welcome
It is conference year and much of our organisational energies right now are being channelled into the stunningly beautiful town of Alice Springs which is hosting the sixth biennial Regional Arts Australia conference in October, art at the heart – part conference, part festival, all art. The program is being finalised and it is time to put a firm red circle around the dates 2 to 5 October because that’s when several hundred of the nations artists, arts workers (paid and unpaid), arts thinkers, bureaucrats, in fact pretty much anyone with any interest in the direction of the arts in this country, will be gathering for three days of conversation, debate, performance and great art. The conference conveniently follows the popular Desert Mob Festival, so consider arriving in Alice several days in advance to catch some exceptional art and performance from the Central Desert region.
On 15 May, we’ll be opening nominations for our brand new awards – the Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards (see story). There are two categories with one winner per category in each state and territory. Winners will be presented with a specially-commissioned art work at art at the heart in October, as well as free registration, flights and accommodation.
We are in the midst of trialling for Indigenous participants our special skills development program. These pilots build on the highly-popular Creative Volunteering courses. The first two Indigenous pilots, in Ceduna in South Australia and Cardwell in Queensland, have been most successful with trainers reporting high rates of satisfaction from the class members. The pilots have been delivered on the basis that not all students will have good English literacy skills, so teaching methods are focussing on visual delivery. Participants are using the skills to help prepare and run events such as a bush tucker festival, a fishing competition and a visual arts exhibition.
Finally, it’s an anxious time for Regional Arts Australia as we await news of the future of the Regional Arts Fund in the federal budget. The Regional Arts Fund has provided a spring board for young and emerging artists from right across regional and remote Australia offering them the kind of opportunities that are generally only available in the cities. It’s in the nature of smaller towns that big crowds turn up to support and be part of arts events, often drawing on the participation of sporting and community organisations and cultural groups. A real social glue. Our bid to secure the future of the Regional Arts Fund on behalf of country Australians is with the Federal Government.
Vivienne Skinner
Communications manager
Regional Arts Australia
vivienne.skinner@countryarts.org.au
Smashed cars top gear for NSW sculptor
He’s the archetypal bloke. He loves bikes and cars – so much so that he’s even applied to host the Australian version of the popular SBS motoring show Top Gear. But Daniel Clemmett, from Clunes near Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, is also a sculptor whose works are now in private collections around the world...full story
Innovation in rural Queensland: Why some towns thrive while others languish
Queensland academic, Ian Plowman, set out to answer the big question about why some towns thrive while others languish at Country Arts WA’s state conference. He began his address with a few fundamental truths...full story
Drama tackles road crash dilemma in south east Queensland
The tragedy of road deaths involving young people is at the heart of CRASH, an arts project in Beaudesert in the Gold Coast region of Queensland...full story
Fresh and Salty – giant creatures return to the earth as art highlights the environment
Three giant earth platypuses are slowly dissolving back into the dry bed of Lake Wendouree in Victoria and within months, any remnants will disappear beneath water to be pumped into the lake from neighbouring Ballarat...full story
Tasmanian volunteer, 91, hoping to head to Territory
Alice Springs is calling artist Vita Brown who, at 91 years of age, thinks she’s likely to be the oldest participant at Regional Arts Australia’s national conference art at the heart in October...full story
Theatrical wolves howling creatively in South Australia’s regions
A response to the collapse of Mount Gambier’s Mainstreet Theatre Company two years ago has turned into an innovative theatre residency for professional performing artists and the local community in Mount Gambier...full story
WordStorm – flying through the sky of the Top End
With its unique location at the doorstep of Asia, Darwin’s upcoming WordStorm literary festival will feature the writing of its near neighbours. It is billed as northern Australia’s largest literary festival and this year will include sessions in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek...full story
Art a life-line to a new life in Albany
Sue Codee, the coordinator of the youth arts centre Open Access in the West Australian town of Albany said she received an email recently from a young person saying that if it wasn’t for the opportunities she’d been given at Open Access ‘she probably wouldn’t be here today’...full story
Film-friendly region in New South Wales north-west
The New England North West region is now open for business as a filming destination.
