Meeting
of the Forbes Arts & Culture Working Group
Monday 7th November,Forbes Town Library
5.30 - 7.30 pm
Notes
by Juliet Hodder
ATTENDANCE:
Juliet
Hodder, Graeme Miller (Chair, Community Development Committee, Forbes
Shire Council), Kylie Grayson, Merrill Findlay (convener), Bronwyn
Clark (Forbes Town Library), Elaine Imrie (Upstairs Gallery)
APOLOGIES:
Denise Sheridan-Smith, Sue Anne Nixon.
Meeting
convened by Kylie Grayson and Merrill Findlay.
1.
ACCEPTANCE OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
Acceptance
of the last minutes as a true account of the last meeting of the
Working Group -
Moved:
Graeme Miller
Seconded: Kylie Grayson
Carried
2.
REVIEW OF ACTON ITEMS
2.1
Carried over from October 2005 minutes – Action Item 4: Juliet
Hodder and Kylie Grayson to review demographic data and supply overview
for next meeting.
2.2 Carried over from October 2005 minutes – Action Item 8:
Juliet Hodder and Kylie Grayson to review other cultural plans against
the new guidelines.
All other action items from October 2005 meeting resolved in full
(see Action Items spreadsheet for outcomes – FACWG Secretary)
3.
PROGRESS REPORT – CULTURAL PLAN
3.1
The Group discussed the need to obtain a copy of the Albury and
Wagga Cultural Plans.
Action
7/11/05:01: Kylie to contact Albury and Wagga Wagga cultural development
officers and ask for a copy of their plans.
3.2
Graeme Miller supplied the list of Forbes Shire Council Committee
and Community Associations (Inc.) and those of the more informal
groups (unincorporated). Kylie Grayson submitted an additional list
of Community Groups. Merrill Findlay advised the Group that some
differentiation needs to be made between Council committees, like
the Heritage Committee, and independent incorporated associations,
like the Town Band, or informal organisations, such as FACWG, for
example.
3.3
Discussion that the Forbes Community Guide, published and distributed
by the Forbes Advocate should provide a fairly comprehensive list
of community groups, although even in this there might be many gaps.
Action:
7/11/05:02: Juliet to obtain a copy of the Forbes Community Guide
2005 prior to the next FACWG meeting.
4.
SURVEY
4.1
Discussion around the impending visit by students from RMIT. Merrill
informed that this was likely to occur in January 2006 and it was
potentially going to be 3 students plus sociologist Helen Marshall
(RMIT lecturer). The Group then discussed other opportunities for
the next round of face to face interviews. Kylie Grayson notified
the group that the P&D’s Christmas Promotion draws will
be held on the Saturday mornings of 3rd, 10th and 17th of December
and the proposed Forbes Christmas Carnival is to be held on Thursday
22 December. Any members of the group available on those days have
offered to be interviewers.
Action:
7/11/05:03: Merrill to approach Helen Marshall regarding the possibility
of moving the visit to Forbes to December, in line with the with
the Christmas promotion activities.
4.2 Merrill gave the Group an update regarding public liability
insurance exposure if holding ‘street stalls’. As the
FACWG is not under any local Government structure we would therefore
need to obtain independent cover. There are four immediate options
that the Group can examine:
1.
Forbes Shire Council passes a resolution saying that for the purposes
of the event (‘street conversations’) we are covered
by their public liability insurance.
2.
That the FACWG conduct all conversations in the street (footpaths)
and not put a fixed structure on the pavement (stall). No cover
is required in this case.
3.
That FACWG obtain permission from Private proprietors (eg. Woolworths)
to hold and conduct a street stall on their premises (ie. car parks).
FACWG would not need to obtain individual cover but would need to
request permission from the Private proprietors to be included under
their public liability insurance cover.
4.
Run the street stall / conversations initiative under an Incorporated
Group (eg, Promotions & Development Inc) as they are an independent
legal entity and be included under their public liability insurance
cover. .
Kylie Grayson suggested that the Group might like to combine a mixture
of options 2 and 3 (listed above) for the purposes of conducting
‘street conversations’.
The
Group agreed that this would be the ideal manner in which to conduct
the next round of survey initiatives.
Moved:
Kylie Grayson
Seconded: Merrill Findlay
Carried
4.3
Merrill Findlay proposed that she do some face to face interviews
in January with those representatives of marginalised groups. She
will undertake these meetings in January/February.
Action:
7/11/05:04: Merrill Findlay to speak with marginalised groups /
individuals to obtain feedback regarding their contribution to proposals
for the content of a Forbes Cultural Plan.
