ARTS NORTH WEST MICROGRANT RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

Arts North West has announced the recipients of their Quick Response Micro Grants for 2024.

This  funding program is designed to boost the arts and cultural landscape of our region. These flexible  microgrants aim to support local independent professional artists, community groups, and arts organisations  by providing them with up to $1,000 to make their creative ideas a reality. 

The Arts North West Microgrant recipients for 2024 exemplify the diversity and talent within our region, with  each submitting a unique and inspiring project that will contribute and benefit to the communities. This year 18 Quick Response Micro Grants have been awarded to individuals, groups, and community organisations  with over $17,000 worth of funds distributed across the region.  

This year’s Arts North West Quick Response Micro Grants recipients are: 

Lorrelle Munro, Tamworth LGA
Creating woven artworks rooted in Gomeroi weaving traditions using locally-sourced Lomandra grasses at Warrabah National Park, inspiring future works to be displayed in Tamworth.

The Florin Arc, Armidale LGA
Recording a 10-track music album at Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney, blending instrumentation and studio expertise to craft a polished final piece.

Shingal Music, Armidale LGA
Bringing Kurdish (Ezidi) folk music to wider audiences, this project by Ezidi refugee musicians will preserve cultural heritage and foster community connection.

Mary McMillan, Armidale LGA
Expanding textile techniques at the ‘Landscape Fragments’ workshop by award-winning artist Julia Wright, enhancing her practice of nature-inspired textile art.

Janna Hayes, Armidale LGA
Acquiring a 60x64" tapestry loom to produce large-scale, hand-dyed wool works, exploring human creativity through an intricate fusion of organic and methodical design.

Amy Schultz, Liverpool Plains LGA
Recording original music and engaging in professional development for educational music performances, benefiting students at Willow Tree Public School.

Taleiah Conlan, Gunnedah LGA
Establishing a digital presence and acquiring art supplies to support larger commissions, aiding her growth as a Gomeroi artist.

Armidale Piper, Armidale LGA
Launching a digital shopfront for the business, enabling broader reach and integration across social platforms for marketing and sales.

James Warren: Australian Poetry Hall of Fame, Armidale LGA
Hosting the Poets on the Mountain Festival with workshops and school outreach to develop and celebrate poetic voices within the community.

Solasta Performing Arts, Narrabri LGA
Supporting an end-of-year performance at the Crossing Theatre, creating a high-quality showcase for students at no charge to the community.

Wood We Create, Walcha LGA
Launching the exhibition Created from Ash, showcasing local Claret Ash trees' journey from tree to art, complemented by a videography project documenting the transformation.

Arts Gunnedah, Gunnedah LGA
Covering venue and display costs for gallery workshops, enriching the Gunnedah community's engagement with art.

Isabelle Devos, Armidale LGA
Exploring the Liverpool Plains for her exhibition at Weswal Gallery, blending landscape painting with local history and community storytelling.

Lisa Marple, Narrabri LGA
Developing techniques for her #bullawacreeklove exhibition, combining painting, weaving, and cyanotype printing inspired by natural elements.

Awan Eveleigh (Mosaics by Awan), Narrabri LGA
Conducting a mosaic workshop for youth at the Wee Waa Community Arts and Cultural Centre, fostering artistic skill and community involvement.

Mona Fernando, Moree LGA
Delivering weaving and painting workshops in regional schools, sharing artistic skills and enhancing local cultural experiences.

Jane Stewart (Stellar Music School), Tamworth LGA
Supporting choir direction and rehearsals for Christmas events, ensuring a high-quality performance and music purchases for the choir’s repertoire.

Fiona McDonald, Armidale LGA
Developing interactive puppet automatons using gears and motion sensors to create engaging, responsive artworks that bring characters to life.

Arts North West wishes to congratulate the recipients, whose creativity and passion for the arts and cultural  practices continue to enrich our communities. We would also like to thank all those who applied for this  round of Quick Response Micro Grants; we received an overwhelming number of submissions and had some  difficult decisions to make.  

Arts North West releases funding opportunities periodically throughout the year. All updates are released on  our website and fortnightly newsletter.  

Seventeen New England North West Creative Projects Funded By Arts North West

Seventeen creative endeavours have been successfully funded through the fourth round of the Arts North West Micro Grants program.

The first round of Micro Grants was announced in 2020 as direct response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Due to their popularity, Micro Grants have continued to be a regular fixture in Arts North West programming ever since. Currently, the fund has expended approximately $40,000 directly to supporting locally-determined community arts and cultural practice as the region continues to face uncertain times, most recently experiencing extensive flooding.

Arts North West recognises the effects of disaster on creatives and their arts practices, therefore this funding aims to be as flexible as possible, and projects do not require a specific outcome but can focus on skills development or capacity-building.

“We are still finding ourselves in very unusual times in the New England North West but our arts and cultural community is as vibrant as ever,” said Arts North West Executive Director, Lauren Mackley.

“We are absolutely thrilled at the response to this funding round. We received numerous quality applications from an incredibly talented and diverse group of people.”

The successful applicants are as follows:

Professional development

• Bronwyn Clarke (Armidale): The grant will enable attendance to a writing retreat/landscape research locale visit.

• Helena Pastor (Armidale): Professional development attending an ASA Professional Mentorship with Lee Kofman.

• Janna Hayes (Armidale): Attend an artist workshop with Julia Ross Allcorn to inform her first solo exhibition.

• Leah Bullen (Armidale): Undertake two online professional development opportunities.

• Tamworth Dramatic Society (Tamworth): TDS will fund up to three members to attend NIDA short courses to build their skills in directing, costume design, stage management, sound design and make up.

Music, performance, and theatre

• Barney Street Band (Armidale): Record an album at Al Heeney’s Keystone Recording Studio.

• Iter Novum Pty Ltd (Tamworth): 'You'll Miss the Tide Productions' will be developing and delivering a theatre production.

• Sarah Leete (Baan Baa): Venues hire, payment for support acts for local performances and marketing show for upcoming tour.

• Yulugi Marumali (Moree): 5 participants to attend Winangali Infusion’s Gamilaraay Gathering event in Boggabilla.

Materials and supplies

• Brigitte Brummell (Glen Innes): Purchase arts supplies to extend and refine arts practices.

• Beatriz Alvarez (Armidale): Purchase arts supplies to extend and refine arts practices.

• Ebanita Sewa Emojong (Tamworth): The purchase of a new laptop.

• Edgar Alvarez Fine Art (Tamworth): Purchase arts supplies to extend and refine arts practices.

• Glen Innes Pottery Club (Glen Innes): The purchase of a vacuum to remove silica dust from studio area.

• Julie Harris (Armidale): Purchase arts supplies to extend and refine arts.

• Mona Fernando (Moree): Purchase arts supplies to extend and refine arts practices and deliver community workshops.

• Siobhan O'Hanlon (Armidale): Production and materials to develop a new collection of jewellery.

For more information, contact Lauren Mackley via rado@artsnw.com.au