Regional New South Wales is home to some of the most extraordinary artists in Australia. Its landscape is a source of inspiration for many and communities are thriving hubs of art activities and conversations.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
To shine a light on this excellence, Regional Arts NSW presents Artstate, a four-year project in the form of an arts festival and speakers program that showcases the rich and diverse talent and culture of each region it visits.
Starting in Lismore in 2017, travelling to Bathurst for 2018 and now in the third of its four- year journey, Artstate will be arriving in Kamilaroi country in the New England North West city of Tamworth from Thursday, October 31 to Sunday, November 3.
Partnering with Regional Arts Development Organisation, Arts North West, to coordinate the event, Artstate Tamworth will be four exciting days of inspiring art and in-depth conversation about issues that face the arts industry and regional communities more broadly.
Among the guests who will be represented at the event is Forbes based Dr Merrill Findlay who will be launching "Dark Sky Dreaming: an inland skywriters anthology" as well as holding a stargazing opportunity with the Tamworth Regional Astronomical Club.
CEO of Regional Arts NSW, Elizabeth Rogers explains that Artstate is not only an opportunity for regional communities to showcase their work, it's also a chance for delegates to gather from across the country to see something different each year and be exposed to the all-round excellence that regional NSW is capable of.
"We are so excited to be coming to Tamworth for the third stage of the Artstate project. From visual and musical, to theatrical, digital and written art forms as well as an extremely detailed speakers' program Artstate Tamworth is shaping up to be another successful industry event that demonstrate the innovation and creativity of artists from regional NSW.
"The highly anticipated speaker's program will be held during Artstate Tamworth on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 November. Over the two days, delegates and industry leaders will come together to discuss the themes, "On Country - In Country" and "Arts in the Age of Uncertainty," Mrs Rogers said.
The keynote speakers for the Artstate Tamworth speakers program include CEO of the Australian Council for the Arts, Adrian Collette AM; Water and Environmental Scientist and Kamilaroi man, Brad Moggridge; Executive Director for WildWorks theatre company from the UK, Emma Hogg; and Artist, Storyteller and indigenous Canadian man, Patrick Shannon.
These keynotes will be joined on the speaker's stage by an array of panellists who will each share their take on how artists remain connected to their land and culture whilst weathering the constant changes of the industry.
Complementary to the speaker's program is the arts festival that will commence with the Artstate Tamworth Opening Ceremony on Thursday, October 31.
Reko Rennie, The Regional Youth Orchestra and Roger Knox are amongst the artists involved in the free arts program along with Aboriginal weaving projects, a range of exhibitions, theatrical productions and more.
"Artstate is a one-of-a-kind event that we encourage everyone to get involve in and to support the brilliant work produced by artists in our regional communities," Mrs Rogers said.
The destination for the fourth phase of Artstate, held in 2020, will be announced at the official Artstate Tamworth Dinner on Saturday, November 2.
For more information about the Artstate project, to view the program for Artstate Tamworth or the register to attend, visit www.artstate.com.au
