The artist call-out for the 2019 Emerging Writers’ Festival is now open! Whether you have a specific idea or would just like to be involved, submit before 2 Dec for your chance to be a part of the festival. Diversity, inclusivity and accessibility are the core values that underpin EWF’s artistic program, offering a unique…
On Saturday 3rd November, Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Don Harwin MLC announced Tamworth will be the next host city for Artstate, Regional Arts NSW’s celebration of arts across the state. The event will take place from Thursday, October 31st to Sunday, November 3rd 2019. Minister Harwin said, “Tamworth is an authentic Australian heartland…
The Toolkit is tailored to creative practitioners and small to medium organisations. It takes a “how to” approach, and details the steps needed to grow and develop income streams from sources such as philanthropy, sponsorship, crowdfunding and new products. Individual guides and fact sheets contain links to related information throughout the Toolkit, including successful case…
The National Arts and Disability Strategy is being renewed! The Department of Communications and the Arts wants to hear about your experiences in the sector, and how you think the participation of people with disability in the arts, screen and culture sector can be increased. How can I have my say on the National Arts…
Celebrating International day for People with A Disability. 1 December marks the International day for People with A Disability and this year Singleton celebrates with a twang at the annual Bush Dance & Dinner. The night is an opportunity for the community to come together to enjoy a night of fun and music and enjoy…
Saturday 24 November 2018 Escape the noise of the supercars in Newcastle, and come up to the forested mountainside for peace & quiet & fresh air – and see some historic ‘movies under the stars’. Movies Under the Stars is held annually at the Callicoma Hill Eco-cabins, 50km north of Singleton at Mt Royal, on…
9th to 11th of November 2018 Scone From bush poetry to steamy sex scenes, crime writing and conversations with living legends, this year’s Scone Literary Festival has it all. With the theme of “ The Magic and Power of Literature, the festival will take place over the weekend of November 10 and 11 and will…
Together, Create NSW and SBS will fund up to six short films by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmaking talent and content creators as part of a four-year initiative, with No Coincidence Media’s Mitch Stanley (Transblack, Colour Theory Underground, Servant or Slave) onboard to work as Executive Producer on this year’s successful projects. The initiative…
Now open for entries. Calling for short stories up to 2000 words. Over $7000 in prizes. The top 30-35 works will be published in the 2019 anthology. The judges are Annabel Smith and Tim Richards. Entries close: 4th February, 2019 For all the details please visit https://hunterwriterscentre.org/newcastle-short-story-award-2019/
1st to 4th November 2018 Bathurst (various venues) TICKETS: On sale now at www.artstate.com.au Artstate is a four-year program presented by Regional Arts NSW which aims to shine a light on excellence in regional arts practice and to explore the exciting possibilities for arts and cultural development across the state. The event will include a…
In collaboration with Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, Arts Upper Hunter is running the fourth in this series of popular professional development events. Fifteen artists each spend seven minutes one on one with each of five gallery professionals: Sandra McMahon (Director Weswal Gallery, Tamworth), Ahn Wells (Director Gallery 139, Newcastle), Rachel Saunders (Director Gloucester Gallery), Brad…
Quantum Words festival for writing about science is just around the corner! Saturday 3 November 2018 at Writing NSW, Callan Park. Covering topics from astronomy to consciousness, writing mental illness to the apocalypse, Writing NSW one-day festival explores the ways we come to understand ourselves, our world, and the expansive universe we live in. With…
A warm welcome to Arts Upper Hunter’s new board member Peter Carlin. Peter was co-opted as part of an ongoing process of moving to a skill based board model. After working as a contract designer and design manager, Peter and his partner Jane opened Haydon Hall, an art, design and cuisine business in Murrurundi. Peter…
Get ready to Dance in Dungog’s high street You’ll be able to dance the night away in Dowling Street this Long Weekend’s Sunday Night Street Party when the iconic Dog Trumpet takes over the main street during the Dungog Festival. The weekend will bring non-stop music, six artisans outlets showing their wares and no less…
Saturday 13 October 2018, 6pm, at the Barn, Mayne St, Murrurundi. The ENREC Studio Band feature of Tim Rickards new CD of diverse story songs, with the legendary Garry & Kirk Steel (Piano plus Accordion – from John Williamson to Kings Cross bars LOL), Christian Marsh (deluxe Harmonica) and James Gillard (from Mental as Anything…
Many thanks to all who attended our Upper Hunter Festival Forum, especially Professor John Connell and panel members: Jan Fallding, Deidre Peebles and Nancy Knudsen.
Entries for the 2019 Ramsay Art Prize open on 14 September inviting submissions from Australian artists under 40 working in any medium. Finalists are selected by an international judging panel with the selected works included in an exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Through the generosity of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation,…
Be sure to save the date for Scone Short Film Festival on 22nd and 23rd September. Scone Films presents its annual short film festival, featuring a fantastic selection of world class Australian short films. Now in its tenth year, the festival only screens Australian short films. There is something for everyone, with a range of…
The inaugural Sculpture on the Farm exhibition at Fosterton outside Dungog will be held over the coming October long weekend to coincide with the Dungog Festival. There will be approximately 100 sculptures on display from both local sculptors and those from further afield and including prominent names, such as the late Inge King and Newcastle…
Create NSW has announced funding of nearly $250,000 to boost NSW screen practitioner skillsets and bring a range of screen experiences to audiences across the State. “In addition to delivering the most innovative, diverse and compelling events for audiences, we also want to ensure that our incredible screen workforce continues to upskill through as many…
Festivals and major events are great for community and economic development but behind the scenes it’s not always plain sailing. The Upper Hunter Festival Forum is a networking event for stakeholders to share the ups and downs of organising local festivals. Guest speaker is Professor John Connell from the University of Sydney, co-author of Outback…
Arts Upper Hunter hosted a one day drama workshop on Monday 6 August at Murrurundi Public School run by Tantrum Youth Arts James Chapman. James worked with Year 5 & 6 students. Many thanks to Year 5 & 6 teacher Meghan Foley.
