PRESS
RELEASE: Forbes Arts & Culture Working Group
Forbes, Australia, 2 March 2006
CRITICAL
TIME FOR THE ARTS IN FORBES
Community
research for the Forbes Cultural Plan has revealed that the arts
and cultural industries in the shire are facing a critical time,
says convener of the Forbes Arts and Culture Working Group, Merrill
Findlay.
“There
are many symptoms of crisis in the arts in Forbes,” she said.
“The Eisteddfod no longer attracts the numbers it did a decade
ago; the Music & Dramatic Society has not produced a play or
musical for at least a year; the Jazz Festival has disappeared;
pubs and clubs are no longer hiring as many live bands as they once
did; and, unlike other shires in the region, Forbes has so far failed
to develop a landmark cultural festival to celebrate its heritage
and the achievements of its many creative people,” she said.
“It
is time for some very creative thinking about the cultural development
of Forbes Shire, and the future of the arts and our many cultural
industries.”
“There
are hundreds of gifted people of all ages doing extraordinary things
in music, dance, speech and drama, singing, comedy, the visual arts,
photography, performance, community writing, and digital design,
for example, but they are generally working in isolation. They have
not yet joined together to raise a collective voice to demand community
recognition and support.
"If
they worked together to champion their common needs and aspirations
and to pressure Council to be more proactive in supporting cultural
development initiatives they could turn a potential crisis into
a cultural Renaissance,” Merrill Findlay said.
“Such
a reinvigoration of the arts and cultural industries may see the
development of a multifunctional community cultural and heritage
centre, a new commitment to public art, and an exciting festival
program that could have many economic, social and even environmental
spin-offs.”
These
issues will be discussed at next Monday’s meeting of the Arts
& Culture Working Group at the Forbes Library, 5.45 pm, on Monday
6 March 2006. The draft Cultural Plan based on community consultation
and research will be presented at this meeting and will be available
for comment and public exhibition. Everyone is welcome.
For
more information please contact Merrill
Findlay. |