Outback Archies Art Prize, entries now open!

The Outback Archies Art Prize is a long-standing project delivered by Outback Arts, now in its eleventh year! The Outback Archies grows in anticipation with each year, shining a light on the diverse and talented creatives in the region, exploring the theme ‘Legends and Landscapes’.

Growing on its eleven-year history, Outback Arts have teamed up with several key partners which will once again extend the reach of this project. Entries will be accepted not only from the Outback Arts region of Bourke, Brewarrina, Bogan, Cobar, Coonamble, Warren and Walgett Shires but also, Gilgandra, Narrabri, Moree, Gunnedah, Liverpool Plains, Gwydir, Tamworth, Broken Hill, Wentworth Shire, Central Darling Shire and the Western Unincorporated Area – that’s seventeen Local Government Areas in total!

The 2021 Art Prize will also cater for our creative youth in Regional New South Wales with the Young Archies, featured in two categories, Primary School and High School. Youth entries may explore any medium of their choosing.

The usual prizes remain, including the major Outback Archies Prize, People’s Choice, Aboriginal Art Award plus first and second prizes for each category of Ceramics, Sculpture, Two Dimensional and Photography.

Communications and Touring Coordinator for Outback Arts, Maddi Ward says “The Outback Archies is looked forward to by artists and the broader community each year. Great interest has already been shown by artists preparing to enter and those planning a trip to view the exhibition. It has locals at the core but promotes regional artists far and wide.”

The Outback Archies showcases the talented creatives within regional NSW and brings them together to inspire one another as well as providing emerging artists with a platform to boost their profile. Outback Arts strive to support artists by providing opportunities to exhibit and showcase their work locally as well as in metro galleries by securing exhibition opportunities.

Entries for pre-selection open 19th July 2021 and close 20 August 2021 with the exhibition scheduled for 20 September - 29 October 2021.

Visit the Outback Arts website for more information.

Creative workshops to connect communities in the New England North West

Arts North West is excited to be rolling out the next instalment of their successful CreativiTEA workshops in the New England North West this coming August, bringing women from the local rural communities together, to have a cuppa and a chat and get creative.

Arts North West will be delivering CreativiTEA to four villages - Drake, Ashford, Tingha and Torrington, visiting each location four times over a two-year period. These communities have faced a series of hardships over the last couple of years including severe drought and bushfires.

Participants can use the day to connect with old friends and make new ones, learn new artistic skills and be creative but more importantly they will be have the opportunity to openly chat in a safe and supported environment about the hardships for themselves and their families living in drought and/or bushfire affected isolated areas.

“Engaging in the creative practices, participants can communicate ideas and feelings that may be hard to put into works, such as anger, stress, and other personal experiences such as hardships on the land” said Arts North West Executive Director, Caroline Downer.

“Working collaboratively on a creative project is an effective way to ignite conversation.” She continued.

Arts North West have partnered with Rural Adversity Mental Health Program professionals who will be in attendance at all workshops to provide informal support as well as a point of contact for information and resources on health and wellbeing.

This series of creative workshops are facilitated by local printmaker Lizzie Horne, and will focus on print-making techniques, inspired by the passing of the Seasons. The work of the participants will be compiled into a book, documenting the project over 2 years.

The workshops are free and lunch will be provided. Book online https://bit.ly/3dyxB0z or contact Arts North West via office@artsnw.com.au or 6732 4988

23 August Tingha BEST Access Centre 10am - 3:30pm

24 August Torrington Community Hall 10am - 3:30pm

25 August Drake Community Hall 10am - 3:30pm

26 August Ashford Memorial Hall 10am - 3:30pm

These workshops were made possible through funding from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal through The Yulgilbar Foundation Fund.

Image: Work by Lizzie Horne.

Roadshow bringing the laughs back

MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL’S popular Roadshow is heading for the New England North West region to deliver a cracking good night of stand-up laughs from the experts.

The NENW leg of the tour will be emceed by teacher-turned-comedian and actor Ben Knight, who starred in ABC TV’s football-themed series The Warriors. Joining Ben will be comedians Alex Ward, Nikki Britton, Sam Taunton and Japan’s comedy export Takashi Wakasugi, whose act at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival was the insightful and uproarious Farm Backpacker (Subclass 417).

