Hurstville’s efforts to become an artistic and cultural hub have been given a tick of approval with a series of awards at the Local Government Cultural Awards ceremony held at NSW Parliament House in May.
Hurstville Mayor Philip Sansom said the awards were for ‘programs projects and partnership’, along with an ‘accessibility’ award.
“The creativity and quality of the projects are outstanding and highlights how Council is leading the way in promoting arts and culture in the wider St George region,” he said. “Council’s innovative cultural projects showcase the talent of local people and encourage the community to engage with the arts.”
Cultural Development Officer Anne Marie Wiles took out the prestigious Brendan Hartnett Award for her outstanding achievements and commitment to promoting cultural projects in the Hurstville community.
Mayor Philip Sansom also praised Anne Marie for her positive ‘can do’ work ethic and commitment to achieving great results.
“Anne Marie is a great asset to Council and I congratulate her on this outstanding professional achievement,” he said. “These three awards reflect positively on Council’s commitment to further promoting cultural diversity in the community.”
As part of the 2010 Discovery Festival of Community Arts, Hurstville City Council hosted two shows of a new Australian production, Leviathan, at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre.
Sydney Theatre Company (STC) Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton attended the official opening of the event on 18 September 2010.Leviathan was the culmination of a partnership between STC and Hurstville and Liverpool City Councils.
The second award provided local Hurstville writers, some with disabilities, with an intensive introduction to scriptwriting. A professional director and cast then selected five scripts and recorded them as “DiscoverAbility Radio Playhouse” at local radio station 2NBC 90.1fm.
In partnership with the NSW Local Government and Shires Association and Accessible Arts, to celebrate International Day for People With a Disability Hurstville presented a forum: “Creative Responses for Diversity and Disability.” This included the Showcase presentation of the scriptwriting project, including a live performance of “Peace and Quiet and a Hot Meat Pie” by Ashley Walker, who has cerebral palsy and also created all the theme music for the radio series.
