ARTS SYMPOSIUM - LAKES ENTRANCE

Special thanks to Mike and Jenny Ryan whose catering was outstanding. 

The panels and subsequent discussions gave good opportunities for networking and provided much useful information.

Melinda Beacham (President), Peter Giddings (Secretary), Don Ashby and Warwick Herman of the Mallacoota Arts Council Management Team attended the event.   Mallacoota Arts Council provided the technical support.

Regional Arts Victoria need to be congratulated on a highly successful event.

Symposium Host: James Griffin

James Griffin is a literary broadcaster and television arts producer.

He is the Producer and Presenter of Words, ABC TV's interview program about books, writers and ideas. He has been co-host of Australia Talks Books on ABC Radio National and an occasional host of, and contributor to, Radio National's Books and Writing program.

James has made a wide range of programs for both ABC radio and ABC television covering visual and performing arts. In 2006 he was the Series Producer of ABC’s Sunday Arts and in 2007 completed a documentary celebrating the hundred year anniversary of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for ABC TV.

James is also known as a singer, songwriter and spoken word performer. In the 1980s he worked as both a solo artist and as the front person of Sydney based bands, The Agents and James Griffin & the Subterraneans. He also wrote radio plays and for five years was a late night music presenter on Triple J.

James's songs have been recorded by Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows, Jeannie Lewis and country star, Lee Kernaghan.

James has strong connections with regional Australia, having come originally from the north-east Victorian town of Corryong where he completed high school before moving to Canberra to attend the Australian National University. After graduating from ANU he lived first in Sydney and then Melbourne, where he is still based. As an arts broadcaster he has attended and participated in many regional arts and literary festivals. James has a keen interest in the role of the arts in country Australia and in exploring ways art might be created and enjoyed outside the major cities.

James' performance at the Symposium Dinner was a major highlight of the Symposium was his collection of dark anecdotal vignettes - Songs from the Jukebox at the Ghost Town Bridge Hotel. A performance work combining songs, poems & stories, is a portrait of dislocation, isolation, lost dreams and darkly ironic humour in small town Australia. The tales evoke the ever-present casual dangers in rural life of farming accidents, car crashes and misadventures with guns.

James grew up in Corryong in North-Eastern Victoria and says that experience affects the way he tells stories today. “As kids we'd go to the paddock behind the local garage and look at the wrecked cars people died in. These songs have grown out of my own life and experiences,” James said. “When you sing or, as I sometimes do, talk a song, you are, in the most literal way, telling a story and that's a very direct and immediate means of communication.” The performance evokes old, traditional folk and country songs, in which James adopts unique small-town characters to tell tales with evocative titles such as, The Death Apparently by Accident of Rabbit Brown, No Life-time Guarantee and Brand New Pair of Riding Boots.

James Griffin is one of Australia's most highly-regarded songwriters. James has co-written hit songs for Australian recording artists The Black Sorrows and Lee Kernaghan. He is also a literary broadcaster and has been co-presenter of Australia Talks Books on ABC Radio National and for five years was the producer and presenter of Words with James Griffin, ABC Television's national weekly interview program about books, writing and ideas.

From 1978 until the late 80s James fronted Sydney bands, The Agents and James Griffin & the Subterraneans.
James’ recent songs have been likened to the contemporary alternate country/folk music of Gillian Welch. Reviews of his past work have placed him in a poetic song tradition developed by the likes of Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and the acoustic outings of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. James brings to this tradition authentic Australian stories and a uniquely Australian voice.

In 2006 he recorded and released Black Crow Road, his first album in 15 years. Songs from the Jukebox at the Ghost Town Bridge Hotel first featured as a work in development during the 2006 Explorations Season at Melbourne's La Mama Theatre.

For further information contact:
Lindy Bartholomew, Director RAV
P: 03 9644 1800
M: 0439 999 248
E: lbartholomew@rav.net.au

www.rav.net.au

Regional Arts Victoria on 03 9644 1800 for more information.

RAV AWARDS

Six artists, arts workers, organisations and volunteers were recognised for their work in creating, delivering and presenting cultural activity in regional Victoria at Regional Arts Victoria’s biennial symposium in Lakes Entrance on Saturday 5 May 2007.

The RAVE Awards were presented to:

Contemporary Cultural Development Award: Carmel Wallace
To acknowledge innovation in engaging participants and audiences for community cultural activities.
Carmel’s work on the Great South West Arts Walk demonstrated breadth and excellence in concept development and project execution in a regional location. Attracting the participation of a diverse cross-section of individuals and groups within the community, from the arts and non-arts sectors, Carmel has demonstrated the capacity of the arts to stimulate broad engagement with wider social issues.