The regions' 13 film-friendly councils, Arts North West and the Northern Inland Regional Development Board recently joined forces to create a simple and easy way for producers to film in the region through the New England North West Film Strategy...full story
Young artists given kick-start with portrait prize
A self-portrait of a young man with a cow has taken out the top prize in Tasmania’s inaugural Youth Portraiture Prize which is open to artists under the age of 30 years. Hobart artist Hilton Owen, 19, was judged to be the overall winner of the competition with Self-Portrait of a Cow near Richmond...full story
Disintegrating head a winner for Alice
A digital video work of a slowly disintegrating clay figure, backed by meditative cello music, has taken out this year’s Alice Prize. ‘Ichor’ by Alice Springs local artist Pip McManus, was one of 60 artworks selected for the 35th Alice Prize Exhibition from 250 entries...full story
Dancing with the Stars Carnarvon style
By Jennifer Peat from Western Australia’s Gascoyne Development Commission
There’s an old tradition in the performing arts, whether its music, theatre or music theatre. You take a new show, a new cast, a new band to tour the regions. Audiences aren’t as critical as in the city and you can work out the kinks in the production, bed the cast in together and prepare to hit the big time...full story
Shearers + artists = art
A unique competition celebrating the lives of some of the hardest workers in the nation – shearers – is underway in the western NSW town of Hay. Artists, both photographers and those that work in other mediums, have until 30 October to create a portrait that reflects the lives of shearers...full story
Unique approach pays off teaching business skills to Indigenous Australians
Seven Indigenous women in Ceduna are now preparing for, among other things, a hunting and cooking event, an oyster festival, a fishing competition and a visual arts exhibition, using skills they have just learned through a training program being trialled by Regional Arts Australia (RAA)...full story
in brief
registrations now open for art at the heart
Early birds can now sign up for art at the heart in Alice Springs in October and get a cheaper deal on registration. The sixth Regional Arts Australia national conference is less than six months away and is expected to be the largest gathering of arts professionals in Australia this year.
Artistic director and conference coordinator, Kieren Sanderson urges people to book their spot early. “We are expecting a big response from those keen to participate and we may have to limit numbers. I strongly urge those who know they will be attending to sign up now to make sure they don’t miss out. And, of course there’s a saving if you get in early.”
Big rewards for winners of our new awards, so get thinking, get ready…and nominate
Now is the time to start thinking about who you'd like to nominate for a brand new set of awards – the Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards. Apart from having your contribution recognised nationally, there is the added bonus of free flights, registration and accommodation this October at art at the heart Regional Arts Australia’s national conference in Alice Springs, where winners will be presented during the official conference dinner with a specially-commissioned artwork.
The Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards recognise, reward and encourage regionally-based arts volunteers who have made a substantial contribution to their regional communities.
There are two categories:
- A sustained contribution to the arts
- A young person (26 years or younger).
A person can put their own name forward or nominate someone else. The nomination process will be handled by the regional arts organisation in each state or territory, recommendations then determined by Regional Arts Australia. Details of how and when to nominate will be announced soon.
Andy Farrant leaves to build fences
We are deeply sorry to be losing the services of RAA’s treasurer, Andy Farrant, who is leaving as Chief Executive Officer of Country Arts WA after 10 years. Andy's colourful personality, unique turn-of-phrase and capacity for equal doses of fun and hard work are legendary. We wish him well as he does what most of us simply dream about - taking a year off. Road trips with mates, building a stone fence, and practising his home skills have all been airily mentioned as Andy discusses his future. Whatever he does, we wish him great happiness.
Someone who worked very closely with Andy over the past decade has been our RAA secretary, Ken Lloyd whose letter (pdf 63.6KB), read out at Andy’s farewell, gives the flavour of Andy and his contribution to our organisation.
Andy Farrant
New boss to take the helm at Country Arts WA
The departure of Andy Farrant has made way for Jessica Machin, to take over the reins of Country Arts WA from 26 May. Jessica has been the CEO of Carclew Youth Arts Centre and the executive officer of the South Australian Youth Arts Board for five years. She has a background in organisational development, fundraising and lobbying. She trained at the WA Academy of Performing Arts and worked in NSW as a theatre performer and producer before moving into management. Prior to working with Carclew she was general manager of the Australian Theatre for Young People.
