City of Greater Shepparton
The Arts - a Core Part of Council Business
Greater Shepparton City Council invests over $1 million and employs more than 25 staff to deliver its arts and cultural programs which service both the city's 58,000 residents and the Goulburn Valley region's 150,000 people. The partnership with Arts Victoria reflects the council's decision to provide a comprehensive range of arts facilities and programs with specific policies and strategies highlighted in the Council Strategic Plan 2006-2010.
The council's financial support of the cultural program has grown significantly since the opening of the Eastbank Centre in 2001. The Eastbank Centre comprises:
- an 850 retractable seating auditorium,
- the Shepparton Art Gallery,
- shared foyer/reception, and
- commercially operated cafe and function catering.
The centre was opened in 2001 after a significant redevelopment of the former Shepparton Town Hall. It is managed by highly competent and professional staff, well supported by the council's senior executives.
Eastbank Centre including Riverlinks performing arts venues and the Shepparton Art Gallery
Photo: Scott Opie
Riverlinks Performing Arts Program
The city's performing arts program is promoted under the Riverlinks banner and includes the Eastbank Centre in Shepparton and the Westside Theatre at Mooroopna Secondary College.
The Riverlinks performing arts program consistently provides a broad and diverse range of product with appeal across all sectors of the community. It is a major destination for touring productions and maintains high quality technical and presentation standards.
Shepparton Art Gallery
Shepparton Art Gallery, established in 1936, holds one of the largest public collections of historical and contemporary ceramics in Australia - from the work of Australian convict potters through to contemporary studio and commercial potters.
The gallery has a strong record of delivering a quality exhibition program, comprising both touring and self-curated exhibitions, as well as education programs that link strongly with school curricula and other community programs.
Janet Fieldhouse, winner of the inaugural Indigenous Ceramic Art Award
Photo: Nigel Clements Source: Shepparton Art Gallery
Indigenous Ceramic Art Award
As a special initiative supported under the Local Partnerships MoU, Shepparton Art Gallery launched the inaugural Indigenous Ceramic Art Award in 2007. Following significant planning, the award was established to recognise the contribution of Indigenous artists within the ceramic medium. It aims to highlight both traditional and contemporary art practices and enable skills transfer. The award builds on the gallery's existing ceramics collection and complements the biennial Sidney Myer International Ceramic Art Award which will be presented in alternate years.
Testimonial
"The experience of the first year of Local Partnerships funding for Shepparton has been a very positive one. For the first time, our presentation of performing arts is being directly supported with funding from the State Government, which is, in itself, a milestone. Our art gallery has been previously funded, but this new program provides additional funds and greater flexibility in how they may be applied.
Most appreciated has been the directness of negotiation and relationship with Arts Victoria through one-on-one contact working hand in hand to deliver both local government and state government priorities and policies. The term 'partnership' is most apt.
The engagement in the first instance of Arts Victoria with the highest levels of our council has meant a committed role has been taken 'from the top' in understanding what is involved and in making the commitment to deliver the programs proposed. The significance of this cannot be understated.
It has powerfully affirmed council's on-going commitment to the delivery of cultural programs and provided a state context for accounting for local actions and programs. It has also encouraged innovative thinking to deliver cultural programs to the broader community.
The model of face to face, negotiated review of the annual program delivery is far superior to the former model of exhausting 'report writing'. There is now a dialogue, with both parties able to bring a creative vision and broader experience of other programs to bear, with the opportunity to change and refine the way the program is being delivered within the four year MoU. This capacity to respond to a changing local environment is very important in a social, environmental and economic context that is so fluid."
Rob Robson, Former manager Performing Arts & Conventions, Greater Shepparton City Council and President of the Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres (VAPAC)