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Meeting of the Forbes Arts & Culture Working Group - 1 August 2005
held at the Concourse, Forbes Town Hall, 5.30-7pm.


ATTENDANCE:
Merrill Findlay, Sian Dyce, Sue-Anne Nixon (Town Bank and Forbes schools), Marg Wilmot (Mitchell Conservatorium), Denise Sheridan-Smith (SOPHIA), Juliet Hodder, Keith Rawsthorn, Bill Stevenson (Christian Life Centre),  Bronwyn Clark (Forbes Library), Kylie Grayson.

APOLOGIES:
Elaine Imrie (Upstairs Gallery), Jo Erskine (NPWS)

Meeting convened by Merrill Findlay.

1.    Welcome to new attendees Juliet Hodder and Keith Rawsthorn.

2.    Minutes of the previous meeting: No matters arising. Acceptance of the last minutes as a true account of the last meeting of the Working Goup.

Moved: Sue-Anne Nixon
Seconded: Kylie Grayson
Carried

3.    THANK YOUS
Merrill expressed thanks to Bill Stevenson for the helpful distribution of the surveys through the church groups.  Thanks to Sue-Anne Nixon for the distribution and collection of the surveys.

Marg thanked the Merrill for including a write up on the recent Sydney Youth Orchestra concert in the last newsletter, which was sent out with the minutes.

4.    SURVEY
The first batch of surveys was collected and ready for the Working Group to start reading some of the responses.   Group decided to extend the survey consultation period to 1 September 2005.  The data analysis will start after the September meeting.

Sue-Anne noted that some surveys include names and addresses and suggested that these should be collated and added to the database to receive future minutes and newsletters.

Merrill expressed a vote of thanks to Sue-Anne Nixon, Bill Stevenson, Sian Dyce, Jo Eskine and Kylie Grayson for their involvement with the development and distribution of the survey.

Moved: Merrill Findlay
Seconded: Sian Dyce
Carried.

5.    RUNNING COSTS OF THE GROUP
Merrill explained that the Group currently has approximately 80 people on the database mailing list who receive minutes and newsletter.  Some of these people receive the minutes and newsletters electronically. The cost of mailing out the minutes and newsletter are currently covered by the Forbes Shire Council, however there is no set budget or agreement.

Merrill tabled email correspondence from the Council requesting the Group to formally write to the Council to request financial resourcing to cover the operating costs of the Group.  The Council will formally vote on a resolution.

After group discussion, it was agreed that Merrill would write the letter to Council on behalf of Group, including the following points:

(a)    Set a budget outlining monthly operating costs including postage, photocopying and use of Concourse Room and include an indication of potential costs, such as the printing of the cultural plan.

(b)    Emphasise the amount of pro bono work supplied by members of the Group.

(c)    Reiterate the details of the informal agreement between the Mayor and Merrill that it was a condition of Merrill being the convenor of the Group that the Council would resource the Group.

(d)    Reinforce that the Group is fulfilling the role for Council in regards to the development of a cultural plan for the Shire.

(e)    Include potential future activities of the Group, which will need to be financed.  For example, the Working Group might decide that we need to employ a consultant to write the cultural plan, and might consider applying for grants to cover these costs.

(f)    Thank the Council for its support to date.

Moved: Denise Sheridan-Smith
Second: Sian Dyce
Carried


6.    PAUL WENZ BOOK PROJECT
Merrill tabled email correspondence from Sabine Pierard regarding the a book binding exhibition featuring a short story, in both French and English, by local writer Paul Wenz and etchings of the Forbes district. Several bound copies of the books will be available for sale as collectors items. Merrill recommended that a copy should be purchased by Council for the Wenz Collection in the Forbes Library and the Museum.

Sian suggested that Forbes Promotion and Development Inc. might be able to purchase the book.  Sian will raise the item at the next  Forbes Promotion and Development Inc. meeting.


7.    OTHER BUSINESS & DISCUSSION
Merrill tabled a copy of the “Gilgandra Alive” newsletter as an example of what other country towns in the region produce to promote art and cultural events. The sample could be used as an example of the future format for the FACWG newsletter.

Keith expressed concerned that about the term “cultural centre” and thought the idea of how much a cultural centre might cost is off-putting. 

Merrill explained that her proposal for a cultural centre was a personal one, but that she also believed that, if it were handled in an intelligent way, the proposed cultural centre that funding could be available from different Government departments so that Council would not have to finance it.

Sian believes the Group needs to be conscious of not pushing a cultural centre as the only aim in the cultural plan.


8.    SWOT ANALYSIS (ONGOING)
The Group continued to add to the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities).

THREATS:
-    Seasonal conditions which affects the region eg. flood and drought
-    Climate change: people leaving the land leading to declining/static population
-    Ageing population
-    “Brain drain”: qualified professionals only stay in the town for a short period of time before moving on.
-    Money: lack of funding to get things done ie. like the postage of the minutes.
-    Unemployment: Forbes actually has a declining unemployment rate, however there is a lack of skilled workers - can’t fill the jobs we have and can’t “job” the people who need jobs.

WEAKNESS:
-    Lack of recreation courses, especially held at night time and weekends, and the cost of courses can discourage participation.

STRENGTH:
-    Forbes TAFE: has a good range of programs to train unskilled people.


9.    WITHDRAWAL FROM THE WORKING GROUP
Marg has decided to respectfully withdraw from the Group because she believed the focus of the Group has moved since the original public meeting when she requested the practical help and support with the presentation of events.  Marg’s focus must be on developing current cultural activities and the Mitchell Conservatorium, she said.  She assured the Working Group of her support, but does not feel she can be a part of it at the moment.

Merrill asked Marg to write a piece on the needs, vision and five year plan for the Mitchell Conservatorium to include in the cultural plan document.

On behalf of the Group, Sue-Anne said Marg would be welcomed back when the FACWG was in the position to implement cultural activities.


10.    MEDIA/PROMOTION
Kylie will write an article for the Forbes Advocate to go with the photo of the Group with the returned surveys.


11.    AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING

(a).    Survey - Focus groups and conversation chairs.
(b).    Data analysis of the surveys.


12.    Next meeting will be held Monday 5 September at the Forbes Library, starting 5.30pm.

Meeting closed soon after 7pm.

Minutes by Working Group secretary, Kylie Grayson.