Country Arts WA Chair (and chair of RAA) Ms Suzie Haslehurst, says Jessica’s appointment comes at a period when arts in the regions are facing challenges. “The field was strong and varied, a testament to the high regard for Country Arts WA in the sector, and the calibre of the short-listed applicants made the decision a challenging one. We look forward to working with Jess in the next stage of development for Country Arts WA and the wider industry,” Ms Haslehurst says.
Jessica Machin
MEDIA ART CURATING FORUM for regional gallery, museum & library professionals
Media Art: video installations, interactive artworks and multimedia are now part of mainstream contemporary visual arts and growing in popularity. But how do we program the artworks into our exhibitions and add them to our collections?
Experimenta Media Arts has received funding from the Australia Council to deliver a series of forums over the next two years to foster media arts curating and collecting in regional and rural areas.
Experimenta, Australia’s powerhouse of Media Art, has been successfully touring exhibitions of innovative contemporary artworks since 1986. Experimenta’s exhibitions appeal to a broad cross-section of people, attracting thousands of visitors and developing new audiences for contemporary art.
Experimenta will work closely with the host venues, local Media Art specialists, NETS and state-wide arts organisations, as well as local regional arts development officers to develop and promote the free half-day events.
At most venues the forums will be held alongside the national tour of Experimenta Playground. The first will take place at Performance Space at Carriageworks on 9 May. Venues in 2008 include Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, The Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art, Adelaide and the WA Museum, Perth. In 2009 venues include Bendigo Art Gallery, Albury Library Museum and Devonport Regional Gallery.
More information contact Maria Rizzo, Communications & Sponsorship Coordinator, Experimenta. maria@experimenta.org
A Month In The Country: performing arts residencies
Next closing date - August 15
Likened to the famous Sundance Institute established in the USA by Robert Redford, this national residency program established by HotHouse Theatre brings artists from across Australia to Albury Wodonga for between one and five weeks during the creative development phase of new theatre projects. Now in its third year A Month in the Country has assisted many Australian theatre artists to bring their work to fruition. A Month in the Country is a service to the national theatre industry, allowing groups of artists to experience the intensity of a regional working experience. Applications for residencies are accepted twice each year. This program is delivered with the support of Albury City, Arts NSW, Arts Victoria, the Australia Council, Perpetual and The Myer Foundation. Details at www.hothousetheatre.com.au
World of Women Film Festival tours nationally
The World of Women (WOW) Film Festival is touring Australia, highlighting the talents of women directors, producers, writers, editors and cinematographers in the Australian film industry. It is a unique festival that offers emerging and established filmmakers the opportunity to screen short works along the theme “seeing the world through the eyes of women”.
One hundred and thirty-seven short film entries were received for the 14th WOW Film Festival presented by WIFT NSW in Sydney in October 2007, a mix of drama, comedy and documentary. Programs from the WOW Film Festival are visiting 18 national, regional and remote locations in 2008 such as Cairns, Hobart, Bowral and Borroloola.
For more information go to www.nsw.wift.org/wow or call Sil-Nyin Cameron on 0402 246 601.
Australia Council Community Partnerships Grants
Closing date 15 June
Applications to the following grant categories are now open:
Creative Producer
Program Grants
Ros Bower Award
Kirk Robson awards
More Information
Community partnerships grants program
Prospective applicants to all community partnerships grant categories should speak with community partnerships staff before applying ph: 02 9215 9025, toll free: 1800 226 912 or email: cp@australiacouncil.gov.au.
The Australia Council’s community partnerships section aims to develop and sustain a wide range of partnerships to support culturally vibrant communities through engagement with, and participation in, the arts.
Many of the projects in this newsletter have been supported by the Regional Arts Fund, an Australian Government initiative supporting the arts in regional, remote and very remote/isolated Australia.
Regional Arts Australia promotes the development of the arts for the one-in-three Australians who live in regional, rural and remote parts of the country. Our members give country Australians access to outstanding cultural experiences that are either home grown or tour from other towns and cities. In this way, Regional Arts Australia gives a voice to artists and puts culture at the heart of community life across country Australia.
