Arts Minister Ros Bates has announced more than $2 million in funding for Regional Arts Development in Queensland.
Ms Bates said the Regional Arts Development Fund supports more than 3000 arts and cultural projects each year in communities across the state.
“The Regional Arts Development Fund is a state-wide partnership between the Queensland Government and local councils, and shows our support for local arts and culture,” Ms Bates said.
“The Newman Government allocation in 2012-2013 is $2.083 million on top of another $1.5 million from 52 Queensland councils. This means more than $3.5 million is available for arts projects across the state.
“The Regional Arts Development Fund is helping to deepen Queenslanders’ cultural experience by encouraging them to do more than just be audience members for the arts, by also actively participating in the art-making process.”
Ms Bates said the Regional Arts Development Fund projects, which are selec ted by each community in line with their cultural priorities, showed the interests of Queenslanders to be far-ranging and diverse.
“Funding has gone towards photography workshops, choirs, theatrical performances and council policy development for arts and culture over the past 20 years,” she said.
“Other projects have used arts as a way to educate, get a message across, or to benefit those with illness, mental health or disability issues.
“It’s great to see the creativity of Queenslanders take shape and enhance the lives of those in their community with so many artistic and social outcomes.”
Ms Bates said the Regional Arts Development Funding delivered on the Newman Government’s Arts for all Queenslanders election promise to ensure that all Queenslanders have access to arts by bringing it to the regions.
