25th Feb 10
2010 Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards program NOW OPEN
The valuable work that volunteers contribute to the artistic and cultural lives of their communities across regional Australia is being recognised with the 2nd Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards now open for nominations.
Director of Regional Arts Victoria Ms Lindy Allen says the Awards “aim to recognise, reward and encourage regionally-based arts and cultural volunteers who have made a substantial contribution to the arts in regional communities right across Australia”.
“The first Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards recognised contributions as diverse as Heather Blackley’s for her long and outstanding contribution to the arts in Condobolin and the Lachlan arts community of New South Wales to Victoria’s own Brian Castle from Longford for his passionate commitment to the Gippsland Art Gallery” she continued.
Each state and territory will present awards in two nominated categories:
Sustained Contribution Award -To recognise and reward a regionally-based arts volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the arts in regional Australia over a period of five years or more.
Outstanding Contribution Award - To recognise and reward a regionally based arts volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to an arts project, event, organisation or community in regional Australia. (Young people are particularly encouraged to nominate in this category).
Each award recipient will receive a package valued at over $1,800 including a commissioned artwork by a regional artist, a framed certificate, a complimentary registration to Regional Arts Australia’s national conference Junction 2010 to be held in Launceston TAS, as well as travel and accommodation to attend the conference and receive their award. Junction 2010 (26-29 August 2010) will be the biggest gathering of regional arts practitioners in Australia this year.
Nominations close Friday 26 March 2010 with nomination forms (including full terms and conditions) available from www.regionalarts.com.au
The Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards Program is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body, through its Community Partnerships section.
For more information about nominating a volunteer in Victoria, please contact Joe Toohey at Regional Arts Victoria on (03) 9644 1809 or email jtoohey@rav.net.au
