ARTS-RECREATION

FOCUS ON RECREATION AND ARTS Goulburn performing arts

The new Goulburn Performing Arts Centre officially opens on March 25 with it’s first season launch on April 1.

Located on land known as Mulwaree by local First Nations the new centre creatively reactivates the McDermott Centre – Goulburn’s historic town hall.

It will house a funky cafe and Box Office, with the Council Chambers converted into ‘the Meeting Place’ – a wine bar and boutique performance space.

A glass atrium connects to the 400 seat state of the art proscenium arch auditorium, which includes wheelchair seating and hearing loop. There is a fly tower, counterweight fly system, lighting bridges, opera pit and a 15k lumen projector, with four dressing rooms, band room, green room, workshops and loading dock. GPAC will present an annual Season of live performance – including drama, opera, classical and contemporary music, dance, circus, children’s and seniors programming, with featured First Nations and culturally diverse works. Both the auditorium and the Meeting Place are available for hire by commercial and community organisations.

The building was designed by Brewster Hjorth Architects and includes a suite of commissioned plaques tracing the site’s history from Traditional Owners to the present day.

The GPAC team has booked an amazing program of performances for the much-anticipated venue’s first ever season – and they have invited the whole community to get in on the action on Saturday 2 nd April when the doors are thrown open for the free family fun day, and the official launch of the GPAC Season for 2022.

There will be free workshops, live music, sausage sizzle and morning tea, ahead of a gala launch from 6pm with sizzling outdoor performances, complimentary champagne on arrival and sneak previews of the host of wonderful shows programmed for the year.

To give the public a taste of what is on offer GPAC manager Raina Savage said the GPAC has already put a selection of the earliest SEASON SHOWS on sale.

“To whet our audiences appetite we are releasing tickets for another six top quality theatre shows with something to delight every member of the family,” she said.

“During April theatre goers can join Keith Potger of The Seekers and friends for a fabulous Sunday afternoon concert celebrating the music of Gordon Lightfoot, or take the kids to experience the WOW of science – with the Alphabet of Awesome Science – 26 crazy experiments in 60 minutes on April 8.

“May brings the lauded Black Cockatoo, directed by Wesley Enoch, a deeply moving play about the first Aboriginal cricket team to triumphantly tour England in the 1860s.

“There is fantastic classical and jazz music concert from the Black Tulip Jazz Trio – featuring the hand crafted new concert grand piano with cello and double bass – in Bach to Bolling – with a glass of bubbles – on Sunday May 8.”

Alphabet of Awesome Science.

Australia’s biggest local news survey show readers’ passion for print

The largest national survey of local news audiences in Australia reveals the passion people have for their local newspaper and has found they want a much bigger say about its future The survey asked almost 4200 Australian country press newspaper readers in rural, regional and outer suburban areas about the role of local newspapers within their communities The Australia Research Council project involves researchers from Deakin and RMIT universities with support of Country Press Australia

A number of results reveal…

Readers overwhelmingly view a printed copy of their newspaper as an essential service for the community There is continued strong demand (and passion) for the printed product in rural and regional Australia

Readers are 2.6 times more likely to read their local newspaper in print than in a digital format

Readers are FIVE times more likely to go directly to a local news website rather than Google or facebook and 10 times more likely than a council website The majority of audiences prefer a printed newspaper with younger generations also part of this trend

59% of readers believe the role of a local newspaper is to act as a community hub

52% of readers have read the same local newspaper between 11 years and 30+ years

More reasons why your local newspaper is the best way to connect your business with the community

New arts facility open in Gippsland

The stage is almost set for world-class shows and entertainment as construction of the $42.1 million Gippsland Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) nears completion, ready for the March 2022 opening.

Gippsland Performing Arts Centre is launching with OPEN: a four-day festival celebrating the completion of Gippsland’s new home of the arts featuring the best in music, comedy, live performance and plenty of fun for everyone.

The festival will put a spotlight on all the venue offers, including The Big Family Weekender, a large free outdoor public program running from Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 March 2022 designed for families and children.

The opening event TOGETHER on Thursday 3 March will highlight Latrobe City-grown performers in a community celebration winding through the new precinct.

This will be followed by a world-class program across the weekend with performances from Client Liaison and the OPEN Comedy Gala headlined by Dave Thornton and Peter Helliar.

“The opening festival is a chance for our whole community to explore and feel welcome in the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, as we lift the curtain on this amazing new facility and celebrate what it has to offer,” said Mayor of Latrobe City, Councillor Kellie O’Callaghan.

“The Gippsland Performing Arts Centre will also make a significant contribution towards the ongoing recovery of our creative industries and visitor economy from the challenges of COVID-19.

“Councillors were lucky to have a site tour in late 2021, and were blown away by the scale and quality of the building and the range of spaces available that our community will enjoy for decades to come,” said Cr O’Callaghan.

The $42.1 million project has been made possible by collaborative investment from the Victorian Government ($12 million), the Australian Government’s Community Development Grants Program ($10 million), and Latrobe City Council.

