Show latest news, more from August 2011.
Arts to help social recovery
The arts will play a key role in disaster recovery with Federal and State Arts Ministers Simon Crean and Rachel Nolan today announcing $376,000 for a creative recovery project to be run in some of Queensland's most disaster affected communities.
Ms Nolan said the Cassowary Coast, Lockyer Valley and Ipswich will share the Creative Recovery Arts Corp funding which will engage appropriately trained arts workers to develop local projects with local communities.
"While the disasters are now seven months behind us, many people are still living with the daily effects and many communities are permanently changed by the experience," Ms Nolan said.
"The disasters brought out the best and, in some cases the worst in people. These local community arts projects can capture the best community spirit and can help people to recover from traumatic events.
"The program is based on a growing body of evidence that shows the benefits of the arts to personal and community wellbeing, including increased self confidence and resilience, reduced feelings of isolation and the promotion of a shared optimism.
"The Arts Corp project will achieve success by enabling local organisations to deliver art and cultural projects that are created by the community for the community with their needs as a priority.
"The artists will consult and work with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, the Department of Communities, local councils in each of the communities, the Local Government Association of Queensland and economic development and local tourism bodies.
"They will be sensitive to the special needs of these areas having been trained to work with disaster affected communities."
Ms Nolan said through prior community consultation the program was already writing its success.
"In Ipswich, the Arts Corps program plans to support local artists by entertaining the community at a gathering to recognise the efforts of volunteers," she said.
"The Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre on the Cassowary Coast will benefit from the project, planning to exhibit and sell screen prints in a show that will open in Cairns.
"Sales of the works will assist the Centre in their post-Cyclone Yasi recovery."
Mr Crean said the program draws inspiration from Illuminated by Fire, an Australia Council project developed after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires which involved local artists working with affected communities across regional Victoria.
"After the bushfires the arts played a key role in helping the recovery of communities across the state," Mr Crean said.
"By providing opportunities for creative expression, artists created a safe place for survivors to share their stories and continue the process of healing.
"We've known for a long time that the arts can play an important role in fostering a sense of meaning and identity in people's everyday lives and we're now starting to build a picture of the powerful role that it can play in the wake of disasters.
"The Arts Corp project will build on the learning and success of Illuminated by Fire and deliver a Toolkit to guide arts programs in future recovery programs."
Australia Council CEO, Kathy Keele said the Creative Recovery Arts Corp will develop our understanding of how the arts can be used in our communities.
"The Arts Corp project builds on the learning and success of similar projects that we have supported in the past," she said.
"And it will provide an invaluable guide to the development of arts programs in future recovery efforts."
"The Australia Council is pleased to have developed this initiative with the Queensland Government."
The Creative Recovery Arts Corps is jointly funded by the Queensland Government, who provide $261,445 and the Australia Council for the Arts contributing $115,000, providing a total of $376,000 in funding for a 12-month pilot period.
Show latest news, more from August 2011.
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >