The Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development, Local Government and Minister for the Arts, the Hon Simon Crean MP has announced $179,040 of funding for arts projects in regional, rural and very remote/isolated Western Australia thanks to the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund.
 
Country Arts WA's Regional Arts Fund panel assessed a total of 26 applications for Projects and Residencies and Mentorship programs with a total funding request of $357,370.
 
Of these 13 were supported to a total value of $179,040. Ten organisations will receive Projects and Residencies funding to coordinate community arts projects and three artists will receive Mentorship funding to complete a 6 to 12 month mentorship with a professional artist of their choosing.
 
Projects will occur in all nine regions of the state with three projects in both the Kimberley and Goldfields-Esperance, two in the Wheatbelt and one in the Gascoyne, Peel, South West, Mid West and Pilbara.

"The regional arts scene in Western Australia is thriving," said Jessica Machin, Country Arts WA's Chief Executive Officer.
 
"We received applications from around the state for projects ranging from sculpture, to ochre painting to surround sound composition and installation."

"The panel is really pleased with the diverse projects we were able to recommend for funding and their reach," added Simon Clarke, Chair of the Regional Arts Fund Panel in Western Australia.

"However, there were also quality projects that were unsuccessful, purely for a shortage of money."

The next Regional Arts Fund closing date for Western Australia is Friday, 11 March 2011 for the Projects and Residencies and Mentorship programs. For more information visit the Country Arts website or contact a member of the Regional Arts Development team on regional freecall: 1800 811 883.
 
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural development in communities across regional and remote Australia. The Fund has an emphasis on building capacity in disadvantaged, remote and Indigenous communities. Country Arts WA delivers the program in Western Australia on behalf of the Australian Government.