Annual Report 2015
Western Riverina Arts Strategic Goals 2013-15 Effective Communications
Encouraging Community Capacity Pathways for Developing Artists Audience Development
Arts Leadership in the Region Organisational Viability
Connecting Creative Communities Western Riverina Arts is one of 14 Regional Arts Organisations across NSW and services four contributing local government areas: Murrumbidgee, Narrandera, Griffith and Leeton. Western Riverina Arts works to support and develop cultural activity in the region by providing a wide range of arts services and project initiatives. Western Riverina Arts works directly with local artists, members of the community, other organisations and local government. Western Riverina Arts recives core funding from the NSW State Government via Arts NSW and also from our four LGA partners.
Message from the Chair 2015 saw many changes for Western Riverina Arts, not the least a new leadership team, as we continue to consolidate and expand our support in development and promotion of the arts across the Western Riverina. These changes not only included myself as new chair but the addition of Murrumbidgee Shire, as we welcome our new member council and representatives Cr. Chirgwin and Kerri Weymouth. I would like to acknowledge the great contribution made by Julie Briggs, the previous Chair, now deputy Chair and thank outgoing committee members Lyn Middleton (Leeton Shire) and Andrew Brown (Narrandera Shire) in their work to establish a solid foundation for Western Riverina Arts to flourish into the future. The work and dedication of our staff Derek and Jason and administration support of Linda have enabled Western Riverina Arts to grow with confidence into the future. A major focus for the board in 2015 was the strategic and collaborative work in developing the 2016 – 2018 Strategic Plan for arts development in Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera and Murrumbidgee Shires. This plan was approved in the initial round of applications to Arts NSW and ensures a framework that places us well in the delivery of a program that will have a significant impact on the strength, professionalism, resilience and profile of our creative region. In my new role I travelled to Sydney to represent the region as a member of the Regional Arts NSW Advisory Council, providing input into state-wide arts strategies. It was a great opportunity to get a perspective on activity outside of our region, but at the same time to promote our own
activities in the Western Riverina. I was also pleased to attend a review briefing of our Strategic Plan with Arts NSW with Derek and was proud to learn that we were highly ranked for our professional presentation of a plan that was realistic and achievable. The Board of Western Riverina Arts is enthusiastic about the potential of the region in developing further the creative skills and expertise of our artistic talent. We look forward to working more closely with this talent, creating greater awareness and opportunity for our artists and audiences, as the work we do is acknowledged more broadly as the reference point for arts in our region. It is with great pride that I reflect on our key achievements for the past 12 months. As we build on this work by responding, thinking and acting in ways that are new and novel. I look forward to nurturing a greater focus on invention, where the outcome is unknown and Western Riverina Arts is recognised as an organisation that provides a culture and platform that releases creativity in ways that are different from the tried and true methods of the past, giving us greater capacity for more experimentation thus defining what works and doesn’t work in our region! Margaret Couch
Message from the RADO In 2015 we once again continued ‘connecting creative communities’ by initiating strategic projects, employing and supporting local artists, and working with community.
A focus for us in 2015 was the development of 2016-18 Strategic Plan. We consulted widely with stakeholders and the community and as a result our plan was accepted by Arts NSW, with operational funding now guaranteed for the next three years. A top priority identified was Aboriginal Arts Development and some of our major future projects will be in this area.
coming to the 2015 event in Cootamundra. Artists and arts workers from our region use this occasion to meet, share ideas, and develop new projects, and we look forward to staging the event in Narrandera’s Arts Centre this year.
A highlight for me was sustaining a good level of project activity and professional development opportunities. We facilitated or partnered on projects such as: bringing artist Jason Wing here to work with Leeton High School on a major mural; facilitating workshops in schools across Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera with Indonesian artist Jumaadi; and of course one of our major initiatives concluded in 2015, the creative ageing project ‘For Prosperity’s Sake’, an oral history pilot project that was funded by the NSW Department of Ageing.
WRA staff work with a number of community groups throughout the region, and in 2015 I was able to work with the Narrandera Arts Advisory Committee on their successful ClubsGrant funding application, securing $240,000 to finish the Narrandera Arts Centre development in 2016.
During 2015 we facilitated the following professional development opportunities for artists and other members of the community: a grants writing workshop, a NAVA workshop for artists, an artists-inschools presentation for teachers, a series of Social Media skills workshops, and a ‘Making Money Business’ skills workshop for Aboriginal artists. Our annual Dream Big conference – a partnership with Eastern Riverina Arts – also continued to be successful, with close to one hundred people
I would like to acknowledge the many people who are out there actively enhancing the cultural life in this region. The work we do would not be possible without people willing to get involved at every level. I also acknowledge the support of Arts NSW and our member councils of Narrandera, Leeton, Griffith and Murrumbidgee. I’d like to thank my staff and the Western Riverina Arts Board. Their efforts throughout 2015 have resulted in a comprehensive strategic plan that will see us increase activity levels over the next three years.
