Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke has announced a windfall for South Australia with 16 new arts projects being funded across regional SA through the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund.
The Regional Arts Fund supports sustainable cultural development in regional, remote and very remote Australia. Across the country, 54 projects have been granted a slice of the $645,134 pie with almost of a quarter of that allocated to South Australian projects. The successful projects encompass a broad spectrum of art forms including film, digital technology, theatre, dance, visual arts and textiles. Eleven of the 16 successful South Australian applicants applied to the fund for the first time.
Country Arts SA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Steve Saffell said: “Many talented regional South Australians will now have their artistic ambitions see the light of day thanks to the Australian Government’s 2013 Regional Arts Fund. The support provided through the RAF not only enables artists across the State to have their artistic concepts turned into reality, it also enriches the cultural and artistic aspects of their communities.”
Half of the applications in this round have targeted the professional development of professional regional artists and arts workers, while 61% of applications are aimed at building community skills and community capacity. This round also has a particularly youth-centric focus, with 17% of successful applications recognising this bracket of engagement as their target audience.
Successful South Australian initiatives include:
- Look At Us – Yalata Community Inc. will be engaging an experienced arts facilitator, Pam Diment, to deliver workshops for emerging and established artists from the remote communities of Yalata and Oak Valley building artist’s skills and confidence.
- Water 2013 is a series of outdoor performances exploring the shared significance of water through the stories and folklore of the Riverland’s diverse multicultural community.
- Wings – Young people living with disabilities in the Port Pirie region will have the opportunity to engage in an artistic program to explore remoteness, proximity, escape and freedom.
- Portraits of the River People – local professional photographers from the Mid Murray region will work with aspiring local amateur photographers to create photographic works and capture stories of the people who live and work along the River Murray. The resulting images and stories will be reproduced and exhibited as large scale “paste ups” in public spaces.
The next funding round closes on 15 August 2013, for projects which commence from 1 January 2014.
More information about the Regional Arts Fund is available from Country Arts SA on (08) 8444 0400 or visit www.countryarts.org.au.
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