Arts funding of $251,060 for Northern Tablelands

Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, today welcomed State Government funding totalling $251,060 for local arts initiatives.
The grants are part of the NSW Government’s $42.7 million 2010 Arts Funding Program announced today by Minister for the Arts, Virginia Judge.
They include
· $53,060 to the Armidale & Region Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place for its annual program of activities.
· $100,000 to Glen Innes based Arts North West for year one of a three year program of activity.
· $35,000 to Beyond Empathy for its annual program of activities.
· $43,000 to the New England Writers’ Centre for its annual program of activities.
· $20,000 for the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) towards its 2010 program
Mr Torbay said the funding would support the ongoing operations of a network of key arts organisations in the region.
“ It’s good to see NERAM has received funding for its 2010 program,” he said.
”The 2010 program includes a range of curated exhibitions from the Museum’s permanent collections – one of the largest and most significant art collections in regional Australia – as well as associated education programs for the general public.
“This is in addition to a previous grant of $10,000 to develop and implement a new education program at the museum in 2009/10 that will give regional students the chance to gain knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of art in both historical and contemporary contexts.”
He said the region was fortunate to have such high calibre arts organisations as the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place, Arts North West, Beyond Empathy and the New England Writers’ Centre.
“They all encourage local artists, writers, musicians, film makers and performance activities to enrich our regional culture and have a vital role in nurturing emerging talent,” Mr Torbay said.