Derek Motion
Effective Communications
Communications Newsletter The Western Riverina Arts newsletter comes out electronically every two weeks now has 260 subscribers and is growing. A number of updates are opened by over 50% of subscribers, compared to the industry standard of 24.7%.
Print media Four local newspapers cover our region and all were supportive in 2015 with space given to our arts stories in print and online versions. In 2015 Western Riverina Arts Communications Officer Jason Richardson profiled local artist Sarah McEwan for the international music journal Cyclic Defrost.
Social media Western Riverina Arts continues to promote activities online and social media continues to provide growing audiences.
1365 Facebook likes 587 Twitter followers 680 Instagram followers Blog stats: 100+ posts / 8500+ views
Pathways for Developing Artists For Prosperity’s Sake Western Riverina Arts delivered For Prosperity’s Sake in 2015, a pilot project funded by the NSW Department of Ageing. Local artist Louise Cooper conducted interviews with the seniors of Leeton, and also ran regular weekly creative workshops for seniors throughout the project.
Workshops were also conducted with primary school students, who helped to create a short animation engaging with the recorded oral histories. The final outcome was a printed book archiving the stories, as well as a website featuring the audio recordings and artworks.
Jumaadi: Shadowplay Early in 2015 Western Riverina Arts worked with Griffith Artist Melanie Baulch to fund and deliver a series of workshops and performances featuring renowned Indonesian-Australian artist Jumaadi. Jumaadi worked with students at primary schools across the Western Riverina region. At each school children designed and created puppets, then developed a performance involving a unique narrative and shadowplay projection. At the end of each workshop parents and teachers attended a feature performance, with feedback showing many were amazed at what can be achieved when a professional artist is given time to work with talented young people.
Willandra Three Rivers Western Riverina Arts began a partnership project in 2015 with the Griffith Regional Art Gallery and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services. Willandra Three Rivers will see a group of contemporary regional artists travel to Willandra National Park for a series of residencies at the homestead. Artists involved in this project include artists from the Western Riverina region and beyond. Artists have been challenged to engage in a conversation with new colleagues, and also their new surroundings. The Willandra Three Rivers residencies began in 2015 and will continue into 2016. The exhibition outcome will be hosted in the Griffith Regional Art Gallery late 2016.
Public Art Western Riverina Arts assisted Leeton High School in negotiating a public art contract during 2015, bringing artist Jason Wing to the region to create a large-scale mural. Wing worked with year 11 art students on this major project that now fills a large undercover canteen area. Jason Wing worked intensively with students on the design over two weeks. While in the region he also ran a skills workshop for the public, and was a guest speaker for the event Artists in Schools. This development session for teachers looked at best practice for working with professional artists in a school environment.
Audience Development Paniz Prize Photography Competition On top of continuing our financial support for the ‘open’ section of the annual Penny Paniz Arts competition in 2015 Western Riverina Arts continued a photography category to tie-in with the competition. With its focus on participation and engaging the community, the competition presented 12 shortlisted finalists exhibited over the Easter long weekend.
Taste Coasters Western Riverina Arts piloted a project partnering with the Taste Riverina Festival, encouraging people to draw and write while enjoying the produce of the region.
Encouraging Community Capacity Skills Development In 2015 Western Riverina Arts facilitated: • Grant writing workshops • A full day NAVA workshop for artists • An Artists in Schools presentation for teachers • Digital Photography skills workshops run by Western Riverina Arts Communications Officer Jason Richardson
• A ‘Making Money Business’ skills workshop for Aboriginal artists • A series of Social Media skills workshops
CASP Four Country Arts Support Projects went ahead in the Western Riverina in 2015, with projects developed in each eligible member shire. This result further emphasises the value of this devolved NSW Government funding. The annual funding round (for grants up to $5000 in 2015) is managed locally by Western Riverina Arts. The local RADO is a first point-of-contact, assisting community groups with their project applications. Successful CASP Projects in 2015 were: • Griffith PCYC’s Spray Sessions • The CAD Factory for On Common Ground • Wamoon P&C Centenary Celebrations • The Riverina Community College for Crafty Youth Entrepreneurs
Arts Leadership in the Region and NSW Advocacy and Advice In 2015 Western Riverina Arts staff consulted with groups and organisations, offering advice on matters like strategic projects and funding. Our RADO worked with the Yanco and Pioneer Park museum committees, the Taste Coleambally Festival Committee and the Narrandera Arts Advisory Committee (working on developing the new Narrandera Arts Centre). Western Riverina Arts fulfills a major service role in the region, functioning as a first port-of-call for individuals and small groups interested in information about arts projects and grants.
Dream Big The Cootamundra Arts Centre was the setting for Dream Big 2015, the Riverina’s annual arts and culture conference developed in partnership between Western Riverina Arts and Eastern Riverina Arts. Highlights included: Keynote speaker Lisa Havilah, Director of Carriageworks, warned against the click of the door counter being the only KPI measuring success. For Lisa, it is important to support artists to deliver art that is relevant to the location and has the involvement of community.