The new Gippsland Performing Arts Centre.

Tops in NSW tourism

The state’s peak tourism organisation, NSW Tourism Industry Council, announced the winners of the prestigious NSW Tourism Awards for 2021 in a virtual ceremony broadcast live earlier this month to an audience of more than 650 industry guest around NSW

The acceptance speeches streamed live into homes and workplaces in a covid-safe manner.

“The NSW Tourism Awards are a celebration of the outstanding resilience and innovative spirit demonstrated by our magnificent industry over the past two years,” said NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Manager, Greg Binskin.

“It’s been an extremely challenging period for the NSW visitor economy and after a break in 2020, the return of the NSW Tourism Awards demonstrates the renewed energy of the visitor economy and celebrates the people, places and the vibrant culture of our feelgood state”.

“The Tourism Awards categories recognise the broad range of services and experiences across the broader visitor economy.

“It is impressive to see the number of operators and regions who made the most of lockdowns and restricted travel to build new visitor experiences and worked together to attract domestic visitors” Mr Binskin said.

“The 2021 awards showcase NSW’s ‘visitor first’ approach and our strengths in digital innovation, high quality product and collaborative efforts.

“These awards are managed by the NSW Tourism Industry Council, supported by Business NSW, and in partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW and celebrate our industry’s path to recovery, re-energising and unifying all who are working hard to build back better,” he Binskin said.

“I am immensely proud of all finalists of the 2021 NSW Tourism Awards, who have shown remarkable professionalism and dedication over an incredibly difficult period to deliver the best possible outcomes for the NSW tourism industry,” said NSW Minister for Tourism, Stuart Ayres.

“The winners have shown a particular commitment to excellence, and I congratulate them for their innovation and perseverance that these awards represent.

“The NSW Government is committed to supporting tourism operators and events that create jobs, boost regional economies and position NSW as a global destination.

“We thank you for your outstanding contributions over the past 12 months and look forward to working together to achieve our goal of making NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific,” Mr Ayres said.

Sierra Escape, Mudgee and Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga were inducted into the prestigious NSW Tourism Awards Hall of Fame, for taking out top honours in their respective categories, Unique Accommodation and SelfContained Accommodation for the third year in a row.

Ruth Sandow, Chair of Milparinka Heritage and Tourism Association was awarded the Dean Gorddard Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to NSW in recognition of her dedication over the past 25 years to tourism in Corner Country, NSW.

Milparinka has an average population through the year of four, two at its lowest, six at its maximum. Yet Ruth’s programs have over 100 volunteers that become part of the community in the peak season. Milparinka would not be welcoming 20,000 visitors a year if it wasn’t for Ruth.

She understands that by building Milparinka as a destination, all of Corner Country benefit and in 2020 she was successful in a monumental project, known as “Sturts Steps”, that has linked the whole region together and set it up for tourism success. Recipient of the Young Achiever Award, Hugh Sutherland, Instructor with Blue Mountains Climbing School was recognised for his passion as an outdoor guide and educator who has high aims for the industry as a whole that is beyond just the areas he and his employers benefit.

Hugh has devoted considerable effort and energy in furthering and supporting the NSW and Blue Mountains Adventure tourism guiding industry through mentoring young guides and contributing to recent developments towards generating an outdoor industry employment award.

Eden Visitor Information Centre, The Sapphire Coast; Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and Simpson Cottage, Bundeena were the recipients of a new accolade awarded by the Judges, ‘Tourism Star Award’ to acknowledge their tremendous resilience shown in response to floods, bushfires and COVID-19. Winners in the designated national award categories will represent NSW at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards to be held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, 18 March 2022. The City won the Local Government Award for Tourism for the second year in a row.

The award recognises excellence in tourism planning, the provision of tourism facilities and services, marketing, event development and management, and the overall contribution made both locally and overall to their state’s tourism industry.

Bendigo Visitor Centre was awarded gold in the Visitor Information Services Award category in recognition of its consistent high-quality customer service and face to face interaction with visitors.

The Living Arts Space (LAS) and the Uniquely Bendigo brand scooped gold in the Tourism Retail and Hire category. LAS is a niche exhibition venue celebrating the diversity of work from local artists and creatives. The popular Uniquely Bendigo retail brand at Bendigo Visitor Centre promotes locally made artisan products, treats and crafted items together with artworks or items featured in LAS exhibitions.

The City’s 2020 Bloom spring campaign was also a finalist in the Tourism and Marketing Campaign category.

The Tourism and Major Events manager Terry Karamaloudis said the City was thrilled to win gold in three out of four nominated categories.

“It is fantastic news to win in so many highly competitive categories with contenders from across Victoria,” Mr Karamaloudis said.

“This is wonderful recognition of how our staff and volunteers have been able to overcome the enormous challenges during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to create unique experiences and welcoming opportunities for visitors.

“To achieve this and win three golds is just fantastic and the City is very proud of our staff and volunteers who deliver exciting tourism, events and visitor services, and work hard to make everyone’s visit to the region a memorable experience.

