Whitsunday region art projects grant to be decided

Bringing theatre to remote towns, starting a children’s writing group or kicking off a travelling art exhibition are among the projects seeking the funding of Whitsunday Regional Council.

Bringing theater to remote towns, starting a children’s writing group or kicking off a travelling art exhibition are amongst the projects awaiting responses on grant funds in the Whitsundays. Picture: Contributed/Noosa Film Academy/ Access Arts

Bringing theatre to remote towns, starting a children’s writing group or kicking off a travelling art exhibition are among the projects awaiting grant funds in the Whitsundays.

With a project likely to only receive a fourth of the funding they’ve asked for, here are the recommendations that will be heard at the Whitsunday Regional Council’s next ordinary meeting.

The Regional Arts and Development Fund invests in quality arts and cultural experiences across Queensland “based on locally determined priorities” with three different projects submitted in the Whitsunday region for round one in August.

A Whitsunday Regional Council spokesman said the budget for arts and development was of $60,000, with WRC contributing $35,500.

The first project was an application from Donna Lawrence who was seeking $11,330 to kick of a travelling exhibition focused on showcasing work from artists with a disability and offering workshops with psychologists and counsellors.

The Light and Shade: A visual Exploration of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) exhibition would kick off in Airlie Beach at either Three Little Birds gallery or The Heart gallery in Airlie Beach to then travel to Canberra.

The RADF Committee recommended to cover the costs of “workshops and exhibition in the Whitsunday region only” and proposed to grant her $3500.

Donna Lawrence, “A sketched illustration of a hand holding a single cherry”. Credit: Access Arts

The second project was an application from Sofia Fortunato to start a Children’s Writers and Illustrators group in the Whitsundays.

The report stated Sofia has recognised “the need for a creative community that fosters the growth and development of local talent in the field of children’s literature”.

She asked for $1,400 and the recommendation from the committee was to increase the funding to $2400, as she might have underestimated the cost.

The first meeting of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group was held on July 29 at the Cannonvale Library.

Sofia Fortunato applied for funding for a Children’s Writers and Illustrators group in the Whitsundays. Picture: Contributed

The last project was an application from the Noosa Film Academy Pty Ltd, to host acting and screen productions workshops, editing suite and Red-Carpet Community Screening for Youth in Bowen and Collinsville.

Monto and Biggenden students got a taste of Hollywood this week when the Noosa Film Academy returned to the North Burnett. Photo/Noosa Film Academy.

The program statement in the report was to “bridge gaps by leveraging digital media and community engagement to cultivate skills, social cohesion, and fuel personal growth.”

Monto and Biggenden students got a taste of Hollywood this week when the Noosa Film Academy returned to the North Burnett. Photo/Noosa Film Academy.

The RADF Committee advised to decline the application as it had no support letters supplied from the schools involved in the workshops, and that the application had not been completed correctly, with the need to clarify the role and position of people involved in the project.

The Committee suggested they resubmit the application in round 2 in November.

Whitsunday Regional Council councillors will discuss approving the recommendations from these applications in the ordinary meeting on Wednesday.