on the
Mid North Coast and South East regions, and one which is specifically focussed
on the emerging Afghani community in Griffith. More than half are from groups
who are accessing the Regional Arts Fund for the first time, including two from
the very remote Baradine and White Cliffs communities. There are also some interesting
partnerships with non-arts organisations on the list including an Art & Health
program in Bathurst and an endangered species education project at Kosciusko National
Park.
A sample of the twenty five new Regional Arts Fund projects for NSW include:
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government initiative to support sustainable, community-based cultural development in regional, remote and isolated areas in Australia. The funding is targeted at activities that will have long term cultural, economic and social benefits, that develop partnerships and cultural networks and that provide skills development opportunities.
Regional Arts NSW manages the fund in New South Wales on behalf of the Australian Government. Assistance is available across all art forms in a range of categories.
More information about the Regional Arts Fund is available on the Grants pages of this website.
A full list of funded projects follows.
The Rhythm Gardeners - The Percussion Gardeners: $20,000
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorate: Page
Musicians, choirs and 15 percussionists from Grafton, Casino, Ballina and Lismore
will workshop, rehearse and perform a new Australian work 'The Percussion Garden'.
It will include a media component using film and musically generated images and
recorded dialogue.
Dungog Film Festival - Dungog Film Festival Education Program:
$10,000
Region: Upper Hunter | Federal Electorate: Paterson
Live script presentations, workshops, masterclasses and seminars forming the education
component of the second Dungog Film Festival, an annual cultural four-day event
showcasing Australian film.
Eurobodalla Shire Council - Free Form Sensory Garden Project:
$16,273
Region: South East | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
Design and creation of a visual and audio installation in Eurobodalla Botanic
Gardens reflecting the responses of people with disabilities to the gardens. Local
artists will work with disabilities groups and be supported by two artist mentors.
The Beltaine Collective - Needfire: $19,910
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Calare
An interdiscipinary dance project in Bathurst exploring the intersections between
highland and contemporary dance, performance and new media art. The developed
work will explore Beltaine - a celtic tradition celebrating the mythical and spiritual
effect of fire - and will engage a highly skilled contemporary dance choreographer
as creative consultant.
Southern Cross University - NAIDOC WEEK 2008 Workshop
Program: $10,742
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorate: Page
Week long workshop program at Lismore, Tweed and Coffs Harbour campuses during
2008 NAIDOC week celebrations. The program includes workshops in traditional dance,
storytelling, bush tucker, medicine and art. It expands the 2007 trial program
and aims to become an integral part of the university's annual celebration.
Fling Physical Theatre - Proverbial Orbit: $17,000
Region: South East | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
Creation of a major community dance project which will explore current world issues
in a local context using proverbs as the basis for this exploration. The creative
team will work with up to ten different groups across the broader community of
the Bega Valley area.
Baradine Progress Association Inc - Flights of Fancy Stage
5 - Birds in the Street: $9,540
Region: Orana | Federal Electorate: Gwydir
Series of 8 metal sculpture workshops for local artists, unemployed residents
and secondary students. Participants will design and construct a large creative
metal sculpture representing birds and flight to be installed in Baradine's main
street.
Griffith City Council - Textiles Project with Afghani Women
in Griffith: $19,000
Region: Griffith Leeton | Federal Electorate: Riverina
A young emerging textiles and costume artist will work with the Afghani women's
community in an exchange of traditional knowledge, skills and techniques in beading
and textiles. The project will culminate in an exhibition and will involve partnerships
between multicultural agencies and artists.
Wingecarribee Community Foundation - MAD Youth Filmmaking
Project: $11,067
Region: Southern Tablelands | Federal Electorate: Hume
Local filmmakers, artists and educators will mentor and facilitate a series of
workshops in a variety of filmmaking skills and techniques. Participants will
have the opportunity to enter work in the MAD Youth Film Festival in September
2008.
Cootamundra Shire Council - Cootamundra Dreaming (Ngarradan
Story): $16,000
Region: Eastern Riverina | Federal Electorate: Riverina
Collaboration between two locally-based visual arts and stained glass artists
in the design and creation of two large scale stained glass pieces depicting the
dreamtime story of Cootamundra. The work will be installed in the windows of the
Cootamundra Town Hall.
Krinkl Theatre - The Puppet Caravan: $20,000
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorates: Page
Five regional NSW puppeteers will travel from Lismore to Broken Hill and Wentworth
and conduct puppet performances and puppet-making workshops for isolated communities
along the way. The project is contributing to the 'Million Puppet Project', a
component of the UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival in Perth in April
2008.
Oberon Arts Council Inc - Pioneer Memory Wall: $19,890
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Calare
Public Art project that engages artists working with community in designing and
creating mosaics on shelter walls and seating. The designs will reflect aspects
of the lives of local people including the indigenous community and their history
and surrounding ecosystems and landforms.