“Our staff and volunteers continue to show incredible creativity, resilience and passion for our local tourism industry and its recovery.

“The City also congratulates Balgownie Estate Bendigo for winning gold in the Unique Accommodation category for its glamping experience.”

New centre for Whitehorse

Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s centre of arts and culture is soon to be bolstered with a new performing arts facility being built in the city’s eastern suburbs.

Kane Constructions started work in November 2021 on the new performing arts centre, being built by Whitehorse City Council on the site of the former Whitehorse Centre in Nunawading.

The facility will be a place for the whole community to participate in arts and cultural activities. It will be a home for Whitehorse’s diverse creative community to flourish. “The new centre will bring to fruition Whitehorse City Council’s vision to build a modern theatre, festival and function centre that is welcoming, flexible and accessible to all,” Whitehorse Mayor Cr Tina Liu said.

“Arts and culture contribute positively to community health and wellbeing, community vibrancy, people’s sense of place and belonging, and to the economic prosperity of the City of Whitehorse.

“That’s why we are making this important strategic investment for all current and future Whitehorse residents.”

During the construction phase and beyond, the project will generate about 320 jobs, directly and indirectly.

Being built on the site of the former Whitehorse Centre in Nunawading, the centre has been designed to be a place where people can be entertained, connect and socialise, learn new skills and come together to celebrate as a community.

From large-scale theatrical performances to intimate shows and concerts, this unique facility will also offer a festival stage playing out to a natural amphitheatre. It is destined to earn a special place in the hearts of seasoned artists and patrons, and welcome new members of the wider community.

Designed by BKK Architects and Kerstin Thompson Architects, key features will include: 626-seat auditorium, 200-seat studio theatre, multipurpose rehearsal/dance studio, multipurpose function space, large soundshell and amphitheatre for community events and festivals and 430+ parking spaces nearby.

BKK Architects Principal George Huon describes the project as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity to design an enduring asset for the whole community. “The building contains a range of diverse functions; each space has its own identity while being part of a cohesive whole,” George said. “The centre is designed to accommodate smaller human-scaled moments, places for people to meet, and then open up for some surprising ‘wow’ moments.” The new performing arts centre will join other Council-owned facilities, such as the Box Hill Community Arts Centre and Town Hall, Whitehorse Artspace and Nunawading Community Hub, in providing diverse opportunities for the people of Whitehorse to enjoy and participate in arts and culture. It will also strengthen a proud tradition of artistic endeavour in the Whitehorse area, the birthplace of Impressionism in Australia in the 1880s.

The Whitehorse performing arts centre is being constructed by Kane Constructions, with completion expected in late 2023.

An artists impression of the foyer of the new centre.

Gold for Bendigo

It was gold, gold, gold for the City of Greater Bendigo, winning top accolades in three categories at the Victorian Tourism Awards held at Melbourne Town Hall earlier this month.

Bathurst visitor centre takes top prize

The Bathurst Visitor Information Centre (BVIC) has taken out the top honour with Gold at the prestigious NSW Tourism.

The Awards are the peak annual tourism industry event and recognise the best tourism and hospitality operators and events from all over NSW with 116 entrants competing across 29 categories. BVIC took out the Gold Award in the category of Visitor Information Services, beating other category finalists including Mudgee, Shoalhaven and Eden. It is the first time that Bathurst has claimed the top prize at the State Awards.

Bathurst’s success continued at the Awards with The Bathurst Winter Festival being awarded Silver in the highly competitive ‘Festivals and Events’ category.

Mayor Robert Taylor said the awards were a tremendous achievement and recognition for the hard work and commitment of Council’s tourism and events staff.

“Tourism is a strong focus for Council with the sector contributing $245 million annually to the local economy prior to the disruptions caused by Covid” he said.

“The Bathurst Visitor Information Centre really is the heart of tourism for the region and the team there is passionate about what they do, ensuring the best experience for all who visit as well as working every day to keep those visitors coming and staying for longer. A great experience begins with great people, and Council is fortunate to have such a dedicated team at BVIC”.

“The Bathurst Winter Festival has transformed what was traditionally one of the quietest times in Bathurst to one of the most vibrant and eagerly anticipated. Despite the difficulties of the past two years Council’s events team has worked hard with local businesses and the community to find new and creative ways to deliver this sensational event, and to see it receive the Silver Award is an outstanding recognition of this hard work and of the quality of the Winter Festival as a signature event”.

BVIC will now go on as the NSW winner to compete as a finalist at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards to be held at Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on 18 March.

The Bathurst Visitor Information Centre at 1 Kendall Avenue is open 363 days a year and is an outstanding resource for both visitors and the local community. The centre is committed to growing the Bathurst region visitor economy and working with the regional industry and operators to improve the visitor experience and to market the Bathurst region as a destination of choice.

The Bathurst Winter Festival has become one of the most popular and celebrated events in regional NSW will return in 2022 from 2 -17 July.