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Regional Arts Fund delivers new opportunities for NSW

Over $315,000 for 23 new projects in regional NSW in 2006

Full list of projects [below]

Tuesday 29 November 2005

Regional Arts NSW today announced a new round of arts grants for regional, rural and remote communities in New South Wales in 2006 from the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund.

"With a total of $316,158 approved for 23 projects, these new grants will deliver a swag of new arts and skills development opportunities for people in regional, rural and remote New South Wales," said Meg Larkin, Chair of Regional Arts NSW.

"Support for the arts through The Regional Arts Fund is making a significant contribution to the cultural, economic and social wellbeing of regional, rural and remote communities across the country and New South Wales is no exception," Ms Larkin said.

Some of the new grants for NSW include:

	$21,000 for the first year of a three year artist-in-residence program in Wilcannia involving three residencies in different artforms and culminating in a yearly group exhibition and regional tour. The program is being developed as a model approach to regional Indigenous arts development.
	$10,000 for a program of workshops in digital media art in the Eastern Riverina to produce material for large collaborative artworks and public projections at the Next Wave Festival and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.
	$13,000 to develop a broad public program of exhibitions, performances and cultural events at the new Mechanics Institute in Moruya, with a focus on arts access, Aboriginal arts opportunities, volunteer training and marketing opportunities.
	$17,000 to develop an Information and Communication Media Lab in Broken Hill including a ten day residency with three artists experienced in digital technology and multimedia. The project is being developed in partnership with business, government agencies and the community.

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 Regional Arts website [here].

A full list of funded projects follows.

Contact
Meg Larkin, Chair, Regional Arts NSW Mobile 0407 255 821
Rachael Vincent, Regional Arts NSW Tel 02 9270 2504

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Regional Arts Fund - New South Wales
List of Projects Funded 2006

Emerging Projects

Nari Nari Tribal Council - Nari Nari Community Mural Project : $10,000
Region: South West | Federal Electorate: Riverina
Involvement of different sectors of the Hay Aboriginal community (elders, families, women, people with disabilites and youth) as well as Indigenous inmates / artists from Ivanhoe Correctional facility to design and create murals for the Tribal Council and Hay Aboriginal Land Council office building. The design will encompass themes of the history of the area and future direction of the community.

New Initiatives

Manning Regional Art Gallery - Public Sculpture Project -
acknowledging the Aboriginal Presence in Taree : $18,000
Region: Mid North Coast | Federal Electorate: Lyne
Commissioning of artist/s for the installation of a sculpture in the main street of Taree. The three piece sculpture depicts a significant story of the Biripi Aboriginal people and was selected from a competition involving Aboriginal and non Aboriginal sculptors and following initial design workshops. These artists will remain with the project and enhance cross-cultural understanding and pride in local Aboriginal art.

Tweed Shire Council - Multi-Arts Performance Project (Disability Arts Group) : $12,940
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorate: Richmond
An extension to the 2-year program developed through the City of the Arts Disability Arts Program. Professional artists will work with people with disabilities to develop an innovative theatre production involving singing, movement, drumming, visual art and digital imagery. The production will tour the Tweed and Northern Rivers schools and showcased as part of International Day of People with a Disability.

Arts OutWest Inc - Celebrate Ability: Central West Arts and Disability Program $18,100
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Calare, Parkes, Lachlan
Creative multi-arts development of people with intellectual, physical and mental disabilities through weekly intensive workshops (Blayney, Bathurst, Orange and Cowra shires), development of a webpage and exhibitions at galleries and Festivals in the Central West area as well as touring to the Awakenings Festival in Victoria.

Eastern Riverina Arts Program - Eastern Riverina Arts Project : $10,000
Region: Eastern Riverina | Federal Electorate: Riverina
Program of workshops in digital media art (image making, animation, audio, video and online writing). Work developed will be arranged into larger collaborative artworks and public projections that will be featured at community events including the Next Wave 2006 Festival and Melbourne Commonwealth Games cultural festival. This project is a co-production with Next Wave Festival, ERAP, Wagga Wagga Space Program and the Black Suns and is part of a bigger project involving 3 regional areas, Moe, the Macedon Ranges and Wagga Wagga.

Metro Screen - The Robertson Film Initiative "The Film Shed" : $7,853
Region: Sydney-based (project in Southern Tablelands) | Federal Electorate: Wentworth (Hume)
A two part workshop series for twelve community workers, teachers, emerging artists and young people. The series consists of a 5 day video workshop covering all aspects of video production and short filmmaking - from storyboarding and basic scriptwriting to camera operating and video editing - and a 2 day "Train Small Groups" course. The workshops will culminate in a festival screening night and lead to the development of a local video production group.

Weereewa - a festival of Lake George Committee - Lake Blues : $13,930
Region: Southern Tablelands | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
Dance and photographic workshops in Bungendore and surrounding areas to be managed and coordinated by the Mirramu Dance Company. The workshops will include training 50 to 100 community dancers and lead to the development of a one-day event during the Weereewa Festival, "The Rain Dance".

Lachlan Arts Council - Condobolin Writers Festival : $5,435
Region: Central West | Federal Electorate: Parkes
Inaugural Writers Festival in Condoblin focussing on life stories of people in rural Australia. Activities include workshops, readings, recording oral histories, mentorships, artist-in-residence program, performance of a life story, exhibitions.

South East Arts Region - Going Public -
The Development of a Public Arts Program at the Mechanics Institute in Moruya : $13,000
Region: South East | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
The development and delivery of a broad ranging public program of exhibitions, performances and cultural events at the Mechanics Institute in Moruya. The program will feature one curated exhibition of regional works and a concert series plus events by local artists and arts and cultural groups. Focus of the program will be arts access, aboriginal arts opportunities, volunteer training and marketing strategies.

Booranga Writers Centre Wagga Wagga - YOWW: Youth on-line Writing Workshop : $12,350
Region: Eastern Riverina | Federal Electorate: Riverina
Skills development program for regionally based youth in online writing methodologies and digital media publication. The project includes a six-month mentorship component with 3 established writers who each have online and print media writing practices. Works will be accessible online and participants will share their skills with new intake of participants.

Broken Hill Art Exchange - Regional New Media Development Initiative : $17,000
Region: West Darling | Federal Electorate: Parkes
The initiation of an Information and Communication Media Lab / Residency in Broken Hill in collaboration with dLux Media Arts (in Sydney). A 10-day residency with three artists experienced in technologies will assist the pilot model and advise on collaborative approaches to cultural and strategic planning for the new facility. Aims to develop skills in multi-media arts and digital technology and provide a focal point for digital research, experimentation and arts practice. Partnerships will be formed between community, government agencies and businesses.

Griffith City Council -
vYa - crYt arts and cultural activities and practice : Yr 1 $15,000 Yr 2 $15,000
Region: Griffith Leeton | Federal Electorate: Riverina
vYa-CrYt = 'Visible Youth action and Creative Riverina Youth Team' - part of a broader program aimed to develop a sustainable, innovative model of youth community cultural development. The RAF funding will enable the inclusion of arts and cultural program within the general youth program and includes support for arts activities, mentoring and evaluation.

Goulburn Lieder Theatre Company - The Four Little Girls : $17,790
Region: Southern Tablelands | Federal Electorate: Hume
Following a regional youth forum for young people from the Southern Tablelands, Highlands, South Coast, Bathurst and ACT, a piece of theatre will be created that is, in some way, connected to the participants of the forum. The project will involve 7 regional artsworkers and a performance will be presented at the Lieder Theatre.

Partnerships

Riverina Theatre Company / Wagga Wagga City Council / Outback Theatre /
Young Dramatists - Page to Stage - Riverina Young Dramatists - Page to Stage Festival 2006 : $18,147
Region: Eastern Riverina | Federal Electorate: Riverina
Experienced theatre practitioners will mentor young people in the region to create and present short plays that reflect contemporary issues. Around eight to ten plays developed through writing workshops will be chosen to be developed into performance with professional directors.

Gunnedah Shire Council / Two Rivers Arts Council -
Gunnedah Circus School - Aerial Artists : $14,400
Region: North West | Federal Electorate: Gwydir
Further development of Circus School through young performance troupe, circus school training in schools and training workshops for school-aged children, young adults and children with special needs.

Wingecarribee Shire Council / PACT Theatre - Wayward and Absconding Lads : $21,000
Region: Southern Tablelands | Federal Electorate: Hume
Development of a celebrative cultural event presenting young people's perspective on their place, history and lives today. The project incorporates 3 performances developed by young people across the shire with PACT Youth Theatre.

Residencies & Mentorships

Bellingen Music Association - AkaBella Choir Skills Development : $8,850
Region: Mid North Coast | Federal Electorate:Cowper
A series of workshops with artists Rachel Hore, John Shortis, Moya Simpson and Stephen Taberner to develop music leadership and build vocal and performance skills, taking AkaBella Choir to a higher level of musicianship. Areas of focus are conducting, song arrangement, vocal technique, performance technique and repertoire expansion.

Bega Valley Regional Gallery - Bega Stories : $19,150
Region: South East | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
Emerging local Aboriginal artists will be mentored by an established artist from the Boomalli Arts Cooperative in 2006 - Bronwyn Bancroft. The mentorship will encompass a series of lectures, seminars and hands-on workshops and culminate in an exhibition at the Bega Valley Regional Gallery.

Shoalhaven Libraries - Eat My Shorts : $13,900
Region: Illawarra Shoalhaven | Federal Electorate: Gilmore
A script writing, storyboarding and short filmmaking project to introduce young people in Shoalhaven schools to ways of using their ideas, imaginations and self-expression to create a short film. Writer Paul Stafford and filmmaker John Merkel will mentor students through residencies at schools over 4 weeks from development of an idea to production of a short film.

NORPA Dance Action - Homebase Dance Action : $11,073
Region: Northern Rivers | Federal Electorate: Richmond
Local dancers Daniella Finkenauer and Jason Campbell will mentor a groups of young dancers from remote communities in the Northern Rivers. "In house Gatherings" will workshop, discuss dance and business development and plan personal or group projects.

South East Arts Region Inc - The Song Company Down South : $5,240
Region: South East | Federal Electorate: Eden-Monaro
A 10 day residency with the professional vocal ensemble, The Song Company. Series of workshops will culminate in a combined concert with community choir Heartsong and the Song Company.

West Darling Arts Inc - Wilcannia Arts - Artist in Residence Program :
Yr 1 $21,000, Yr 2 $21,000, Yr 3 $21,000
Region: West Darling | Federal Electorate: Parkes
Artists-in-residence triennial program based in Wilcannia at the Art Centre and involving 3 residencies of different artforms in each year. Each year will culminate with a group exhibition and tour locally, regionally and to metropolitan centre. The program is being developed. as a model for other Regional Indigenous Projects.

Hothouse Theatre - Technical Training for Regional Young Person :
Yr 1 $12,000, Yr 2 $12,000
Region: Albury / Wodonga | Federal Electorate: Farrer
Full-time technical theatre traineeship to be offered as part of the company's training program.

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.