Bago Magic Performance Group - Bago Magic: $19,767
Region: Mid North Coast | Federal Electorate: Lyne
Drama, music, dance and visual arts weekly workshops leading to performances at
the opening of the new Port Macquarie Entertainment Centre as well schools and
local events.
Bathurst Theatre Company - YOUtheatre - Lithgow, Oberon
and Bathurst Region: $13,380
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Calare
Extension of current Bathurst drama program to young people in villages of the
Lithgow and Oberon regions with limited access to experienced tutors. Workshops
will be held during school holidays and culminate in small performances in each
community.
Bathurst Health Council - Bathurst Art and Health Program:
$18,800
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Calare
Community groups will work with local artists to develop artwork and creative
initiatives for the new Bathurst Health Service and its arts and health program.
The project will be a partnership between the Health Council and arts organisations
in the area and will include creation of public artworks, school education exhibits,
community workshops and a performance program.
South East Arts Region (SEAR) / Kosciusko National Park
- Now you See Us: $16,000
Region: South East | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
A team of three artists will produce a range of work to be used in a community
education campaign to highlight the current status, plight and indigenous heritage
of the more obsure threatened species of the Kosciusko region.
Arts North West - Ephemeral Art Skills Development Program:
$15,500
Region: North West | Federal Electorate: New England
An ephemeral skills development program across the North West and New England
region whereby ten artists will be employed to develop their work for exhibition
at galleries and online. Three or four artists will then be selected to display
their work at an iconic location in the region. This project has developed out
of issues raised by artists, Councils and communities during the 2007 Regional
Public Art program.
Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) - Homebase 2:
Hip Hop Mentorship Project: $16,947
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorate: Page
Mentorship program across the Northern Rivers region with participants from the
first Homebase project mentoring 15 to 20 new young and developing dancers, hip
hop MCs and teachers. The aim is to foster the development of dance groups in
the mentorees' own communities and connect them to performance and teaching opportunities.
West Darling Arts - White Cliffs - A Living Memory: $20,904
Region: West Darling | Federal Electorate: Parkes
This project involves musical performances, short term residencies with local
artists, writers, musicians and storytellers, songwriting workshops, recording
and broadcasting of contemporary and historical stories that reflect the identity
of the area. Broadcast material will be made available to local and regional radio
and will incorporate first person interviews, local soundscapes, initial recording
of songs and poetry and narration.
Spaghetti Circus Inc - Spaghetti Circus Peer Exchange
Program: $9,620
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorate: Richmond
Internationally renown circus performers will work at Spaghetti Circus in Mullumbimby
over a nine-month period facilitating workshops and forums and mentoring the Circus
participants. Skills gained will contribute towards the Circus' major work for
2008.
South West Arts - In the Bin Short Film Festival Regional
Residency: $12,120
Region: South West | Federal Electorate: Riverina
Regional film production residency across eight rural and isolated communities
in the south west. A film producer and director will conduct three day intensive
workshops with young people in each community, each producing their own film which
will be showcased as part of the In the Bin Festival. A "Shoot Out West"
finale screening will give youth in the south west the opportunity to view all
regionally-produced films.
Outback Arts - Moorambilla Lantern Parade - flight and
freedom' and 'found sculptures' 2008: $22,000
Region: Far West | Federal Electorate: Gwydir
The Lantern Parade "flight and freedom" and "found sculptures"
2008 project is the coming together of two artforms at the annual Moorambilla
Festival. The lanterns will be made during community workshops and the sculptures
will be made by local professional artists and played as percussion instruments
by community members. The projects will take place in Coonamble and Baradine and
the sculptures will remain as static public artwork in both communities.
Goulburn Lieder Theatre Company - Pocket Full of Knives:
$15,700
Region: Southern Tablelands | Federal Electorate: Hume
Employment of 6 regional artsworkers to engage with members of the Lieder Theatre
Company and participants from the 3rd Gathering of regional youth to create an
original performance exploring the themes of self abuse, substance abuse and self
harm. The project will continue the successful model of a previous regional program
with communities in Yass, Crookwell and Goulburn creating a section of the work
then coming together for final performances during National Youth Week 2008. The
work will also be staged in Sydney at the inaugural NSW Showcase of Youth Theatre.
Mitchell Conservatorium - Hip Hop Program: $1,640
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Calare
Regionally based hip hop artists will conduct workshops and mentor young people
across the Bathurst, Lithgow and Forbes divisions of the Mitchell Conservatorium.
The Hip Hop program will encourage youth at risk and Indigenous youth to access
music relevant to their culture and experiences with the aim of forming an Indigenous
Music Program. Performances will be held at the Living Sound Festival.
Shellharbour City Council - Skills Development Textile Workshops:
$9,000
Region: Illawarra Shoalhaven | Federal Electorate: Throsby
Series of workshops with professional textile artists for women in the local area.
The aim is to develop the Shellharbour Village Women's Craft Group into a cultural
resource and small cooperative industry.
The Regional Arts Fund is the Australian
Government's regional arts program,
which gives artists and communities throughout regional, rural and remote Australia
better access to opportunities to practice and experience the arts.
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