New faces to help arts and cultural ideas become a reality

NEW TEAM

Last updated: 04/10/2022, 07:00:00 (AEST)

A new has formed to showcase and highlight arts across Far North Queensland. Picture: Submitted

The arts priorities of communities throughout Tropical North Queensland are being identified following the appointment of four arts workers to the newly formed Regional Arts Services Network Tropical North.

A partnership between Regional Development Australia (RDA) Tropical North and Cook Shire Council, the Regional Arts Services Network Tropical North will showcase regional arts across multiple platforms that focus on community engagement and facilitate career pathways in the arts.

RDA Tropical North Chief Executive Officer Sonja Johnson said Regional Arts Manager Tony Castles and three regional coordinators were travelling throughout the region, from the Cassowary Coast north to the Torres Strait and west to Etheridge Shire, to engage with each community.

“The newly assembled team of Marilyn Miller in Cairns, Waratah Nicholls in Cooktown and Perina Drummond on Thursday Island are focusing on listening to the arts priorities and challenges across our diverse region,” she said.

Mr Castles said a steering committee of 10 people from across the region including councils, universities, Indigenous art centres and the Cairns indigenous Art Fair would help guide the strategic vision of the Regional Arts Services Network Tropical North and ensure stakeholder project ideas met their objectives.

“Our strategy and projects will closely align with Arts Queensland’s Creative Together 2022-2032 policy to elevate First Nations arts as a priority, activate places and spaces, drive social change and strengthen communities, and share the stories of our regions,” he said.

“To achieve this, the regional coordinators will work with each community to realise the arts and cultural projects that will strengthen their community and build arts and cultural capacity.

“The challenges already raised include the skills shortage, lack of career pathways and difficulty in recruiting volunteers, while there are many exciting opportunities.

“We are very much at the whiteboard stage of thinking, but the opportunities include projects that share and celebrate local stories and activate local places and spaces including digital spaces.

“The success of previous Regional Arts Services Network projects such as the Lakeland Gateway, The Flame Arts project and Cape York and Torres Strait Islands Regional Arts Showcase established partnerships that will provide pathways to new projects."