The Magnetic Places Community Cultural Grants Program is an exciting pilot initiative providing support to local communities to develop creative activities, programs and events that enliven, enrich and invigorate community meeting places across the Penrith Local Government Area. Last year’s pilot funding program saw the development of 8 innovative and highly successful projects celebrating creativity, diversity, culture and pride in established neighbourhoods across the City.
Applications for 2008/09 opened on Monday 11th of August and close 22nd September.
For further enquiries please call Ryan Graham on 4732 7794.
The Apprenticeship Training Program is a unique partnership between Accessible Arts & Julius Media, a college specialising in Entertainment Technical Training, and is the only one of its kind in Australia. Ten participants who identified as having a disability will undergo a 30 week training course at Parramatta Riverside Theatre on how to operate lighting & sound equipment for theatre and events. Upon completion of the course participants will receive a Certificate II in Live Production, Theatre and Events. The long term aim of the program is for graduates to gain further work experience, as well as employment opportunities by being introduced to key Western Sydney Arts organisations and councils.
The Mixed Abilities Ensemble, an ensemble of performers with and without a disability, engaged in 15 weeks of skills development in theatre making and performance at Cabra Vale Leisure Centre in Cabramatta. This project was developed by Powerhouse Youth Theatre in partnership with Accessible Arts. On the final Saturday, an audience was invited to participate in a workshop led by the ensemble. A short performance piece that the group had developed, based on the idea of Utopia was also featured. The ensemble will now engage in a creative development process for Hard Daze, a large scale production to be staged in 2009.
For more information on the Mixed Abilities Ensemble contact Claudia Chidiac at Powerhouse Youth Theatre tel: 9724 6077 or claudia@pyt.com.au or Alison Richardson, Creative Programs Coordinator at Accessible Arts tel: 9251 6499 (ext 5) or arichardson@aarts.net.au.
