Regional Arts Australia

Regional Arts Australia is the national peak body for regional arts organisations throughout Australia.[1][2] Formed in 1966 as the Arts Council of Australia, it is a federation of the peak non-metropolitan community arts organisations in each of the Australian states and territories.[3] It advocates better recognition and support for the regional, rural and remote arts sector in Australia. It initiates and manages projects to support regional artists, artsworkers and communities in arts practice, arts promotion and audience development in the regional and rural sectors.[4]

For the federal government statutory funding authority known as the Australia Council for the Arts, see Australia Council.

Regional Arts Australia
Founded1966
Typepeak organisation
ABN: 45 000 525 182
Location
  • Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Area served
Australia
Websitewww.regionalarts.com.au
Formerly called
Arts Council of Australia (1966 – 1998)

History

The origin of the Arts Council movement in Australia was the New South Wales based Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts (CEMA) formed in 1943 by the singer Dorothy Helmrich modelled on the British organisation of the same name.[3] In 1947 the New South Wales Division of CEMA decided to change its name to the Arts Council of Australia (NSW Division) with a view to establishing a national body.[5] Lack of funding delayed that vision being realised until 1966. Arts Councils were formed in South Australia (1946, lapsed in 1952 and reformed in 1965), Tasmania (1951), the Australian Capital Territory (lapsed in 1952 and reformed in 1962), Queensland (1961), Victoria (1969), the Northern Territory (1967) and Western Australia (1973).[3] In 1998, the organisation changed its name to Regional Arts Australia.[6]

Member organisations

The constituent members of Regional Arts Australia are:[7]

State or TerritoryOrganisationWebsite
New South Wales Regional Arts NSW www.regionalartsnsw.com.au
Northern Territory Arts NT www.arts.nt.gov.au
Queensland Queensland Arts Council www.qac.org.au
South Australia Country Arts SA www.countryarts.org.au
Victoria Regional Arts Victoria www.rav.net.au
Western Australia Country Arts WA www.countryartswa.asn.au

Alliances and associations

In 2003, it joined with four other peak industry bodies, the Federation of Australian Historical Societies, Museums Australia, the Australian Council of National Trusts, and the Australian Library and Information Association, to form The Regional Cultural Alliance in order to "help regional artists gain greater access to skills development and training as well as present a united front when lobbying government ... to better co-ordinate existing programs for cultural development in the regions and recognise the economic opportunities art and culture create for regional centres."[2]

See also

References
  1. "Writing's on the wall", The Canberra Times, 1 March 2006, p 8 via factiva.com accessed 30 September 2011.
  2. Cathy Pryor, "A force for the regions", The Australian 4 December 2003 p 15 (Features section); via Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCO (database online) accessed 19 August 2011.
  3. "Arts Council of Australia" in William H. Wilde, Joy Hooton, and Barry Andrews (eds), The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature, Oxford University Press, 1994, via Oxford Reference Online accessed 29 September 2011.
  4. About Us, Regional Arts Australia, accessed 30 September 2011.
  5. "C.E.M.A. Takes New Name". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 23 December 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  6. "Regional Arts Australia", Authorities (database online), Libraries Australia, accessed 30 September 2011.
  7. Member Organisations, Regional Arts Australia, accessed 30 September 2011.

Further reading
  • Dorothy Helmrich, The first twenty-five years : a study of the Arts Council of Australia, (Sydney, Southwood Press, 1968)
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