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Groundswell:
2002 Regional Arts Australia National Conference 26 February 2002 UPDATE: Funding commitments, keynote speakers, core themes The 2002 Regional Arts Australia National Conference has been named Groundswell to reflect the current surge of interest in the arts in regional Australia. Plans for the conference are progressing well. Regional Arts NSW managing staff have undertaken extensive consultation at local, state and national levels, working with the Conference Consultative Group and wide-ranging stakeholders over the past few months. Funding commitments are now in place from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (through the Regional Arts Fund), the NSW Ministry for the Arts, the City of Albury, the Regional Arts Board Albury Wodonga and Tourism NSW, with further submissions awaiting confirmation. This conference is expected to be huge - the largest arts industry convocation in Australia ever, in fact. The first RAA National Conference, in Mount Gambia, SA, brought in over 300 delegates. The second, in Esperance, WA, attracted 400, with a waiting list of 100. Already the magic of twin cities Albury Wodonga, on the border of NSW and Victoria, is drawing interest from across the nation, with a large number of registrations of interest already received at Regional Arts NSW. The Groundswell
audience will be people with a deep commitment to the
arts and the quality of life in Australia outside the capital cities
… people who are shaping the future direction of the arts in
rural and regional communities through projects, organisations,
networks and resources:
Five core themes have been developed to provide touchstones for sharing, celebration and debate at the conference:
Groundswell MC will be Nell Schofield. Nell is a specialised travel and arts reporter for television, radio and the print media. You may have seen her on the ABC TVs arts program, Review, where she featured for five years. Or more recently, on the airwaves on ABC Radio National's 'Arts Today', 'Breakfast' or 'The Story of Pop'. Helen Gould heads what will be a great line up of internationally and nationally reputed keynote speakers. Helen founded the UK's Creative Exchange in 1997/8 in response to the lack of awareness and understanding of the social role of the arts internationally. She has steered its growth from concept to an internationally recognised organisation and now serves on the culture committee of UK UNESCO and has authored research reports for the British Council, World Bank and Comedia. Our other international keynote speaker will be Carol Geddes, a Teslin Tlingit (first nation) Canadian filmmaker whose first major film Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief won a Silver Award for Educational Documentary in San Francisco. Carol has produced 25 documentaries highlighting the stories and struggles of Aboriginal life in the Yukon and other parts of Canada and she has won numerous national and international awards. Carol has served as a board member for the Canada Council for the Arts, working with Aboriginal artists to successfully establish Aboriginal programs with the Canada Council. Currently she is an instructor for the Aboriginal Screenwriters Writing for Series Television workshop at The Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada. Closer to home, another keynote will be Lyndon Terracini, one of Australia's finest and internationally acclaimed performers of contemporary opera and music theatre. Lyndon was the founder of the Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA), now considered one of the most successful performing arts organisations in regional Australia, and Artistic Director of the 2001 Queensland Biennial Festival of Music, which connected the entire state through music in the community and in the concert hall. Other keynote speakers confirmed to date include renowned festival director Robyn Archer; Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, Dr Terry Cutler, and Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Board, Cathy Craigie. A host of options will be available for delegates' active participation in Groundswell, including sessions with locals Kim Walker, Director of the internationally sought Flying Fruit Fly Circus, and Charlie Parkinson and Fiona Barber from the acclaimed Hot House Theatre. Albury Wodonga, for thousands of years the crossing place on the mighty Murray River which waters three states, is also an area rich in cultural assets, creativity and energy. To welcome delegates to Groundswell the people of Albury Wodonga are planning an exciting local program led by a dynamic Host City Committee. Delegates will be able to enjoy arts and cultural tours of the cross border region as well as some exceptional networking activities. Testimony to the national significance of Groundswell, meetings
of the Australia Council, and the Boards of Regional Arts
Australia and Regional Arts NSW will be held in the days
preceding the conference. Don't miss out! |