Arts North West which promotes the arts across the region from its headquarters in Glen Innes is to get a grant of $150,000 to develop a project for indigenous arts.
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The federal member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, announced the funding which comes through this year’s Indigenous Languages and Arts programme.
He said: “It’s great to see the good work of Arts North West being recognised by the Federal Government with important funding for their Mapping and Celebrating Kamilaroi Country program here in New England”.
The aim is to document cultural sites across a wide area (like Goonoowigall near Inverell). Artists would create works about the sites in film and other media. Arts North West is based in Glen Innes but promotes the arts across New England.
Mr Joyce said: “The project will help tell stories from key Aboriginal sites in North West NSW”.
Artists from the Kamilaroi people from northern NSW and Queensland would be involved.
“We have a rich indigenous history in our region”, said Mr Joyce, “so it’s important we help maintain those cultural links not only for the local Kamilaroi people but for future generations of all Australians.”
The director of Arts North West, Caroline Downer, said the film-making project would aim to focus on less well-known indigenous sites around the region.
“I think it’s a vital program for regional NSW,” she said.The federal minister for the arts, Mitch Fifield, said: “Arts and language play an essential role in the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities. These funds will help create Indigenous art and preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories for current and future generations.”
