The following events will be held over the coming months and will be free or low-cost and open to all to attend:
- Sidestep; a new interactive multi-arts festival for kids and families. The festival will transform a public park into a magical participatory playground.
- Regeneration; reconnecting communities with the joy of bush regeneration. A series of community workshops and a community festival and tree planting.
- Queer Family's Rainbow Creatives; a program of workshops and events, designed to provide support to a range of workers across the arts sector who were badly affected by the pandemic.
- Reconnecting Mullumbimby; a series of events featuring art and a community dinner.
- Bruns River Flicks; five consecutive Saturday nights of outdoor films, the program will feature 'water' themed movies.
- After Disaster – Stories, Reflections, Songs; two local schools, 200 school children and four local musicians/songwriters will create, perform, and film songs about the recent flood disaster. Songs will be performed at a community concert.
Byron Shire Council received approximately $360,000 in funding, as part of the NSW Government's Reconnecting Regional NSW - Community Events Program, earlier this year, and local community members were encouraged to apply, to host an event.
Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon, congratulated the funding recipients and said that around 75 applications were received.
"I am excited to think about these events taking shape over the next six months and I extend my congratulations to each of the event organisers, " Mayor Lyon said.
"It was a difficult decision to narrow it down to the six events, from the 75 applications received.
"The number of applications we received really shows how important events are to our local community and how valuable this funding is as we all recover from disruptions due to COVID-19 and floods.
"We are grateful that we were able to secure funding for the Byron Shire from the NSW Government, which will aid our recovery and allow our community to reconnect," Mayor Lyon said.
Funding received as part of the Reconnecting Regional NSW - Community Events Program will also support a temporary Council Event Liaison Officer, who will administer the event funding and support the event managers to ensure successful event delivery.
