The Panorama Project Installed in Inverell

Photo: Inverell Library staff member Maria Mutimer with one of the over 300 Panorama Project sketchbooks on display

The Arts North West Panorama Project, a creative record of our region in the time of COVID, is now installed at the Inverell Public Library until 23 December.

Arts North West (ANW) sent small A5-sized custom sketchbooks in the winter of 2020 to people across the New England North West. Participants filled their books with visual or tactile art, and writing, then returned their sketchbooks to drop-off spots in their communities. Now on tour, the entire collection will tour the region’s libraries until early August of 2021.

“We have loved seeing Panorama Project out on the road. And we have had some lovely messages from library visitors who have enjoyed spending time browsing through all the sketchbooks,” ANW executive director Caroline Dower said.

The exhibition launched at the Glen Innes Library in late October, in time for the library’s Community Open Day and 66th Anniversary celebrations. After its three-week stay, it was hosted by Our Place Wine and Espresso Bar in Tenterfield before it came down to Inverell.

“I heard the most amazing story from Our Place owner Amanda Rudge when I went up to collect the show,” Panorama Project manager Michèle Jedlicka said.

“A woman from the coast stopped in on her travels, and Amanda suggested she have a look at the sketchbooks while she waited for her order. This woman was astonished to find the first book she picked from the shelves was actually made by her friend who lived in Narrabri. That coincidence was extraordinary.”

Michèle invited the public to sit down and spend time looking through collected talent and memoirs in the sketchbooks.

“This project gives us all sense of our connectedness and similarities. I have loved helping this project happen, and I am so grateful to all the people who took part.”

You can follow the progress of the Panorama Project at: www.artsnw.com.au/#/panorama-project.

Arts North West Extends Paid Opportunity for Local Musicians

Arts North West is extending an EOI for a paid opportunity to a musician or team of musos living in the New England North West to compose a brief soundtrack for our new video project. This is a five-episode series, at about 7-10 minutes/episode. Each episode can use the same music, requiring a very short opening (<15 seconds) and closing track (<30 seconds), with a 3-4 stem or related files to add through the episode (length 15 seconds-1.30 minutes as background music). All episodes will be screened on Arts North West's internet presence and social media. Payment will be commensurate with the project expectations, with music licensed by the composer(s) for use in the project, and you will retain all rights to the music, with full film credit to the composer(s) and performers. The episode lengths lend themselves to a purely instrumental soundtrack, and prohibit a formal theme song, but some vocals are welcome as well.

The EOI deadline is 29 November, with final pieces to be delivered by the successful composer(s) by 18 December.

This project's subject matter is a young man, unexpectedly tapped to confront and solve a the series of crises posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the New England North West. Results are comical, haphazard and a bit bumbling with 2-3 group scenes per episode of people re-enacting some of the year's most pressing COVID-related issues with funny results. Musical themes might have a country to classical flare, reflective of our region, but dramatic flourishes with a bit of superhero thrown in, as our main character is Captain Isobolt. The general intent of the project is fun, and not at all serious. The actors/participants for this project come from all across our region.

Interested? Send through a 10-30 second MP3 clip(s) at an audio bitrate:128 kbps or better of your inspiration to the project brief, and any links to previous work to project manager, Michèle Jedlicka at indiopony@gmail.com, as well as any questions or requests for further information. Notifications will be made by Wednesday, 2 December.

THE NEW ENGLAND NORTH WEST LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU

It’s spring, and as the New England North West region begins to emerge, Arts North West understands that we find ourselves in a ‘brave new world’ of social distancing, hand sanitising and ensuring we sign in when enjoying a piece of entertainment away from home.

The great news is that there are events out there for us all to enjoy despite the challenges, from performing arts tours to exhibitions, literary events and so much more but the long-term wellbeing of the artists and arts-workers of our region relies very much on us all showing up.

The Arts North West on Tour network is really looking forward to welcoming the Country Witches Association, to New England North West Pocket Production venues.

From one half of the team that brought Women Like Us to our region in 2019, this community-building comedy/music show draws Country Women’s Association members every time it tours the bush.

Irish folk musician Àine Tyrrell and Australia’s beloved comedian Mandy Nolan whip up plenty of audience participation via a meeting ‘agenda’ that is a riotous and heartfelt homage to the CWA’s role: bringing support, connection and hysterical observations of everyday dilemmas.

This is a Covid safe, 18+ women’s show but men who love listening to women are totally welcome.

Bonshaw Hall: Wednesday November 18, 2020. Bookings: 0427 749 978

Royal Theatre Quirindi: Thursday November 19, 2020. Bookings: 6746 1755

Gunnedah Town Hall: Friday November 20, 2020. Bookings: 6740 2230

Deepwater School of Arts: Saturday November 21, 2020. Bookings: 0431 269 104

Tenterfield School of Arts: Sunday November 22, 2020. Bookings: 6736 6100

There has never been a time when it’s more important that we follow through on our bookings, because venues are likely to have put on extra staff, and numbers are likely to be capped, so if we cancel or don’t show our place might not be reallocated at short notice.

The Arts North West on Tour network has a fantastic line up of shows planned to tour the New England North West next year, so follow Arts North West on Facebook to stay up to date.

Please contact Mandy Nolan via 0422 701 680 for information regarding the Country Witches Association tour.

A NEW ARTS NORTH WEST WEBSITE CONNECTING CREATIVE COMMUNITIES

In what has been a year full of challenges and adapting to a new normal, Arts North West is excited to launch another new initiative for the New England North West, an expansion of the Arts North West Connect program and website.

First launched in 2012 as Country Art Escapes, Arts North West Connect started as a physical art trail through the New England North West, promoting arts and cultural venues through hardcopy maps, a phone app, and a website. This original version operated on a subscriber model and at its peak, incorporated around 70 subscriber venues.

In 2018, Country Art escapes underwent a refresh and a rebrand, transforming into Arts North West Connect, shifting focus to be primarily a subscriber based online arts directory promoting cultural venues, artists and events in region.

From the end of 2020, Arts North West Connect will be taking on a completely new look and purpose. Firstly, and fore mostly, Arts North West Connect will be completely free and cover the entire New England North West creative and cultural landscape.

“2020 has brought about a complete overhaul of way in which we operate at Arts North West, we have had to rethink ways in which we interact with our arts and cultural community and the ways in which we can best support the region as we begin to reopen to the new norm” said Steph McIntosh, from Arts North West.

The new Arts North West Connect website launching in the coming weeks, has been separated into sections to capture the myriad of talents and skills in the region, arts and cultural venues, artists portfolios, technical skills registry, comprehensive maps, and events.

“Arts North West Connect will be an incredible and valuable resource for the entire New England North West region. This will essentially be the most comprehensive database of all things creative and cultural in the region, disguised as a new snazzy and sleek website.

This approach of crossing across 12 different local government areas, through a unified website, promoting solely arts, culture, and tourism in the region, has never been done before in this region. Steph McIntosh

We are determined to make this a success, but the website will only be as good as the information that is put into it, so please follow us on Facebook and spread the word” Mrs. McIntosh continued.

In celebration of the new website and just in time for Christmas, Arts North West Connect will also be facilitating an online Market Place for the month of December. Details will be released via the Arts North West Facebook page and Arts North West Connect website www.artsnwconnect.com.au

Individuals, groups, organisations wanting to register their details can do so all online via the website.