Creative and Cultural Initiatives and Industries

Creative and Cultural Initiatives and Industries

The Cultural Partnerships Program is a strategic program which aims to strengthen the City's arts infrastructure. It was developed as part of the Blue Mountains City Council's Cultural Strategy and is its fifth year of operation. Arts NSW provides 50% of the funding. The Program is intended to support artists and / or arts / cultural organisations to develop sustainable arts practice and to provide benefits to the communities of the Blue Mountains through partnership with Council and other agencies. The Program provides direct funding and support and also endorsement. It is a program which seeks to encourage partnership, innovation and collaboration in arts development in the City and to develop regional links with other cultural providers. Some recent and upcoming highlights of Program Partners include:

• Blue Mountains Artists Network www.bman.org.au/ have recently launched a Blue Mountains Artists Trail. The Artists Trail is being promoted on the Artists Network website which was developed in 2004. The Artists Network secured additional funding for the publication of an Arts Trail brochure. A few studios are already reporting sales because of the brochure and website promotion.
• Songlines Festival www.songlinesfestival.com.au/ is a World Heritage Arts and Environment Festival held annually for two weeks and three weekends. This years coming attractions include Field of Dreams, a community arts project involving thousands of origami waratahs; Yarn Up talks with the local Indigenous People and Streamsong. "Cultural Partnerships has been invaluable. Endorsement from our local Government has created a positive message both within our organisation and the community, assisting us to attract further support from local business, state and federal resources and corporate areas. And it's not just the financial assistance which has helped in our development and expansion, there is also the 'emotional lift' knowing your project or event is acknowledged and appreciated by the region" (Natalie Newton, Fesitval Director, Songlines).
• Varuna www.varuna.com.au/ - The Writer's House is a significant partnership with the Sydney Writers Festival and The Carrington Hotel to establish a satellite literary festival with a specific Blue Mountains identity affirming the work of local writers. Varuna Fellowships three times a year provides local writers at all stages of professional development as advice and support from talks with local and international visiting writers. Writing Groups provide a regular meeting place for the stimulation and development of writers at all levels. Manuscript Groups meets four times per year searching for distinct possibilities for publications.

The 2006 edition of the Arts Blue Mountains Cultural Directory is now available from Blue Mountains City Council, Blue Mountains libraries and most art galleries in the Blue Mountains.

Blue Mountains City Council also maintains an on-line Artist's Register and Cultural Organisation Register www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/index.cfm?s=12AF9146-423B-CE58-A4F9EDBE048C28D9.

This item was posted in August 2006.