Enabling Community Creativity: A Regional Disability Resource Launch

Arts North West and Accessible Arts NSW will be celebrating the launch of Enabling Community Creativity: A Regional Disability Resource at the Civic Centre Gunnedah on22 May 2017.

Enabling Community Creativity: A Regional Disability Resource Manual is the direct result of The Heading West Project, a strategic two year partnership between Arts North West, Arts Northern Rivers (regional arts development organisations) and Accessible Arts NSW.  This resource manual is a how-to-guide to deliver arts and disability projects and events in regional Australia including project development, marketing, and accessibility plans. It comprises step-by-step processes, templates, resources as well as a number of case studies to assist organisations and individuals to develop their own arts and disability events in their communities.

Everyone is invited to come along, participate in an inclusive art activity, and create a nature photo print and frame. All materials and morning tea provided.

WHEN:
11:00am - 1pm Monday 22 May 2017

WHERE:
Creative Arts Centre, 81 Chandos Street, Gunnedah.

The Creative Arts Centre is an accessible venue.

COST:
Free

Further enquiries, please contact Arts North West via email office@artsnw.com.au, phone 67324988 or visit the website www.artsnw.com.au for more information.

Harmony Day Success in Glen Innes

The 2017 Glen Innes Harmony Day attracted around 100 people in the magnificent setting of the Glen Innes Town Hall with a foody heaven created by volunteers who supplied delicious plates of world cuisine from Indian pakoras and raita,  Japanese sushi, to Turkish felafel and tabouli and a tea station that served teas from around the world.  World music was played by DJ, Bob Blair while children and adults alike took part in a range of dancing and arts activities. Nicci Parry-Jones, Arts North West Projects Officer explains, “The art stalls focused on traditional craft practised from different countries such as making mandalas, origami and painting. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.” This festive event and waspresented by Arts North West with assistance from GISC and Refugees Welcome Glen Innes volunteers. The financial support went towards bringing feature act, The Balkanics who performed at the event with well-known multi-instrumentalist, Linsey Pollak. 
 
Luke Hodgson, senior student at the Glen Innes High School took the opportunity to undertake an activity for children – a painting and photo booth as part of his Major Project for Aboriginal Studies, which was enjoyed and utilised by attendees.

“Harmony Day is an inclusive community event to celebrate Australia’s multicultural diversity. The selection of cultural activities on offer aimed to highlight the rich contribution multiculturalism has made, and continues to make, to Australian culture and to encourage community inclusivity through harmonious engagement. Arts North West takes this opportunity to thank the many volunteers who helped on the day and made it such a resounding success.”
 
Funding for Harmony Day GI was provided by the NSW Government through Multiculturalism NSW, Arts North West, Glen Innes Severn Council and Refugee Welcome Glen Innes.

Fall of The Roman Umpire Charms Local Communities

Arts North West’s new initiative POCKET PRODUCTIONS launched in the New England North West in March and was a huge success!

Small communities in Emerald Hill, Walcha, Breeza, Warialda, Barraba, Bundarra, Deepwater and Ben Lomond were delighted to host the one man show The Fall of the Roman Umpire, directed & performed by Dennis Coard.

This autobiographical show was charming, cheeky, fascinating and very very funny. 

For many of these New England North West communities, it is the first time theatre has been performed in their wonderful halls.  True country hospitality was on show with organisers offering suppers, nibbles and drinks making the event a great night out.

These beautiful halls are at the heart of their communities, and provide a much needed place for people to get together.  In some cases, it is not the first time that Arts North West has visited with an arts project – in 2016 Breeza, Bundarra, Deepwater and Ben Lomond played host to the eco-dyeing textile workshops Creativitea.

The overwhelming feedback from the communities is “what’s next?!  We want more!”   Pocket Productions aims to offer affordable and professional theatre and musical productions to suit smaller community venues  based on the successful Arts North West ON TOUR model to established performing arts venues across the region.
 
For more information about Pocket Productions contact Nicci at Arts North West touring@artsnw.com.au

What, Why, Wow! Project Planning Workshops

Arts North West is offering a full day program of advice, networking and professional development for anyone interested in creating an arts-based event. The day will have a focus on eco-arts but has been designed to cater for anyone with an arts project or event idea including artists, council managers, volunteer organisations and community groups.  It could be in any art form for example theatre, film, visuals arts, music, festivals etc.
 
After running a successful series of these workshops in 2016, Landcare New England North West approached Arts North West to run a series of eco-arts based workshops in Uralla, Walcha, Deepwater, Bingara and Bundarra as arts have proven to be a very successful way to explore and address environmental issues and build and strengthen regional communities.
 
The day is a great opportunity to network and find synergies with others that you might not have known about – sometimes it means a new collaboration, or just a different way of looking at a problem. It is also a great opportunity to see what projects are happening around our region. In 2016, participants in our project planning workshops had ideas from stargazing to stand-up comedy – and many of these ideas became concrete with the assistance of our project planning guides.

You can be at the very beginning with just a germ of an idea that we can explore, or you might have things more concrete… this workshop caters for both.

$50 FULL DAY PROGRAM
(inc all sessions, hand outs, lunch & refreshments)
9:30am-12pm The Project Brief
12-1pm The Project Budget
2-3:30pm The Project Plan

Uralla 11 May
Walcha 12 May
Deepwater 25 May
Bingara 6 June
Bundarra 7 June

Book in online www.artsnw.com.au/#/whatwhywow/