The sixth biennial Regional Arts Australia national conference will be presented by Regional Arts Australia and the Northern Territory Government through Arts NT, in collaboration with the host town of Alice Springs.

After the success of the Pacific Edge in Mackay in 2006, art at the heart promises to be another great event embracing the theme - part conference, part festival – all art, to deliver the very best in regional arts performance and practice.

Alice Springs is known as Mparntwe to the Arrernte people, who have lived in the central Australian desert in and around Alice Springs for more than 50,000 years.  art at the heart acknowledges the Arrernte people and the pivotal role they have in the life of this region.  They have occupied and cared for this country over countless generations and continue to do so today.

art at the heart will provide an opportunity for artistic and cultural exchange, cross cultural collaboration and best practice approaches to working in the arts.  Artists, actors, academics, artsworkers, curators, filmmakers, musicians, performers, producers, students, volunteers, writers, all levels of government and the wider community will gather in Alice Springs to discuss, celebrate and experience the arts and cultural achievements of regional Australia.

Opening Ceremony - Thursday 2 October on sunset

The conference will open on Thursday evening with an arrival ceremony on the banks of the Todd River. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the MacDonnell Ranges, the ceremony will welcome visitors into the Arrernte landscape, the heart of this country. This is a place steeped in story, made rich by the many and varied arrivals of different people throughout time. As the sun hits the ranges, daylight fades and the town quietens, visitors will be immersed in a quintessential ritual hosted by locals and a ceremony of stories and song that reflect the myriad voices that make up this place called Alice and Mparntwe.