2015 - HEADING WEST
Heading West was a region-to-region response to arts and disability development in regional NSW. It partners the successes of the North Coast 'Creating Connections' program with emerging New England North West 'Enable Arts' program. The project was a two year strategic partnership between Arts Northern Rivers, Arts North West, and Accessible Arts that supports the professional coordination between, and development of, arts + disability projects and their stakeholders in North Western NSW. The program and its creative outcomes are built on the shared commitment of our communities to foster inclusivity and accessible creative opportunities for regional NSW.
ACCESSIBLE ARTS
Accessible Arts is the peak arts and disability organisation across New South Wales. It promotes and provides opportunities for people with disability to participate in arts and cultural activities either as audience members; through attending galleries, theatres, museums and festivals; or as participants in art, drama, music, dance and multimedia activities; and by developing as professional artists.
Delineate is offering a small arts grant program, which aims to support disability-led projects that build capacity, leadership skills, and artistic networks for artists with disability as well as create cultural change. Delineate applicants can apply from anywhere in NSW, a total of 6 grants will be offered.
There were many great insights from these meetings but the most important one was an ongoing commitment from ANR to work with ANW next year as a part of Heading West on an exchange residency project with the idea of a musician with disability visiting our region from the North West to undertake a residency and mentorship with Tralalablip and then a musician with disability from the North Coast travelling to the North West as a part of a music showcase project that they already undertake as a part of the Tamworth music festival.
2015 has been a successful first year for the Heading West Project. The strategic partnership with Accessible Arts, NSW peak body for arts and disability has allowed us to deliver a suite of professional and networking opportunities for the New England North West Arts and Disability Sector. These opportunities have included two regional arts and disability forums in Armidale and Gunnedah, arts and disability awareness training and disability action plan workshops for key organisations within our region, project funding for organisations through Accessible Arts Artist Run Initiatives and the development of projects ideas for 2