News

Groundswell: 2002 Regional Arts Australia National Conference
at The Crossing Place: Albury Wodonga,
10-13 October 2002

Be part of the biggest arts industry gathering in Australia!
Join the Priority Mailing List...

With over 200,000 people actively involved, the regional arts sector is bigger than the home building industry and the road transport sector. In 2002, the national focus of this diverse, active, creative and geographically separated sector will be Groundswell, the biennial Regional Arts Australia National Conference at The Crossing Place, Albury Wodonga, 10-13 October 2002.

The last national conference, in Esperance WA in 2000, drew 400 people with a waiting list of 100. Be the first to receive the registration brochure and secure a place in 2002 by joining the Priority Mailing List - see below for details.

The Conference participants travel from all over Australia. They have a deep commitment to the arts and the quality of life Regional Australia, and are strong advocates for the power of the arts as a tool for community building and renewal. Increasingly, the arts are being recognised as a powerful vehicle to re-envigorate the Regional and Rural sector.

Groundswell will bring together:

• Arts, cultural and heritage workers - from all over Australia and all backgrounds
• Volunteers and members of community based arts and cultural organisations
• Artists
• Indigenous arts, cultural and development organisations
• Non-English speaking background cultural and community groups
• Local government representatives and officers
• State and Federal government personnel - particularly in the areas of arts, culture, regional development, education, Indigenous affairs, tourism.

They will converge on Albury Wodonga, which has been, for thousands of years, the Crossing Place on the mighty Murray that waters and connects three states.

Albury Wodonga is an inspirational model of mature and dynamic regional cultural development. It is an areas rich in cultural assets, creativity and energy that are both valued by and valuable to the community.

To welcome the national arts audience of Groundswell, the communities of Albury Wodonga and surrounding regions have planned a dynamic cultural program that will leave an unforgettable impression on delegates.

At Groundswell, internationally and nationally reputed keynote speakers, plus those people who are just making it happen in their regional community will share, celebrate and debate:

• Regional Festivals - is this the new growth industry?
• Cultural Entrepreneurs: thriving regional artists and arts organisations/
• The Arts, the built environment, & community renewal
• Partnerships and collaborations: a critical analysis
• Indigenous Arts and cultural practices in regional contexts
• New technologies in the arts: research tools, distribution and art making.
• Insurance and risk management issues for community based organisations
• Youth, Arts, Education
• Politics, regional development and cultural development

Early bird registration will be available in February 2002. To be on the Priority List to receive the registration brochure, forward your contact details to groundswell@regionalartsnsw.com.au or call 02 9247 8577. Fax: 02 9247 7829.