Eleven New England North West Creative Projects Funded by Arts North West

Eleven creative endeavours have been successfully funded through the Arts North West Micro Grants program. Due to COVID 19, cutbacks were made on normal spending, giving Arts North West the opportunity to offer the funding to the New England North West region.

The turnaround time for applications was relatively tight, but the New England North West responded promptly, submitting numerous applications, for an array of creative projects and ideas.

“These are very unusual times for all of us in the New England North West and we really understand the difficulties faced by the arts and cultural communities in our region” said Arts North West Executive Director, Caroline Downer. “We are absolutely thrilled at the response to the new initiative and it just goes to show that despite the current challenges faced by the sector, arts and culture is still very much alive and pumping in the New England North West ” Ms Downer continued.

The successful applicants are as follows:

Natasha Soonchild, Nundle

To research and develop an at-home sewing kit which would provide materials and instructions to produce a unique soft sculpture. This would be sold through website and utilise recycled textiles.

Sarah Leete, Baan Baa

To take practice online and compete in the ‘virtual world’. To connect with her audience and stay relevant on social media.

Alex Robson, Inverell

To run an online workshop series on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The workshops would be open to university students, and high school students in Year 11 and 12.

Stephanie Marshall, Inverell

To roll out collaborative UnstopAbility performance sessions online through the Zoom Pro platform.

Dhiiyaan Aboriginal Centre, Moree

To assist two Aboriginal artists and cultural knowledge holders, Chris Roberts and Dorothy Tighe, to adapt to self-isolation whilst also supporting their communities through creative projects.

Leah Bullen, Armidale

To undertake an at home residency and record the environment and activities of my family home.

Walcha Handmade, Walcha

Online art lessons aimed at children.

Alan Buchan, Tamworth

To record and release a song in support of the heroes who have been overlooked during the COVID19 crisis.

NERAM, Armidale

To offer a NERAM (from home) 5-week Artist Residency.

Fiona Macdonald, Armidale

To undertake a home-based residency experimenting with new drawing techniques.

Helena Pastor, Armidale

To produce quality digital recordings to share with the New England community and further afield.

The Arts North West Microgrants were designed to support the continuation of locally determined community arts and cultural practice in uncertain times, this funding aims to be as flexible as possible. Projects do not require a specific outcome but can focus on skills development or capacity-building.

For more information, contact Caroline Downer via rado@artsnw.com.au

Positive Response to Arts North West Panorama Project

The phrase ‘Alone together’ is about to take a creative twist as hundreds regional residents are about to receive their sketchbooks for the Arts North West Panorama Project.

These small books have been posted out to artists, writers and keen participants across the New England North West to keep and fill for the next two months before they all come together for a travelling exhibition beginning in late 2020.

“It’s a way for creative people to document their lives and experience living through this extraordinary time in history,” project coordinator Michèle Jedlicka said.

“People might express how they’ve coped through this COVID-19 crisis, whether it’s been positive or challenging, or they may want to use their books as an extension of their ongoing work, their culture, or thoughts. There is no limit to what they do with their books.”

Arts North West expects to collect the sketchbooks from 1 August and from there, up to 1000 of the little books will travel across regional libraries for people to browse. All books will be returned to their owners after the exhibition.

Sketchbooks have now been sent to individuals who have registered through the Arts North West site, and disability and aged care support services.

“We are delighted by the positive response from our region, and we have had registrations from all our LGAs,” Arts North West executive director Caroline Downer said.

“We are looking forward to seeing all the creative responses.”

Panorama Project sketchbooks are still available through the Arts North West site at artsnw.com.au or phone 6732 4988. Eligibility is for residents aged 16 and older and living in one of the 12 council areas supported by Arts North West.

For more information, contact office@artsnw.com.au.

Photo: Arts North West Executive Director Caroline Downer sends out Panorama Project sketchbooks.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY - ARTS NORTH WEST MICRO GRANTS

IN RESPONSE to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arts North West is offering Quick Response Micro Grants of up to $1,000 for independent professional practising artists across all art forms, community groups and arts organisations to support their creative endeavours.

Using some of the money that Arts North West are not currently spending on usual operations due to covid-19, such as travel, are the types of savings having be directed to the microgrant program. Arts North West has identified some savings in its usual operational expenditure due to covid-19 (such as limited travel), and have directed funds to this new micro grant opportunity.