4.4
The Group agreed that it would be prudent to speak to Chelsea Ridley
regarding the possibility of the youth being able to participate
in street conversations and conduct the surveys.
Action:
7/11/05:05: Juliet and Kylie to make contact with Chelsea to see
if the young people she is associated with may like to participate
in the next round of survey.
4.5
It was discussed that some emphasis should be placed on obtaining
the local indigenous peoples’ input regarding Forbes and districts
proposed Cultural Plan.
Action:
7/11/05:06: Representatives of the FACWG to meet with representatives
of local indigenous groups as a starting point for consultation
and feedback from the local Indigenous communities. (The nominated
representatives to be discussed at the next FACWG meeting).
4.6
The Group then raised the question regarding obtaining feedback
from some of the lesser known small interest groups that regularly
meet. It was noted that the Group should investigate obtaining feedback
from these Groups.
4.7
Discussion around the feasibility and practicality of incorporating
additional survey questions into the next round of data collection.
Action:
7/11/05:07: Merrill Findlay to create new line of questioning and
present at the next FACWG meeting.
5.
GENERAL BUSINESS
5.1
Juliet informed the Group that Tracy Sorenson would no longer be
the Media Liaison officer for Arts OutWest. FACWG will be notified
of the replacement.
Action:
7/11/05:08: Juliet to make contact with the new Media liaison at
ArtsOutwest.
5.2
Merrill reported on the forthcoming Bookbinding Exhibitions Australia
exhibition at Mezzanine in 2006 featuring several short stories
by noted French-Australian author and local farmer, Paul Wenz. 150
copies of the book are now being bound by bookbinders in Australia,
France, Britains, Estonia, Finland, Japan and the USA for the exhibition
which, after its launch in Forbe, will tour regional NSW before
going to France. The Exhibition is expected to be formally opened
by the French Ambassador to Australia. Merrill advised that Council
had also commissioned historian Stephen Gapps to write a Heritage
Significance Assessment of the Wenz Collection of books in the Forbes
Library, and suggested that this be published in time for the Bookbinding
exhibition.
Clr
Miller will request Forbes Shire Council to cover the cost of $250.00
(approx) for the hand-binding of the book for the Paul and Hettie
Wenz Collection now housed in the Forbes Library. FACWG will also
submit a request through the Heritage Committee for the next Council’s
meeting.
RESOLUTION:
Approach
Forbes Shire Council for an additional amount of $250 (approx) to
bind the Paul Wenz Collection’s copy that was recently purchased
with the Council’s support. This additional costs will be
for the hand-binding of the book prior to the exhibition and is
viewed as an individual artwork to the book itself.
Moved:
Merrill Findlay
Seconded: Kylie Grayson
Carried
RESOLUTION:
That
the working group recommend to Council that it publish historian
Stephen Gapps heritage significance assessment of the Wenz Collection
before the launch of the Paul Wenz book-binding exhibition.
Moved:
Merrill Findlay
Seconded: Kylie Grayson
Carried
5.3 Merrill tabled documents pertaining to the Return of the Kingfisher
Festival held annually by the community group CERES on Merri Creek
in inner-urban Melbourne. Shesuggested that this concept could be
adapted as a ‘Return of the Brolga' arts sustainability festival
for Forbes. Merrill will put together an outline of this idea to
the FACWG for possible inclusion in the cultural plan.
5.4
Elaine Imrie provided the Group with an update on the recent opening
of the new venue for the Upstairs Gallery. Elaine gave a report
on the progress of the move. All was very positive at this stage
and everyone is optimistic about the advantages of relocating the
premises to a more central position.
5.5
An article “It’s hard to beat the bush” published
in The Australian on 7/11/2005 was submitted by Juliet for everyone’s
interest. The content is excellent in promoting the virtue of locating
from larger metropolitan areas to smaller regional communities.
Forbes is named as one of the inland regional centres that has sustained
growth. Merrill will link our web site to this story so people can
read it.
5.6
The issue of a FACWG Newsletter was discussed. Kylie Grayson mentioned
the informal ‘newsletter’ that has existed and been
published by the FACWG in the past. Juliet Hodder suggested that
a reoccurring ‘heading’ is incorporated into the regular
distribution of minutes that would allow for all those on the distribution
list to be aware of the web based existence of the ‘newsletter’.
5.7
Graeme Miller to be absent at next meeting
Merrill Findlay to beattending the Return of the Kingfisher Festival
in Melbourne
6. NEXT MEETING DATE
Monday
5th December 2005
Venue: Forbes Town Library
Meeting
closed: 7.10pm
Notes by Juliet Hodder
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