Community Connect Issue 47

Imbi and Alanah welcome back visitors

After more than two years of postponements and cancellations, it’s thrilling to see our shire reopening to tourism and events.

Library activities, gallery workshops and exhibitions, sporting, music and other key events are coming back better than ever.

We’re pumped for two premier surfing events in July – the Skullcandy Oz Grom Open and the all-female series, Surfing NSW Challenge Her Teams Classic.

There’s a flurry of activity in Alstonville with preparations for the Quota Craft and Garden Fair now in full swing following a two-year hiatus for the much-loved event. We’re also looking forward to celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture throughout NAIDOC Week in early July.

Over at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG) there’s thoughtprovoking exhibitions and a special Young Explorers workshop coming up at Ignite studios.

Council’s Visitor Services team is also busy with visitors returning to the shire for the start of the much-anticipated whale watching season. See pages 16 – 25 for event details and gallery news, and checkout the flipside of this edition for our Top 7 Active and Free Things to do in Ballina Coast and Hinterland.

We have two new leaders at the helm of arts and tourism with the appointments of Imbi Davidson as our Coordinator Gallery and Ignite Studios, and Alanah Ward as our Team Leader Visitor Services.

Imbi holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree in visual arts and has extensive experience working as an arts administrator across the creative industries. She most recently worked as Project Manager for Arts Northern Rivers and was previously a team member at NRCG. She is also a qualified visual arts teacher and has been a professional practicing artist for more than 15 years, exhibiting widely across Australia.

Alanah holds a Bachelor of Arts (International Studies) and has worked on international volunteering projects in India, China, and Tanzania. She has been a member of the Visitor Service Team with Ballina Shire Council for the past 18 months and is currently the recipient of a study scholarship awarded by the NSW Government and industry body Meeting and Events Australia.

Both outgoing Gallery Coordinator Lee Mathers, and outgoing Team Leader Visitor Services Alicia Wallace leave a legacy of incredible leadership, vision and growth.

After eight years with Ballina Shire Council Lee has moved out west to pursue a role as Manager of Arts, Culture and Library Services at Tenterfield Shire Council, and after nine years with Ballina Shire Council Alicia has taken up a role with Transport for NSW.

We commend Lee and Alicia’s contribution to the Ballina Shire community and warmly welcome Imbi and Alanah into their new roles for this exciting new chapter.

Community Connect Issue 47

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