Regional communities get arts funding boost

Arts Minister Simon Crean today announced that 86 arts and cultural activities throughout regional Australia will benefit from more than $900,000 in funding through the Regional Arts Fund.

Mr Crean said the funding will help kick-start arts projects in South Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. 

The successful applicants include:

• $14,570 for Arts in the Long Grass (Northern Territory). One of the most disadvantaged populations in Darwin will be offered access to arts and cultural expression through the provision of arts materials and mentors which will allow members of this community access to a wide range of artistic expression.

• $29,670 for Crush Festival 2012 Youth Development Project (Queensland). Young people in Bundaberg will engage in a variety of street art projects such as making zines, QR interaction games, pop-up acts and busking at the 2012 Crush Festival in October.

• $2,376 for Exploring OUR world through photography (South Australia). Local women from the Bowhill and Karoonda area will be able to participate in a two day photography workshop exploring ways to express themselves, celebrate local life, and to find beauty within the harsh environment in which they live.

• $15,000 for Inside/Out (Victoria). A site specific performance project working with people with a disability exploring movement, sound, light encountering space through the senses.

• $25,000 for Staircase to the Moon (Western Australia). Theatre Kimberley will develop the story Staircase to the Moon (written by Indigenous author Bronwyn Houston) into a musical play for children by running puppetry, dance and voice workshops. The final production will be performed as part of the opening season of the newly refurbished Civic Centre Broome.

• $2,280 for the 140^th Anniversary Gala Concert (Tasmania). To commemorate 140 years of continuous service, the Latrobe Federal Band will perform a reunion Gala Concert in November 2012 featuring past and present senior and junior band members and debut a commissioned work. Funding will assist commissioning composer Graham Lloyd with travel costs and to engage Musical Director of the Latrobe Federal Band, Vivian Martin.

The funding for each state will be provided through the local regional arts agency.

The full list of recipients and further information on the Regional Arts Fund is available at
www.arts.gov.au/arts/regional_arts_fund.