The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, in Western Australia’s Goldfields-Esperance region, has been chosen to host the nation’s most prestigious forum on creativity, culture and regional arts — the 2014 Regional Arts Australia’s national conference and festival.
Ron Yuryevich, Mayor of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, said the City was extremely pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the creativity of the region with the nation’s arts leaders, saying that the conference and festival would offer a memorable artistic and cultural adventure for delegates and visitors.
Regional Arts Australia’s ninth national biennial conference and festival will be held in spring 2014, bringing together hundreds of artists, academics, volunteers, government and community representatives from around Australia to consider and celebrate arts and culture and its impact and contribution to the creativity and identity of regional Australia.
Suzie Haslehurst, Chair of Country Arts WA, said the region would provide a stunning backdrop for future planning by Australia’s regional arts leaders.
“Australia is already a world leader in regional arts management and Kalgoorlie-Boulder, with its entrepreneurial spirit and iconic Australian identity, will foster adventurous artistic and cultural exchanges to bring out the best in everyone involved.
“We are very excited about creating a memorable program and look forward to announcing our Artistic Director very soon,” she said.
Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission Chairman, Jon Price — a strong supporter of the bid to host the conference — said there was great kudos for the area in hosting the nation’s most prestigious arts event.
“This prestigious event will showcase our region and its nature, culture and creativity. The contrasts between the warm red earth of Kalgoorlie and the white beaches of nearby Esperance will be a brilliant experience for visitors,” said Mr Price.
The theme for the 2014 event – Arts on the Edge – reflects the exciting crossroads of Australia’s art scene, as well as the characteristics of the host city, which is bordered by desert, the KCGM Super Pit (the largest open pit mine in Australia), and the Great Western Woodlands, the largest and most intact temperate/semi-arid woodland on the planet.
The theme also embodies the unique edge that the region has cultivated in arts and cultural practice, demonstrating the positive benefits for towns and regions when culture and the arts are combined with council and shire goals for livability.
The Hon. John Day, West Australian Minister for Culture and the Arts, said that Kalgoorlie-Boulder was a thriving city with an international reputation for its leadership in mining and creativity.
“The Goldfields-Esperance region boasts world-class art installations, such as the symbolic Gormley Sculptures at nearby Lake Ballard, and cutting edge arts and cultural practice, including the ‘Western Desert Kidney Health Project’, which successfully links arts with positive Indigenous health outcomes.”
For more information visit: www.artsontheedge.com.au.
