|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Home Publications |
| |
|
| >> |
Arts View |
| |
July 2002
Volume 3, Issue 1
Arts View is Arts Victoria's quarterly newsletter profiling the arts in Victoria.
Table of contents
Previous issues of Arts View
Current issue of Arts View
Minister's Message
The job of Minister for the Arts has its challenges but provides many delights.
It was my great pleasure to visit Arena Theatre recently to announce a number
of grant program outcomes. Amongst these was $51,000 for five of Victoria's
most exciting artists - Arena Theatre Company, Company in Space, The Men
Who Knew Too Much, Bambuco and Melbourne video and sound artists Emma McCrae
and Ben Green - to participate in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Fortunate visitors to the Manchester Games will have a taste of what Melbourne
will offer as host for the Games in 2006.
Access for regional Victorians
The Bracks Government continues to deliver exciting new projects for regional
Victoria. The Delatite Shire Council received a Regional Arts Infrastructure
Fund grant of $1M towards the cost of a performing arts centre in Benalla.
The joint project between the Shire and the Goulburn - Ovens College of
TAFE will provide a 300 seat theatre on the College campus to serve both
community and educational needs.
Other projects recently funded through the Regional Arts Infrastructure
Fund and the Community Support Fund include $2.75M for the Performance Centre
at the Footscray Community Arts Centre, $260,000 to redevelop Hawthorn's
Lower Town Hall into a new performing arts space, and $560,000 towards refurbishment
of the Latrobe Regional Performing Arts Centre at Traralgon. These are terrific
examples of strong partnerships between State and Local governments.
The Regional Arts Infrastructure Fund provides significant Government investment
to ensure that quality arts facilities and resources are available to artists
and audiences throughout Victoria.
More than $18M has been allocated since the Government launched the Fund
in April 2000. The grants have supported more than 80 projects (with an
estimated total cost of $52M) in regional Victoria. In that time more than
$12M has also been committed to arts capital infrastructure in regional
and metropolitan areas through the Community Support Fund.
The Bracks Government's quick action to restore film and television as a
strategic industry in Victoria is paying handsome dividends. I am pleased
to report that as a result of funds invested in development and production
the value of productions being shot in Victoria in 2001/02 is more than
$170M.
Victoria is highly regarded as a film friendly state and the response from
our own creative artist and technical personnel is overwhelmingly positive.
Shell Australia gift to Victoria
On behalf of the people of Victoria, the Premier received a wonderful collection
of Australian art donated by Shell Australia. Shell Australia Chairman,
Dr Alan Parsley, presented the $1M gift of 39 paintings, two sculptures
and seven Aboriginal bark paintings to the NGV. This is a magnificent example
of corporate philanthropy and, under the terms of the gift, Victorians in
regional and rural areas will be able to see these works in their local
galleries.
The National Gallery of Victoria will soon take up residency in the Ian
Potter Centre for Australian Art at Federation Square where works from the
Shell collection will feature in the opening exhibition.
International exchange
Some of you will recall the unveiling of the David Larwill 'Celebration'
tapestry at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop in September 2000. Since then
it has toured regional galleries and had a 'season' at the NGV. 'Celebration'
is now on its way to Singapore's exciting new art centre - Esplanade Theatres
on the Bay - which opens in October.
This is the first exchange under our Cultural Memorandum of Understanding
with Singapore.
Cultural exchanges provide a platform to showcase our artists and their
work, build bridges between artists, organisations and institutions, promote
understanding and good will between communities and assist in profiling
and promoting Victoria's and Australia's cultural diversity.
Cultural Ministers Council
Victoria's active participation in national forums was particularly evident
when, in May, I hosted the annual meeting of Cultural Ministers Council,
comprising Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for the Arts.
The Council agreed:
- to acknowledge the significant contribution made by Australia's small
and medium performing arts companies and agreed on strategies to secure
their artistic and financial viability;
- to enhance the role of public broadcasters in the creation and presentation
of Australian content and regional coverage; and
- to build on the achievements of the Heritage Collections Council through
a new National Collections Advisory Forum embracing the gallery, museum,
library and archive sectors.
Ministers further agreed to give priority to Indigenous intellectual property
issues and quality assurance mechanisms and to establish a committee to
examine the best ways to proceed in these areas.
Australian Business Arts Foundation
The Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) is featured in this edition
of Arts View. Through the efforts of the Victorian Chapter, AbaF is building
bridges between arts and business and assisting, through training programs,
arts organisations to build their business case to attract corporate partners.
Following my recent meeting with AbaF, it has been agreed that Arts Victoria
will work with them to further develop the assistance available to business
and arts organisations in Victoria, especially in regional areas.
MSO goes to China
In November 2002, the MSO - our world-class orchestra - will tour China,
playing in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Wuhan and Shanghai. China's recent
entry into the World Trade Organisation and its success in securing the
2008 Olympics, will present exciting cultural and economic opportunities
for Victoria in China. Treasurer John Brumby and I were delighted to announce
a Government grant of $400,000 to assist the MSO with touring costs.
Vale Ian McRae and Welcome Richard Evans
After an illustrious association with the Australian Ballet as its General
Manager we bid farewell to Ian McRae and wish him all the very best.
Welcome Richard Evans (most recently General Manager of Bell Shakespeare
Company) who has accepted the challenge to follow in Ian's footsteps.
Congratulations
And finally, I extend my warmest congratulations to Sue Natrass AO and Jeannie
Pratt AC, recipients in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours. These awards
celebrate and reward outstanding community leaders and acknowledge their
commitment to and support of the arts. There could be no more fitting 'subjects'
for this honour.
The Hon Mary Delahunty MP
Minister for the Arts
Table of contents
Previous issues of Arts View:
Volume 2, Issue 1 - February 2001
Volume 2, Issue 2 - June 2001
Volume 2, Issue 3 - September 2001
Volume 2, Issue 4 - December 2001
To receive a hard copy of Arts View or other Arts Victoria publications, go to Requests & Subscriptions |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