Designed to support the continuation of locally determined community arts and cultural practice in uncertain times, this funding aims to be as flexible as possible. Projects do not require a specific outcome but can focus on skills development or capacity-building.

“These are very unusual times for all of us in the New England North West and we really understand the difficulties faced by the arts and cultural communities in our region” said Arts North West Executive Director, Caroline Downer.

“We have been very inspired by the way that individuals and organisations in our region have embraced and adapted to the new norm, developing new initiatives and strategies for their creative practices and businesses. We hope that these micro grants can help in a small way to keep up this commendable work” Ms Downer continued.

There is also an opportunity to donate to the Arts North West Micro Grant Program via the Arts North West website. Every donation will go directly towards the fund and every amount over $2 is fully tax deductible.

There is a very quick turnaround for applying and receiving these micro grants, with applications open now and closing on 4 May 2020. Successful applicants will be notified on 11 May 2020.

To apply or to donate to the Arts North West Micro Grant program, visit the Arts North West website www.artsnw.com.au or contact the Arts North West office for more information (02) 6732 4988.

The Panorama Project – A Creative Project for All

SOME OF THE best art captures a definitive moment in history.

With that in mind, Arts North West, the New England North West’s regional arts development organisation, has launched a free creative project to record this period in images and self-expression as the world sits out the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Panorama Project will post out small sketchbooks to people across Arts North West’s 12-council footprint for people to visually record their thoughts, imagination and lives. The little sketchbooks will be dropped off to central community locations after 1 August 2020, then travel as a collection to libraries across the New England North West for the public to view. Once the travelling exhibition is completed, the sketchbooks will be returned to their creators.

The project is open to all people, of all abilities, aged 16 and above.

Arts North West recognized this time of national self-isolation meant countless creative workshops and opportunities have been cut off, postponed or cancelled. To meet this challenge, the organisation took a scheduled project off the drawing table and reconfigured it as a community project for people to do at home.

“Our catchphrase is ‘Connections, Creativity, Communities,’” Arts North West executive director Caroline Downer said.

“One of our many roles is to create places and spaces for networking opportunities. Obviously doing this at the time of COVID-19 restrictions is more challenging, and the connections within our communities are more difficult to sustain.”

Ms Downer said the Panorama Project will be an opportunity for regional creatives and artists to participate in an isolation artistic project, creating individual work in the medium they choose, such as collage, writing, photos, drawing, painting or mixed media.

“At the end it will all come together as a whole to document a moment in time and to celebrate the resilience and the optimism of the creatives living in the New England North West,” she said.

The project has already been embraced by disability and community support services across the region. Local councils have also come aboard to promote the project to their residents.

For more information, and to submit your interest in participating, go to http://www.artsnw.com.au/panorama-project or phone the Arts North West office on (02) 6732 4988

Arts North West Covid-19 Update

Hello all,

I’m sure you are all being inundated with information about Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and its impact on our sector. 

It has been a particularly difficult time – from drought to bushfire and now to a global pandemic. All of these have had a huge effect on our creative industries.
 
Event Cancellation
While the current requirement is to cancel all events that have an audience of 500 and above, many of our venues and organisations may not reach that audience figure but are still understandably anxious. Resourcing and growing community anxiety will also affect ticket sales and we recognise that organisations and individuals will need to take this into consideration in their planning.
 
If you are in a position to not require a refund for an event, festival, workshop or class that may be cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19 then please consider the ticket you purchased as a donation to the artist, organisation or community. Check out this article from Cut Common Magazine

Advocacy
Regional Arts Australia has also been working with national organisations and Ministers to facilitate a coordinated impact assessment and industry response. A number of surveys have been developed so that a clear picture can be formed as to the impact of Covid-19 on our sector. Please help the advocacy work by filling these out – PAC Australia survey or the National Association of Visual Artists survey. You are also able to submit information to the #Ilostmygig database.
 
Health and Wellbeing
We are not in a position to provide health advice.  Common sense reminds us to wash our hands, cough into elbows and stay at home if we are unwell.  Please be guided by the following sites that are updated daily:

Australian Government Department of Health

NSW Department of Health

Having said that, hand washing is obviously a crucial requirement.  But… really… handwashing to “Happy Birthday” twice, seems a little prosaic.  Send in your best version of a funky tune/song/poem/ and we will put it up on our social media… let’s keep our creative juices flowing!  (Have a look at TwoSetViolin’s ideas!) Email to media@artsnw.com.au
 
We are also very aware of the wellbeing of our communities.  With events cancelled, and social distancing in place, we hope that we can still look after each other as best we can. An arts-focused wellbeing helpline is available at Support Act. 
 
Resources

Some more practical information here: 
A policy that could be implemented for your workplace from the Institute of Community Directors.
World Health Organisation - Getting your workplace ready
Further info from the World Health Organisation
COVID-19 Arts Organisations’ Plans from Theatre Network Australia
Resources from The Australia Council for the Arts

Stay safe and well, look after each other and support family, friends and our wonderful creative community.  Let’s work together.

Board and Staff of Arts North West

Aboriginal Women’s Business in the New England North West

Arts North West is delighted to announce that it has successfully secured funding through the Australia Council for Arts, to deliver a new project as part of its Aboriginal Cultural Support Program. Yinaar is a creative exploration of Aboriginal women’s business in the New England North West.

“2 Rivers are extremely honoured to be able to deliver on the aspirations of the Aboriginal women from the region through delivery of the Arts North West Yinaar project. This is a project very close to our hearts, developed by Aboriginal women, for Aboriginal women.” Said Lorrayne Riggs, 2 Rivers Managing Director.

The project will be delivered in three stages over two years. Stage one is focused on furthering informed community consultation, which will see the project team, including lead Elder Aunty Yvonne Kent, consult with Aboriginal women from the 12 Local Government Areas within the Arts North West boundary. Stage two of the project is focused on documenting research into traditional Aboriginal women’s business and capturing stories of women’s practices.

“We will be able to research and retrace traditional practices and document oral histories that strengthens identity and celebrates key element that make us unique such as women’s practices, gali, food, medicine, kinship responsibilities and healing.” Ms Riggs continued.

The second stage of the project will be focused on providing skill development to build capacity for Aboriginal artists in our region. Artists will develop a body of work that responds to the documented research and stories conducted in stage one.

Yinaar will culminate in an exhibition curated by Aboriginal curator, Lyniece Keogh, at two regional galleries in the New England North West, where the artists will share their experiences with the community through their works and artist talks, alongside recorded stories.

“We are so pleased that through this funding we will be able to continue the important work of our Aboriginal Cultural Support Program which is vital to providing professional development opportunities for Aboriginal artists and organisations in our region” said Caroline Downer, Executive Director of Arts North West.

“The Yinaar project is particularly special, as it is the first time that we are delivering a project solely focused on women, from management, to artists, through to exhibition curation; it is a real celebration of Aboriginal women within our region.”

This project is supported by Aboriginal Regional Arts Alliance, Dhiiyaan Centre Moree, Outback Arts and Tamworth Local Aboriginal Lands Council. The Project Steering Committee is led by Aunty Yvonne Kent.

For more information, please visit the Arts North West website or contact 2 Rivers via pene@2rivers.com.au.

Art Connections - A Creative Journey Through the New England North West

Nestled in the mountains of the New England and scattered throughout the plains of the North West are numerous hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Creatives busily working away on their kitchen tables, in the garden shed, a shop in the main street, converted shipping containers or a purpose-built studio, drawing inspiration from the landscapes and environments that surround them in the beautiful New England North West to make and produce unique and diverse works.

Our latest project, Art Connections, has been developed to capture the creative venues of the New England North West, from the larger-scale venues such as commercial galleries and volunteer-run museums to the quirky artists run initiatives and studios off the beaten track, compiling a comprehensive database disguised as the North West Arts Trail Directory and Open Weekend.

Art Connections is more than one event – it is, in fact, a series of over 50 destinations across almost 100,000km2. It will bring visitors into the smaller villages and towns of the New England North West, to explore and experience regional NSW. This project connects communities and highlights the significant contribution made by artists and cultural workers to the region’s economy and community identity.

These trails will reveal what we locals have known all along, there is something special and unique about our region and the self-drive Open Weekend on the weekend of the 31 October to 4 November provides the perfect opportunity to meander through the picturesque changing landscapes of the New England North West, the environment in which creativity and inspiration is drawn from.

Arts North West covers an enormous part of the New England North West. From bustling regional centres, to rural towns and remote villages, the vast differences between these communities include the obvious; size and location but there is an overarching similarity between them all, individuals and collectives building community identity through the power of creativity.

Online and hard copy directories will be launch on the 14th of October. Visit www.artsnwconnect.com.au for further information.