30 November 2015
The Australian Government is announcing funding of more than $1.2 million for 85 arts and cultural projects across regional and remote Australia through the Regional Arts Fund.
“This funding will provide opportunities for regional artists and arts workers to exercise and grow their creative practice through engagement with established and new local arts audiences,” Minister Fifield said.
“The Australian Government is committed to providing access to high quality arts and cultural experiences for all Australians and through the Regional Arts Fund, these projects will provide local communities with an opportunity to participate in, and access arts and cultural activities across Australia.”
Projects will commence from January 2016 and explore multiple art forms including music, theatre, dance, writing, visual arts, crafts, digital and screen media and community cultural development.
Some of the projects funded through the latest round of the Regional Arts Fund include:
If These Halls Could Talk, New South Wales: $25,000 for a multi-arts initiative designed to revitalise and celebrate the significance of the humble community hall and the role they play in regional communities. At its core this is a place-making project that will empower communities to reengage with their community hall, to raise the roof and discover what’s inside, to listen and then to follow the history and document a unique narrative.
The T.A.R.C. Temporary Amateur Radio Club, New South Wales: $25,550 for collaboration between artists and members of the Wagga Wagga and Orana Amateur Radio Clubs. T.A.R.C. will explore local and global aspects of communications and radio culture and will provide for a participatory work that gives audiences experiential exposure to digital and analogue modes of communication via the world of radio. This project will be presented at the Regional Arts Conference/Festival Artlands in Dubbo, October 2016.
Marcia: The Musical, Queensland: $19,500 to deliver a musical that explores the impact of natural disaster in a regional community. This project will engage local songwriters and performers, directors and production technicians to develop creative material and celebrate the spirit and resilience of a community.
The Regional Arts Fund is funded by the Australian Government and delivered nationally by Regional Arts Australia through its member organisations. The Fund supports arts and cultural development projects in regional, remote and isolated communities across Australia.
Find out more about the Regional Arts Fund at the Regional Arts Australia website http://regionalarts.com.au/regional-arts-fund/