Arts and Business Partnership Award: Wild Dogs from Down Under
To recognise successful partnerships between businesses and community-based arts organisations.
This group of six artists has shown great resourcefulness in enlisting support of several local businesses in an innovative way to assist in the presentation of an exhibition. The panel felt this group demonstrated the potential for artists to work with business for mutual benefit and to add value to each other’s product.

Indigenous Arts Award: Elaine Terrick
To recognise the contribution of an Indigenous artist, arts worker or organisation to the development of arts in their community.
Elaine has shown enormous generosity of spirit in sustaining and passing on traditional cultural practices within her own Gunai/Kurnai community and in sharing her knowledge with the non-Indigenous community. She has demonstrated a ready ability to engage with a wide variety of media whenever the opportunity has arisen.

Youth Leaders Award: Lucas Handley
To recognise the contribution and leadership of a young (under 30 yrs) person to community-based arts.
The panel was impressed with the initiative shown by 19 year old Lucas, following a recent move to Trafalgar, Gippsland, in developing a graffiti project which attracted 15 marginalised young people as participants and significantly bridged the gap between this group and other sections of the community.

Arts Volunteering Award (created to acknowledge the work of John Little in supporting volunteerism): Margaret Brickhill
To an individual who has made a significant and sustained volunteer contribution to the arts in their community.
Margaret’s contribution to her community over 25 years of arts volunteering demonstrates the essence of the volunteer spirit — providing support where it is needed but more importantly, showing fearlessness in learning whatever new skills might be required in order to successfully support an event or activity.

Touring Award: Charles Parkinson
To recognise individuals involved in the production of work for outer metropolitan and regional touring.
Charles has spent a sustained part of his working life breaking down the barriers in touring, particularly in getting a great variety of touring product out to small towns through the Hothouse Theatre Regional Touring Circuit. His impact, in terms of capacity building for a wide range of presenters, has been significant.

“We congratulate all the RAVE Award winners. Without the work of these people we would not have the vibrant, connected art communities we see in Victoria today.” said RAV CEO Lindy Bartholomew. “Regional Arts Victoria is pleased to present these new awards which reflect the activities and objectives of organisations and individuals who deliver arts and cultural activities in regional Victoria.”

RAV is well-regarded for its leadership within the arts sector in Victoria and is acknowledged as one of the state’s 12 major cultural institutions. It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary, inventive and responsive organisation working with vision, passion and flair and with a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities in regional Victoria.

Since 1990 RAV has awarded certificates of recognition acknowledging outstanding dedication and service to the arts in communities across Victoria. To date over 80 people have been nominated by their local arts group and received an award, including actress and singer Anne Phelan and the Bell Shakespeare Company.

2007/8 REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA BOARD

Mike Zafiropoulos - Chairman – Co-opted

Karen Paton Vice-Chair – Western Region

Dennis Goldner - Treasurer – Co-opted

Malcolm McKinnon - Secretary – Co-opted.

Rob Robson - Executive Officer – General Director

Ross Lake - General Director

Andrea Lane - Gippsland Director

Giselle Regan (NEW) - General Director

Giselle is a Mallacoota resident and Mallacoota Arts Council congratulates her on her appointment. MAC also would like to thank Catherine Larkin  (exiting General Director) for all her great work in the Gippsland Region.

Carolynne Hamdorf - General Director

Esmai Manahan - Co-opted

Jude Anderson (NEW) - General Director

Art on Paper - The 2007 Hazelhurst Art Award -

Entries now being taken   Date: 14/12/2006 - 04/06/2007

Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre invites all artists to submit works on/or principally with paper in the 2007 Hazelhurst Art Award. The prize aims to promote excellence and innovation in the field of Art on Paper. Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre sponsors the major prize of $15,000 with a Friends of Hazelhurst local artist prize of $2,000 and a People's Choice Award of $1,000. Entries close 4 June 2007, and selected entries will be exhibited from 14 July to 26 August 2007.

The East Gippsland Writers Group.

MEETINGS - the last Saturday of the month at East Gippsland
TAFE Library from 2-4pm. New writers welcome!
MORE INFORMATION: phone Rosemary on 5156 1397

East Gippsland Variety Orchestra (EGVO).

EGVO are keen to accompany soloists (eg singing) &are
always interested in performing for any appropriate local
events eg art shows, event openings etc, (we have done
some weddings too), small groups can be arranged.
CONTACT: Andrea Fail on 51562162.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Kerri Easton who has recently been appointed as the Community Access Officer at the East Gippsland Art Gallery. Kerry will work on developing community outreach programs around East Gippsland for the Gallery.