art at the heart - launches its program and extends the early bird registration

by Kieren Sanderson,
Monday 7 July 2008, published on Artshub

The art at the heart team! Pictured: (Front row) Anja Bretfeld A/Project & Communications Officer Arts NT, Alex Kelly Co-Artistic Director art at the heart Opening Ceremony, Dani Powell Co-Artistic Director art at the heart Opening Ceremony, Vivienne Skinner Communications Manager Regional Arts Australia; (Back row) Michael Wells Director Heritage and the Arts, Kieren Sanderson Conference Coordinator/ Artistic Director art at the heart, Nicky Schonkala Conference Assistant art at the heart; (Standing) Gloria Ray of Sunshine aka Franca Barraclough Ba-dum heart club Program Manager. Photographer: Wiriya Sati

The time has arrived…..the sixth biennial Regional Arts Australia national conference, art at the heart was officially launched at the Alice Springs Desert Park by the Northern Territory Minister for Arts and Museums, Marion Scrymgour and Vice President of Regional Arts Australia, Steve Grieve on Wednesday 25 June. On the day of the launch, guests embraced a wintry desert morning facing the magnificent West MacDonnell ranges and were treated to glimpses of the program and speeches from dignitaries including custodians Doris Stuart and Elaine Peckham, and Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan. Doris and Elaine, local Arrernte sisters (pronounced UH-rrahn-da) who speak for country, spoke about sharing and how at art at the heart sharing would make the conference special. They told the audience about Akngwelye Artnwere (the wild dog) and encouraged delegates to jump on the bus and hear more about sacred sites in the local area during the conference. More exciting conference highlights included a unique story telling event from eastern Arrernte women Kathleen Wallace and Veronica Dobson from Apmeraltye Ingkerreke (pronounced ahP-Ma-relcha Ing-gherr-ika). Kathleen told the story of one of her paintings and Veronica translated this story to the audience. Surrounded by family and children of close friends, this was an intimate occasion that demonstrated the valuable role the arts play in passing intergenerational knowledge and bringing people from vastly different backgrounds together. Apmeraltye Ingkerreke (people of the land, all together) has five different sessions in the conference program including a very special eastern and north eastern Arrernte ceremony celebrated through dance and song. Guests were also treated to the fabulous Gloria Ray of Sunshine from IMAGINE ALICE, a program of installations, exhibitions and associated events taking place at conference venues as well as around the town. Gloria had some tea and Madeira cake ready for all to partake in - only after she had finished the cleaning of course! For those bold delegates who attend the conference, Gloria has a colourful array of aprons, all ready for any fellow cleaner to slip on for a spot of dusting.

Keeping an eye on the conference objectives has been integral to checking in on the bigger picture of the conference progress. Some of the questions kept foremost in my mind to ensure that I am on track are:
- Is this event creating networking and professional development opportunities for artists, arts workers and volunteers in regional, rural and remote Australia?
- Is this event advocating a stronger role for the arts in building vital, healthy and sustainable regional and remote communities?
- Is this event ensuring delegates are inspired and charged with new ideas from their conference experience?
- Is this event leaving a legacy of skills in the host regional community?
- Is this event nationally profiling and celebrating the arts from across regional Australia?

Integrally linked, these objectives have provided a clear and solid structure from which the program has been created and overall, it seems to be working well.

Following the launch, I was pleased to receive fantastic feedback in emails, texts and phone calls from around the country, and the website received over two thousand hits in one day!

I am thrilled to be working with such a dynamic artistic and conference team and I feel confident that with the enthusiastic support and engagement from the Territory community behind it, art at the heart will be high on the ‘must do’ list this year for artists, artsworkers and people interested in the arts from across Australia.

During the next month we at the conference hub will be busy bees finalising the program. Being a Gemini at heart, I am finding it hard to keep secrets…so if you want to keep up to date sign up on the website to get the monthly e-bulletins or join our Facebook or Myspace groups!

Important registration news!

I have received many calls from individuals wishing to attend the conference around the country who have raised concerns about the prohibitive costs of petrol and airfares, budget cuts, funding decision dates and other regional issues. To assist as much as we can, we have extended the early bird registration rate to Friday 1 August 2008.

We hope this assists all of you to come as we don’t want you to miss out on the fantastic program we have waiting for you!

art at the heart is Regional Arts Australia’s sixth national conference. The Australian Government supports Regional Arts Australia’s national conferences through the Regional Arts Fund. The Australia Council for the Arts supports the artistic program for the conference. The Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is supporting Indigenous participation in the conference. The Northern Territory Government is hosting the conference through Arts NT in collaboration with the Alice Springs Town Council.

Media enquiries: Regional Arts Australia Communications Manager Vivienne Skinner 0411 206 224