The NSW Government has invested $700,000 to support homegrown arts and cultural productions to tour to 36 regional towns across NSW.
Audiences of all ages in towns across NSW - from Bellingen to Albury, Cowra to Cobar, Balranald to Queanbeyan and beyond - are set to enjoy some of the state's best performances, plays and exhibitions when new productions are toured in the year ahead.
It is expected more than 76,000 people will enjoy one of these tours, a number of which are taking full advantage of newly restored and refurbished cultural spaces, such as Leeton's Roxy Theatre, Deniliquin's Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre and award-winning Mudgee Arts Precinct.
Through the Regional Arts Touring funding program, the NSW Government supporting regional touring projects - ranging from First Nations led theatre, children's shows and puppetry workshops, dance performances, museum exhibitions, as well as musical and spoken word performances.
Forty per cent of the successful projects funded were developed by regional artists.
The changes to Create NSW's Regional Arts Touring program have resulted in funding for a broader range of recipients that engage priority areas including Western Sydney and regionally-based productions; visual art and museum exhibitions; and small tours from emerging individual artists.
This tour funding will enable ten successful productions, and sixty talented NSW artists and arts workers creatives, to take their exceptional shows and exhibitions on the road. For some recipients, this funding fulfils the dream to tour their work for the first time, including Northern Rivers dancer Max McAuley and writer/performer Mandela Mathia, both presenting their debut work.
More details on the Regional Arts Touring funding program can be found here.
Minister for the Arts John Grahamsaid:
"Touring is vital for artists and arts organisations to engage new audiences, and for the artists and arts workers to gain important professional development and employment opportunities.
"For audiences, impact of regional touring is immeasurable. The opportunity to see acclaimed productions and cultural programs, the chance to hear new stories - or stories that reflect your own lived experience can captivate imaginations, and inspire communities.
"Access to arts and culture contributes to vibrant and connected communities. It's important that regional and remote communities have opportunities to enjoy cultural experiences."
Create NSW Executive Director Kerri Glasscocksaid:
"Create NSW is thrilled to support the delivery of so many extraordinary, homegrown arts and cultural productions and programs to communities across regional NSW. Touring is vital for ensuring groundbreaking arts and cultural experiences are accessible in regional and remote communities, and that artists from emerging to established can extend the reach of their work.
"These are not just stories from the city heading to the bush - this round includes incredible work developed and made in regional communities that are now able to be shared across NSW."
Meagan Gerrard (Gamilaroi / Wailwan) and Alex McWhirter - Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporationsaid:
"Through powerful truth-telling, Secrets of Dawn honours Coota Girls Survivors and all Stolen Generations Survivors who, despite efforts to eradicate First Nations people and culture through assimilation, have resisted and persisted through truth telling, healing and self-determination."
"Created, directed and co-curated by Meagan Gerrard (Gamilaroi Wailwan), Alex McWhirter and co-curated by Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay), the Secrets of Dawn exhibition features historical photos and content from Dawn Magazine, published by the NSW Aborigines Welfare Board from 1952 to 1968, and candid interviews from Coota Girls Survivors. With this funding for the Secrets of Dawn exhibition tour, Meagan and Alex aim to share this healing and truth-telling experience to Coota Girls Survivors and other Stolen Generations Survivors, their families and descendants, broader First Nations communities across NSW, and non-First Nations supporters across Wiradjuri, Awabakal, Gumbaynggirr Country and other regional galleries"