When was the last time you channelled your creative genius on a piece of footpath? Maybe, like so many of us, it was over a decade (or two!) ago when you were just a kid. This year Dungog Festival is to be richer than ever with a chalk art competition to take place in the…
Saturday 1 September. Murrrurundi. Well known Hunter Valley artist Rebecca Rath will be running a workshop on Saturday 1 September for visual artists interested in developing their use of social media. Using social media tools and platforms, visual artists have new ways to connect with audiences and buyers far and wide. And because these websites…
Get $100 off full-price registration until THIS FRIDAY 17 September 2018. On Friday 25 July, at the Australian Museum, Regional Arts NSW announced the program for Artstate Bathurst, a four-day event that will bring an expected 200 arts delegates to the city from 1st to 4th November 2018. Artstate Bathurst will feature a two-day conference…
Running an arts festival in regional NSW? Suffering volunteer burnout? A new stream as part of the Regional Arts Fund can help build your event with a paid coordinator. Regional Arts NSW know how hard volunteers work in regional communities, and that sometimes the juggle between work, life and festival management can be overwhelming. As…
Saturday 29 September 2018. 9.15am to 1.15pm. Dungog Start writing that script you have burning up inside you, get a toolbox full of great tips and hints, and develop a scene in this script-writing adventure. Bring your own idea or not, either is fine, and it can be TV, feature or short. There’s some pre-work…
Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 September 2018 Clarence Town Dungog-Clarence Town CWA presents its popular Quiltarama on Saturday 08 September 2018, 10 am – 4 pm and Sunday 09 September 2018, 10 am – 3 pm at the Clarence Town School of Arts Hall, Grey Street, Clarence Town and the Clarence Town Senior Citizens Day…
Everyone has a secret space. Whether it’s your room, the quiet spot in the park or that spot on the street where something important happened. Perhaps your secret space isn’t a place at all? Hunter Writers Centre’s Youth Writing Prize calls for people aged 16-35 living in the Hunter to write a piece on the…
Applications for the 2019 round of the Country Arts Support Program (CASP) are now open. CASP provides grants to arts and cultural groups, not for profit organisations and local councils in regional NSW for short term, locally initiated projects. Schools can’t apply but school Parents and Citizens’ Associations can. The grants of up to $3,000…
The Blue Heeler Film Festival is back – and 2018 is shaping up to be a watershed year for local short film producers with a new patron, substantial cash prizes to be won and the Gold Bluey Award up for grabs. Inspired by star of the big and small screen, Sigrid Thornton, who has graciously…
There has been a recent renewal of energy and interest in revitalising the historic Bandon Grove School of Arts Hall about 10 kilometres north of Dungog. The School of Arts Committee aim to reconnect residents of the Bandon Grove area by making the hall relevant and refurbishing the building. This has motivated a couple of…
On Monday 28 May at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre Regional Arts NSW launched Artstate Bathurst, the second iteration of a four-year program building upon conversations, partnerships and opportunities for regional artists and arts organisations. Partnering with Arts OutWest, this four-day event in Bathurst will welcome an anticipated 200 arts industry delegates and include a…
Sculpture on the Farm will be held at “Fosterton” opening on Friday 28 September at 5pm, then Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September and Monday 1 October, 2018. This inaugural exhibition and sale of sculptures will be held in conjunction with the renowned Dungog Festival, which is a celebration of the arts, local food and rural life and attracts people from all over the state.
Kaput, the multi-award winning family show has melted hearts of all ages around the world with its glorious brand of slapstick, acrobatics and total silliness. Be swept up in the mayhem that is the larger-than-life ‘elegant buffoon’ Tom Flanagan, as one man’s life is flipped upside down by the lonely dust covered world that surrounds…
Have you always wanted to write or been writing alone at home for years? Then join our Creative Writing course lead by Karen Crofts director of Hunter Writers Centre to help you whether you’re anew or seasoned writer. This workshop is presented by the Singleton Public Library in partnership with Arts Upper Hunter and the…
WORKSHOP IS FULLY BOOKED Visitors Welcome Get weaving in your own creative way with Saori free style weaving! This weekend workshop is for anyone and no experience at all is an advantage in weaving this creative cloth. You’ll be weaving in a few minutes and take home a unique piece of cloth. All looms are…
Making Art Work: An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia by David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya is the sixth in a series carried out independently over thirty years by Professor Throsby at Macquarie University, with funding from the Australia Council. The series tracks trends in the lives and working conditions of Australian artists over…
The Creative Achievement Awards celebrate and reward the outstanding achievements of individuals, teams and organisations that have helped raise the global profile of the creative industries in NSW. Nominations close 16 March 2018 This year there are three categories: 1) The prestigious NSW Creative Laureate. This award recognises an individual, team or organisation making a…
The NSW government has announced $17,458 in arts project funding to the Arts Upper Hunter’s region. The funding was part of the NSW Government’s CASP which is administered by Regional Arts NSW and the 14 NSW regional arts development organisations of which Arts Upper Hunter is one. Nearly $250,000 was distributed for 76 projects across…
Opening the latest exhibition by Murrurundi & District Historical Society, Brad Franks, Manager of Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre said the small community was fast developing into an art clique in the Upper Hunter. Around 40 people turned out for the opening and witnessed not only a complete change in art directions but also a revamped exhibition…