Tasmanian arts organisation Big hART hopes to land partner after Telstra Business of the Year gong

A REGIONAL Tasmanian charity and arts organisation is hoping national recognition will help unearth a partner to drive its success into the future.

REGIONAL Tasmanian arts project Big hART hopes national recognition will unearth a financial backer to secure its award-winning work for another quarter of a century.

The charity and arts organisation was this week named the Telstra Tasmanian Business of the Year and also took home the gong for the top charity.

Big hART will now head to Sydney for Telstra’s national awards on August 25.

CEO Scott Rankin hopes another win, or greater national exposure, will prompt a partner to come forward to support the not-for-profit arts entity into the future.

“It can be a struggle surviving on arts grants,” Mr Rankin said.

“To get a big partner would be amazing and mean the organisation can continue to grow.”

It was hard to describe in just a few words exactly what Big hART did, he said.

“I suppose you could say we use stories to make the world a better place,” Mr Rankin said.

“Australians are generous people and once they know of a need they respond.

“But they have to hear the stories first.”

The organisation started 25 years ago in Burnie in response to big industrial and economic changes happening in the city.

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Basically, Big hART was an experiment in finding new ways of dealing with social disadvantage — an experiment that is now a national charitable and empowerment-through-arts movement.

“After that first project in Burnie we realised we were onto something and it just built from there,” Mr Rankin said.

“We did not envisage we would still be here all these years later, let alone recognised as a Tasmanian Business of the Year. “

Since 1992, Big hART has worked with 50 communities, 300 artists and 8000 participants and is now the biggest arts organisation of its type in Australia.

But there are no plans to relocate Big hART to a swanky office in a bigger Tasmanian city or somewhere interstate.

Mr Rankin all suited up for the Telstra Tasmanian Business of the Year award at Wrest Point. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

A more casual Mr Rankin with dog Red at Boat Harbour on Tasmania’s North-West Coast. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

“We started regional and remain proudly regional today,’ Mr Rankin said.

“Technological advancement means geographic location is no longer as important as it might once have been.

“We started pre-mobile phones and laptops. I remember that in 1996 the organisation had one mobile phone to share.

“We’ve watched over time the way technologies have completely reshaped the way we do business and can ... reverse the migration from rural areas to cities.

“That shift in technologies has been an endorsement for regional businesses that dream global.

“We have not followed the magnetism of the city and do not plan to.”

Big hART focuses on what is strong — not what is wrong — in communities.

Big hART now employs 28 full-time staff. Those numbers swell when projects or productions are in progress.

Tonight, at Wynyard High School, Big hART is launching its This is Not a Speech Night production which turns ideas of achievement upside down while showcasing talent from the local community.

It will run at the school for two weeks.

“Big hART focuses on what is strong — not what is wrong — in communities,” Mr Rankin said.

Telstra spokesman Mike Tregurtha said Big hART’s refusal to shy away from tackling Australia’s most pertinent issues had connected with communities nationwide.

“Its team of incredibly creative and engaged individuals has shaped world-class art and music productions. The organisation’s influence is extraordinary in scale and their work is truly helping to create a new social trajectory for Australia.”

Big hART founder Scott Rankin at the Legs on the Wall Theatre in Sydney.