Country Arts Support Program to fund 8 art projects across the New England in 2015

The NSW government has announced more than $19,000 in small arts project funding to the New England North West region. The funding was part of the NSW Government’s 2015 Country Arts Support Program (CASP) which allocated $200,000 to 99 country arts projects across the State.

 CASP is a key regional arts funding program which provides funding to arts and community organisations in regional New South Wales for short term, locally initiated projects. The aim is to provide access to arts activities for small communities, to encourage communities to work together on cultural projects, to foster cultural diversity in the region and to ensure that regional and rural areas have an artistic voice.

There were 13 applicants to the Regional Assessment Panel from across the New England North West for the 2015 program. 8 applications were successful in the 2015 round equalling $19,405 in funds, with projects spread across the region.

“Arts North West has witnessed both the short term and long term impacts of these locally created and generated projects. Congratulations to all successful projects as well as to those projects that submitted but were not successful in this round. The quality of applications has improved dramatically over the past 5 or so years and our region should be proud” said Jane Kreis, Regional Arts Development Officer at Arts North West.

Arts NSW’s Country Arts Support Program is a devolved funding program administered by Regional Arts NSW and local Regional Arts Boards on behalf of the NSW Government.

New England North West projects funded in 2014 through the Country Arts Support Program:

Children's Book Council of Australia - NSW (CBCA NSW) ($1,750) for the CBCA NSW New England and North West Sub-Branch to present their third annual Booked In! Children's Literature Festival in August 2015 in the towns of Uralla and Armidale.

Gravesend Public School P&C Association ($2,200) towards a three-day, in-school art experience with artist/educator, Christine Porter, and members of the school community, held at Gravesend Public School. The ARTbird project participants will create a set of drypoint etchings about the bird life within the geographic area of the school.

Moree Arts Council Thespians ($2,586) towards a series of theatrical workshops in terms one and two for primary school age children in Moree to increase their confidence, teamwork and imagination. The project will also include the performance of a show to encourage positive thinking and self-esteem.

New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM), Armidale ($2,100) towards ‘Artful Antics’, a creative day for older people in the community, offering a range of activities. It gives seniors the opportunity to reengage with music, art, theatre, fashion, singing, craft and literature.

New England Writers Centre Inc., Armidale ($2,625) to engage writer and artist, Matt Blackwood, to conduct Short Stories On The Spot workshops to create 'locative literature'- short stories created on and about a particular spot. The stories will be written and presented in a variety of non-traditional media.

Tenterfield Social Development Committee - Tenterfield Community Hub ($3,000) towards The Post Box Project, a travelling installation and exhibition of art works created by people living with disability. Participants will receive materials and send artworks using prepaid boxes. This will break down the physical barriers to collaborative art-making and develop an accessible approach to art-making in regional communities.

Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council ($3,000) towards a series of cross-generational workshops by Aboriginal weaver Ronella 'Dolly' Jerome, to identify native species, assess their suitability as traditional weaving materials and use them in traditional weaving.

Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council ($2,144) towards a series of carving workshops by Lightning Ridge Aboriginal carver Tom Barker, to preserve this craft. The workshops will further develop the skills of the participants and provide opportunities to promote a broader insight into Aboriginal culture at the Tamworth Festival, 16-25 January 2015.

For more, contact Arts North West on 02 6732 4988 or go to www.artsnw.com.au

To find out more about CASP go to www.regionalartsnsw.com.au

Create your own arts and culture trail for the NENW

Arts North West, administrator of the art trail, is very pleased to announce that there is now an iPhone app available for download from the Apple App Store (Country Art Escapes).

Country Art Escapes was launched in June 2012 and has gone from strength to strength, with around 60 subscribers on the trail, it features many of the artists and arts and cultural venues in the region. Nicci Parry-Jones, Special Project Officer with Arts North West explains, “anyone visiting the area can include a stop at one of the venues, whether you are interested in arts, history or Aboriginal culture, there are a diverse range of wonderful and welcoming venues on the trail including galleries, museums and artist studios from Tenterfield in the north to Quirindi to the south and west to Moree and Narrabri.”

Download the App here

Do you live in Inverell? Sign the petition to get Arts North West reinstated in your community!

Arts North West develops connections, fosters creativity and enriches communities through supporting creative opportunities in the New England North West.  Programs include Aboriginal Cultural Support, Arts and Disability Support, Cultural Tourism as well as specific community engagement projects (Youth Arts, Arts North West ON TOUR, Country Art Escapes, Film NENW) which aim to increase participation in arts and cultural activities in the region.  Arts North West plays a vital role in building cultural community capacity, through direct and useful advice and advocacy, through substantial professional development provision and with the forging of key partnerships and networks throughout the region that directly benefits communities.

In NSW, there are 14 Regional Art Boards.  $1.9 million is invested from Arts NSW into the network, $836,000 from LGAs.   A further $1.5 million is sourced directly by Regional Art Boards for additional projects. 

101 of 108 local Councils contribute to this network.   Unfortunately Inverell Shire Council is one of the Councils that does not. Twelve of the thirteen Councils in the New England North West region of NSW contribute annually to Arts North West.

As a ratepayer of Inverell Shire Council, we would invite you to ask Inverell Shire Council to reinstate its membership to Arts North West so that you can once again access Arts North West’s programs and services. Arts and cultural activity in your Shire benefits artists and non-artists alike.  It is crucial to again access to the vital professional support that Arts North West offers, and once again be connected and engaged with the wider arts and cultural community. 

Please sign this petition to stress to the Inverell Shire Council how important it is to have access to the services and programs of Arts North West within the Inverell community. Thank you.

Sign the petition here.