Six community arts projects rolling out in 2020 across Queensland will receive a total of $147,272.00 being the most recent round of successful recipients of the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund (RAF), administered by Flying Arts Alliance Inc.
Community Project Grants provide up to $30,000 for projects involving regional artists or arts organisations that have a public outcome, and significantly engage the community in which they are based. The grant funding can also be used for skills development opportunities for regional artists, arts groups or community organisations.
The six successful recipients were selected by a panel of peer assessors from 26 applicants according to their project’s viability, quality, reach and impact within their chosen community. The applications represent a diverse array of art forms and outcomes, including writing, visual arts, performance and professional development.
Flying Arts Alliance CEO Kerryanne Farrer says that the successful applicants for this round display a strong commitment to supporting regional and rural Queensland communities through a variety of creative avenues.
“Flying Arts Alliance is thrilled to announce the successful grant recipients for this funding round. These six outstanding arts and cultural projects to be delivered in regional Queensland will contribute greatly to a number of communities across our vast state,” she said.
“The independent panel was impressed by the high number of quality applications this round, making it very competitive and many deserving projects were unable to be funded this time.”
“The fund is supporting projects from diverse sections of the community, including young people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. There’s a strong focus on community connections and capacity building, with art as a mechanism for healing and transforming lives.”
Successful applications from the latest round of Community Project Grants include:
- One project which highlights the talents of Australian First Nations peoples – enabling exposure for emerging and established indigenous artists.
- Two projects that facilitate community cohesion – one community building and healing project and one inter-cultural exchange resulting in a performance.
- Three projects which focus on professional development and skills building – including one visual and performing workshop for youth, one community-focused arts capacity building enterprise, and one writers festival.
Two examples that reflect the diversity of approved projects are:
Creative Development – “I is Maggie”
A creative development of I is Maggie, a script with themes of migrant exploitation, will take place in Cairns, 13-17 January 2020. The project brings together Bamaga-based emerging playwrights, Dennis MacIntosh and Saengthien Klamkaew, cultural consultant Jaruwan Jansoi, and creatives including actors, director, designer and dramaturg. The project will be inclusive of culturally appropriate actors and director, and will create a respectful and safe cultural process for this intercultural script. The week culminates in a public reading at the Centre of Contemporary Art. The project outcome of a new draft script will be submitted for consideration at Queensland WinterPlayFest.
NQ Young Artists Camp
NQ Young Artists Camp will run a series of performance and industry skill-based activities prioritising North Queensland youth and regional professionals as the facilitators. The project will bring young aspiring performing and creative artists aged 13 -17 together to develop new skills, meet industry professionals and like-minded young people. The region includes Flinders, Charters Towers, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island and Townsville. The aim is to hold the NQ Young Artists Camp in a different community each year.
The Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote Australia. The fund meets the strategic priorities of supporting participation in and access to the arts and encouraging greater private sector support for the arts. The Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund is provided through Regional Arts Australia. In Queensland, the Regional Arts Fund is administered by Flying Arts Alliance according to the objectives and general eligibility determined by the Australian Government.
The next round of applications for Community Project Grants will open on 6 January 2020.
– ENDS –
Regional Arts Fund Community Project Grants – Round 2 2019
Cairns Tropical Writers Festival (CTWF) 2020
Cairns Writers Festival Inc
$30,000.00
Cairns Tropical Writers Festival 2020 will be a vibrant, stimulating and diverse 3-day festival bringing together regional, Far North Queensland, state, national and international writers, readers and thinkers. It will showcase the distinct voices of the region across writing genres, and engage a wide audience across age, cultural, nationality and socio-economic groups. The program will include workshops, functions, book-launches, debates, performances and guest speakers and will bring the community together in a celebration of storytelling through writing, reading and viewing. It will also provide valuable opportunities for local writers and readers to learn and share skills, and to connect with industry professionals from beyond the region.
Reconciling Histories
Lotus Place
$21,936.00
Reconciling Histories will be conducted in Rockhampton, Townsville (and Brisbane). A series of visual arts workshops designed to develop new skills, allowing participants to articulate (via the visual arts) a journey of Truth Telling, Justice Making and Healing, for people who have suffered abuse, neglect and trauma as children in institutional care. Following this project, exhibitions are planned for late 2020. The project is part of a Micah Projects/Lotus Place response to ‘Redress and Reconciling Histories’ in line with the Queensland Government Truth Justice and Reconciliation Taskforce.
NQ Young Artists Camp
The Youth Network NQ Inc
$29,982.00
NQ Young Artists Camp will run a series of performance and industry skill-based activities prioritising North Queensland youth and regional professionals as the facilitators. The project will bring young aspiring performing and creative artists aged 13 -17 together to develop new skills, meet industry professionals and like-minded young people. The region includes Flinders, Charters Towers, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island and Townsville. The aim is to hold the NQ Young Artists Camp in a different community each year.
CQ Shopfront
Mrs Shelley Pisani
$29,400.00
CQ Shopfront is an 18-month developmental program to build the entrepreneurial capacity of Central Queensland artists and makers, creating commercially viable work and sustainable businesses. Funding is for a series of Artisan in Residence projects across 7 local government areas of Central Queensland, offering mentoring and skills development to regional artists and makers, delivered in partnership with Artisan, Central Queensland Regional Arts Services Network, local key organisations and local government. Artisans will be encouraged to develop a sustainable business model and test their products whilst building a support network and important industry contacts.
Creative Development – “I Is Maggie”
Dr Dennis MacIntosh
$19,314.00
A creative development of I is Maggie, a script with themes of migrant exploitation, will take place in Cairns, 13-17 January 2020. The project brings together Bamaga-based emerging playwrights, Dennis MacIntosh and Saengthien Klamkaew, cultural consultant Jaruwan Jansoi, and creatives including actors, director, designer and dramaturg. The project will be inclusive of culturally appropriate actors and director, and will create a respectful and safe cultural process for this intercultural script. The week culminates in a public reading at the Centre of Contemporary Art. The project outcome of a new draft script will be submitted for consideration at Queensland WinterPlayFest.
First Nations Artists on Gubbi Gubbi Land Celebrate
Cooroy Future Group Inc
$16,640.00
After the successful 2019 First Nations Exhibition, funded by a RAF quick response grant, the artists and the audience requested a larger scale exhibition. From 12 June – 21 July 2020 Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre will host another First Nations art exhibition throughout the whole gallery, offering a larger exhibition for emerging and established Indigenous artists residing on Gubbi-Gubbi land, culminating in a Gubbi-Gubbi celebration during NAIDOC week. Ambassadors Dr Jandamarra Cadd, and Uncle Paul Calcott are excited to take this project to the next level, providing mentoring for marginalised Indigenous people, including those living with disabilities and troubled youth.
Flying Arts is an arts and cultural development organisation which has been delivering visual arts projects and services to regional and remote Queensland since 1971. The Association has played a significant role in inspiring artists and communities, as well as helping to overcome the impacts of regional isolation and remote living.