Described by Chortle (UK) as a comedian who can reduce her audience to constant waves of laughter, Nikki Britton is known for her appearances on Hughesy, We Have A Problem. She was a nominee for Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Most Outstanding Show Award 2021 and winner of Best Comedy Weekly Award at the 2020 Adelaide Fringe.

Sam Taunton is ‘roving idiot’ on Channel 10’s The Project with the trademark captivating storytelling and quick-fire punchlines that took him all the way to a sellout show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

A Queenslander now living in Melbourne, Alex Ward said: “2020 was a year for reflecting… mostly my own face in the laptop screen in bed”.

“I reflected on society, my dreams and how hard Zoom tried to ruin live comedy forever. Turns out they couldn’t touch us because we’re back. Can you believe it? Me, in the flesh, as you live and breathe!

“Despite the lockdown, I managed to achieve some great things in 2020. I wrote and co-starred alongside my dogs (my dogs were the leads) in a sketch for ABC’s At Home Alone Together series.

“I also baked not one, but two incredible cheesecakes. You could say it was a baking-pan-demic (that is an example of the kind of jokes you won’t be seeing at my show. It was a test, if you enjoyed that please re-think what you want to get from your life),” she said.

Don’t miss the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow at a venue near you:

TAS Hoskins Armidale: Tuesday June 15 (02) 6776 5800

Glen Innes Chapel Theatre: Wednesday June 16 (02) 6732 1997

Gunnedah Civic Theatre: Thursday June 17 (02) 6740 2100

Tenterfield School of Arts: Tuesday June 29 (02) 6736 6100

Inverell RSM Club (Inverell Cultural Group): Wednesday June 30 0428 753 244

Capitol Theatre Tamworth: Thursday July 1 (02) 6766 2028

Royal Theatre Quirindi: Friday July 2 (02) 6746 1755

Crossing Theatre Narrabri: Saturday July 3 (02) 6799 6740

Audience 18+

In the Museum with local musician Sarah Leete

EARLY FARMING in North West NSW was often hardscrabble to make a living off the land. The Wee Waa Namoi Echo Museum collection reflects the relics of the life and times of local people who persevered, and sometimes failed in the attempt, and Baan Baa-based singer/songwriter Sarah Leete has captured that history in her new song, “In the Museum”.

The song is an outcome of Sarah’s residency at the Echo Museum and an anthem to those past and present represented in the collection. As one of five resident artists for the Arts North West In the Museum project, placing creatives in historical community museums, Sarah was given time to develop her work, and find inspiration from the Wee Waa collection.

A line from the chorus, “Stories of yesterday, heartbreak up on display,” reflects the history and emotion Sarah experienced absorbing the items on exhibit.

“I think the sheer scale of things they have there and the way it was displayed impacted me. What moved me was the number of artifacts they had, and the very little we know about all of these people and things,” she said

“For instance, a kitchen table is used in a display in one of the buildings. It is clearly very old, and I was very overwhelmed by the moments that would have been shared around that very table that we have no idea about. To most people it's just an old table, but it would have played a very important part in a handful of lives over the years.”

The museum staff of volunteers embraced Sarah, and she said it was very special to hear their shared stories and receive such a generous response to her questions, which impressed her.

Museum committee president Julie Dowleans said Sarah’s residency came at a time when the museum was experiencing a flush of new visitors, both tourists and locals.

“We’re just really grateful that Sarah could come out here, and spend her time coming backward and forwards,” she said, adding that as a local radio announcer, she was looking forward to hosting Sarah on the local station.

“We are thrilled to have Sarah here,” said museum volunteer Fran Luke. “It’s something different and it’s giving us a bit of enthusiasm that we are never lacking but it’s a plus - it’s just a big plus.”

Arts North West executive director Caroline Downer said it was wonderful to see such diverse responses to the collections across the region, such as Sarah’s song.

“We are delighted that we are able to give creatives an opportunity to embed themselves in our museums and to be inspired by our local history,” she said.

Sarah debuted “In the Museum” at a big breakfast put on by the museum on Saturday, 24 April.

“It was surprisingly emotional, but so lovely to give them something back to show some appreciation for the great work they do and the kindness they have shown me,” she said.

“Although I am based not far from Wee Waa, we have a more mixed society now with mining, but the farmers have my heart, it's what drew me to the North West in the first place!”

The Arts North West In the Museum project was made possible through the NSW Government’s Arts Restart program.