media release for immediate release CAN WA honoured at the 2009 AbaF Awards
September 2009
CAN WA was awarded both the WA Excellence in Arts Enterprise Award for our Voices of the Wheatbelt project, and announced as a national finalist in the Australia Council Young and Emerging Artist Award for the Reel Connections partnership between CAN WA, City of Stirling and Filmbites Youth Film School at the Australian Business Arts Foundation and the inaugural Department of Culture and the Arts WA Cultural Achievements Awards held on 2 September 2009. The Voices of the Wheatbelt project, an 18 month project that involved over 200 adults and students from the towns of Kellerberrin, Tammin, Quairading and Merredin taking over 26,000 photos. ‘CAN WA’s project ‘Voices of the Wheatbelt’ enabled the community to build a cultural identity to call their own.’ said Arts and Culture Minister John Day, who presented the Excellence in Arts Enterprise award. The Reel Connections project partnership between City of Stirling, CAN WA and Filmbites Youth Film School was also announced as a national finalist in the Australia Council’s Young and Emerging Artist Award. The Reel Connections project involved young people aged 15-21 from the north metropolitan suburb of Mirrabooka and surrounding areas attend free workshops with professional artists in a variety of art forms facilitated by CAN WA through the Fired Up program with Filmbites. CAN WA was honoured to be recognised for the hard work and dedication that has been invested in both the Voices of the Wheatbelt project and the Reel Connections partnership. We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to the teams involved from CAN WA, City of Stirling and Filmbites Youth Film School, the artists, facilitators, teachers and the schools involved. Most importantly, we would like to thank those who participated in both the Voices of the Wheatbelt project and the Reel Connections initiative and our long time members and supporters. ENDS Please find attached a PDF with 4 sample images from the exhibition. For media enquiries, including print ready images, please contact: Bec Speidel, Communications Officer on 9226 2422, 1800 681 021 email bec@canwa.com.au www.canwa.com.au