Festivals Australia recipients announced

MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY: DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, WATER, HERITAGE AND THE ARTS

Arts Minister Peter Garrett has announced more than $459,000 in Festivals Australia funding for 32 projects at regional and community festivals throughout Australia.

“Australians living in regional and remote areas will benefit from the new and innovative arts activities offered by the festivals receiving funding,” Mr Garrett said.

“A broad range of activities, including interactive art installation workshops, circus performance, dance and music workshops, Indigenous art and theatrical performances will visit destinations across Australia.

“These festivals are calendar highlights for communities with something for everyone, including workshops developed to build new skills in audiences that include school students, families and professional artists. This is a terrific initiative.”

“I am particularly pleased that nine projects are located in remote and very remote and very distant areas, such as Blackall in Queensland,” Mr Garrett said.

“In addition a number of projects also have a strong Indigenous component, including a multimedia work that will celebrate the strength of the traditional culture of Indigenous women in the Northern Territory.

“Festivals Australia Round 30 showcases the creative ideas and unique activities of Australia’s regional festivals.”

Round 30 Festivals Australia recipients include:
1. Ardlethan Art and Music Festival: $19,210 for Youth in Dance a series of dance workshops for schools in the region culminating in a performance to highlight the skills of youth in the community. Ardlethan, QLD.

2. Wallaby Creek Festival: $8,690 for Words, Wit & Wisdom a project to teach people positive ways of expressing themselves though poetry and song. Rossville, QLD

3. Alice Desert Festival: $12,000 for Flair Flags a project that will create flags for to represent social cohesion, harmony and health within the community. Alice Springs, NT Festivals Australia is an Australian Government funding program designed to assist the presentation of new arts and cultural activities at Australian regional and community festivals.

The closing date for applications for the next round of Festivals Australia funding is 15 July 2010.