For the panel on the topic ‘So you have a venue. Now what?’ Nikita Agzarian, Alicia Leggett and Elise McGrath gave insights from three very different arts venues. NAVA Executive Director Tamara Winikoff was able to beam into Dream Big 15 via Skype, and she shared some very practical tips for talking arts with politicians, borne of 30+ years in arts advocacy. Co-Artistic Director of Monkey Baa and one-time Cootamundra resident Tim McGarry reflected on his childhood and how he had been inspired to pursue a career in the arts. This was the lens for a broader discussion on the need to support young people to play, create, fail and ultimately make sense of the world around them. In the afternoon session seven local artists and community builders took to the stage to talk for seven minutes on their recent projects, including Sarah Last, Gemma Meier, Louise Cooper, Victoria Lowe, Scott Howie, Kylie Dunstan and Greg Pritchard. The event wrapped up with practical workshops run by Jeff McCann and Vanessa Keenan.
Representation In 2015 the Western Riverina Arts RADO made a public submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Federal Arts Budget cuts, and appeared in front of the inquiry panel in Sydney. Attendance at events also provided opportunities to lobby politicians at both State and National levels. In 2015 Western Riverina Arts staff contributed content to the marketing campaign for the Regional Arts Australia National Conference ‘Artlands’ to be held in NSW in 2016.
Organisational Viability Professional Development Western Riverina Arts staff attended quarterly RADO meetings in Sydney, and also took part in regular teleconferencing meets. One Sydney meeting each year is a joint event for RADOs and Communications Officers. Our RADO attended arts events across regional NSW in 2015, in locations such as Dubbo, Condobolin, Albury, Wagga plus many more. In 2015 our communications officer attended the REMIX conference in Sydney, providing an invaluable perspective on arts issues.
Financial In 2015 Western Riverina Arts maintained its core funding from Arts NSW as well as member contributions from Narrandera, Leeton, Murrumbidgee and Griffith City Councils. The Western Riverina Arts accounts are audited annually by Roy Spagnola & Associates of Griffith.
Board • • • • • • • • •
Marg Couch - Griffith Community Representative (Chair) Julie Briggs - Narrandera Community Representative (Vice Chair) Kerri Weymouth - Murrumbidgee Community Representative Sue Killham - Leeton Community Representative Alison Balind – Griffith City Council Representative Andrew Brown - Narrandera Shire Council Representative Lyn Middleton - Leeton Shire Council Representative Christine Chirgwin - Murrumbidgee Shire Council Representative Anthony Morton – (Co-opted Member, Accountant)
Staff • Derek Motion – Regional Arts Development Officer (Full-time) • Jason Richardson – Projects and Communications Officer (Part-time) • Linda Bell – Bookkeeper (Contract)
Credits Cover p.2/3 p.4 p.5 p.6 p.7 p.8 p.9 p.10 p.11 p.12 p.13 p.14 p.15 p.16 p.17
River Redgum in Narrandera, photographer Derek Motion. Griffith Sunset, photographer Derek Motion WRA Chair Marg Couch, photographer Derek Motion WRA RADO Derek Motion, photographer Sarah Dissegna Top: Jason Richardson, photographer Derek Motion Bottom: Sarah McEwan, photographer Grant Bayly & Sarah McEwan Gabriella Heyges at Willandra, photographer Derek Motion Top: Louise Cooper with ‘For Prosperity’s Sake’ participants, photographer Sarah Dissegna Bottom: Louise Cooper at Yanco Public School, photographer Derek Motion Right: Jumaadi at Parkview Public School, photographer Derek Motion Bottom: Jumaadi at Parkview Public School, photographer Derek Motion Left: Sunset at Willandra National Park, photographer Derek Motion Bottom: Artist Chris Kunko at Willandra, photographer Derek Motion Right: Artist Jason Wing at Western Riverina Arts, photographer Derek Motion Bottom: Mural at Leeton High School, photographer Derek Motion Top: The Paniz Prize 2015, photographer Derek Motion Middle: Artwork by Neve Richardson Wiradjuri Elder Uncle Jim Ingram, photographer Derek Motion Top: Joan Cameron-Smith from NAVA, photographer Derek Motion Middle: David Sharpe ‘Making Money Business’, photographer Derek Motion Bottom: Kim Goldsmith of Ochre Communications, photographer Derek Motion Top: Griffith PCYC ‘Spray Sessions’, image supplied by the Area News Middle: Leeton Multi Purpose Centre, photographer Derek Motion Bottom: The CAD Factory’s ‘On Common Ground’, photographer Derek Motion Left 1,2,3: Dream Big 2015, photographer Jackie Cooper Left 4: Derek Motion & NSW MP Katrina Hodgkinson, image supplied Right 1: Kerri Weymouth in Coleambally, photographer Derek Motion Right 2: Digital Photography workshop, photographer Jason Richardson Right 3: RAA Marketing ‘Where’s Reggie Rhino’, photographer Derek Motion Right 4: Derek Motion with CEO of Regional Arts NSW Elizabeth Rogers and Federal Arts Minister Senator Mitch Fifield, photographer Bronwyn Motion
Report text & layout by Derek Motion
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