28 November 2016
2016 has turned out to be a year of challenges and opportunities for a new a direction for KCA. Our committee members have many and diverse interests and talents and this year we saw some time management challenges which made it difficult for us to meet regularly and gather the required quorum. Resorting to emails and flying minutes ensured we were able to continue with delivery of our projects, however it is probably timely for the incoming committee to revisit how and when meetings will be conducted for the coming year.
At the end of last year, KCA along with The Emu Park Gallery and The Mill Gallery members participated in some workshops with Michael Peterson from Flying Arts. Whilst the outcomes were mixed, and perhaps not what some of us anticipated I believe the conversations which were held and the ideas explored have been invaluable for the arts community and will assist KCA in establishing its direction for the coming year. Michael’s visit brought about some new conversations across the 3 organisations and some exciting collaborations as a result.
The LSC Strategic Planning Workshop which took place in April was also a valuable opportunity for Council to engage with the arts community as they work on the development of a much needed Strategic Plan for Arts in Livingstone Shire. As a community based arts organization it is important that KCA remains part of this conversation into the future.
The demise of Artslink (Queensland Arts Council) in April 2016 sent waves of concern through the Arts community state wide. A Regional Arts Working Group was quickly established and a group of individuals from across Queensland were invited to meet in Beaudesert to brainstorm ideas for a new model for supporting the arts in regional areas. Moves are currently underway to present the outcome of this meeting at State government level. In the mean time Arts Queensland has stepped in to ensure local Arts Council groups have governance and support to continue to operate. For us at KCA the impacts have been minimal and it’s been pretty much business as usual.
Fig Tree Markets continued to provide us with regular funds to support our activities within the community. Although clashes with other events in the calendar saw us in direct competition with the Festival of the Winds and the Beef to Beach events in Emu Park, which impacted on stall numbers, we have seen reasonably steady numbers of stallholders attend on a regular basis and the popularity of the markets with the general public seems to continue to grow also. KCA was again invited to organize markets during Pinefest 2016 which were very successful despite high winds. We have declined to organize market stalls for the upcoming Carols by the Beach, due to changes to the Council requirements for the event organiser.
I would like to thank Dean Anderson for his assistance on site at the markets and for getting the stalls site plan down on paper now that the Council’s replanting of trees and sprinkler system has been installed in the park. Dean’s willingness to step in as markets coordinator when necessary has allowed us to build some continuity to the event which is key to our successful operation throughout the year. Thanks also to Dana, Emily and Di who have all assisted at the markets events this year, attending the admin tent and providing a chance for KCA members & the public to access forms, pay fees and ask questions. Thanks to Ori, for all his help with setting up and packing up. Once again Paul Bambrick deserves our thanks for coordinating the live music performances at the markets. Each month we are entertained by local talented musicians and the variety and reliability of the program has been much appreciated. Thanks also to Anni Simmons for coordinating our Artist in Residence each month. I have enjoyed the role of markets coordinator and would be happy to continue in this role in 2017.
Shipping Container Space: The Artship is beginning to take shape. The igloo shelter was installed, along with a protective roof over each container and replacement of all vents. Wire mesh panels are now in place, with gates, to secure the space, the markets trailer is in residence there when not in use. The space was used very successfully to hold a KCA members party in April this year, is used at each FTC markets event to house the art workshops and became the home of the Palimpsest project artists for the first stage of their public art project in July. Thanks to Steve Jones, Frank Mills, Dean Anderson, Hughi Simmons and Martin Schlick for all their hard work in setting up this space which is now ready to be handed over to the artist who will work on new art designs for each side of both containers.
Marcia the Musical is a project which KCA began in 2015, and I’m pleased to report we have this week received the final rehearsal draft of the play from playwright Rod Ainsworth, along with confirmed additional funding from John Villiers Trust ($20000) and RADF ($5000) to ensure we will be able stage the performance of the work. In early 2017 the director will commence work with a view to performance in the second half of 2017.
10 Artists Living in Livingstone was a KCA planned exhibition destined for Regional Arts House in Brisbane and caught in the closure of Artslink. With the help of Livingstone Shire Council and The Mill Gallery we were able to salvage the project and it became the 2016 KCA sponsored exhibition at The Mill Gallery. This definitely attracted the attention of Brisbane based arts workers and there are some conversations to be pursued with a view to future opportunities to bring regional artists to the urban scene.
The Regional Arts Australia conference was held in Dubbo NSW in October and KCA invited Steve Marshall to attend on our behalf as none of the committee members were available. Our thanks go to Steve for giving his time and making the journey to Central NSW to learn what’s happening in the regional arts scene and what may be relevant to our community.
During this year KCA has continued to use our website as a promotional tool for our activities and a ticketing tool for our events. The KCA facebook page now has 905 likes. Our MAD newsletter continues to be sought after and we’ve had lots of requests for folks to be added to the mailing list - thank you Emily.
Keppel Coast Arts has continued to manage two sub-committees supporting specific cultural and artistic ventures. These are the Yeppoon Ukulele Movement (YUM) and Keppel Coast Camera Club. Reports have been tabled separately. Keppel Coast Flix has also continued to grow in popularity, presenting regular monthly movies. A separate report has been provided. It seems KCA has, potentially, a wider role to play in the local arts community by providing organizational support for various groups, in addition to developing our own projects. I have no doubt some strategic planning by the incoming committee will see great outcomes in the future.
As president of KCA in 2016 I was invited to meet regularly with LSC staff to provide updates on our arts activities and background for their Strategic Plan for the Arts. I also attended the regional arts brainstorm session at Beaudesert. As a local community based arts group we can be very proud of what we are doing, we are recognized as achieving some very sound results for our community.
This year I will step back from the role of president, after 6 years it’s time for a change. I want to thank the Committee members for 2016, Dana, Mary, Dean, Di, Frank, Emily, Anni, & Hughi. It’s been a pleasure to work with all of you this year, and with some of you over many years.
Leanne Smith
KCAC President
2016 has turned out to be a year of challenges and opportunities for a new a direction for KCA. Our committee members have many and diverse interests and talents and this year we saw some time management challenges which made it difficult for us to meet regularly and gather the required quorum. Resorting to emails and flying minutes ensured we were able to continue with delivery of our projects, however it is probably timely for the incoming committee to revisit how and when meetings will be conducted for the coming year.
At the end of last year, KCA along with The Emu Park Gallery and The Mill Gallery members participated in some workshops with Michael Peterson from Flying Arts. Whilst the outcomes were mixed, and perhaps not what some of us anticipated I believe the conversations which were held and the ideas explored have been invaluable for the arts community and will assist KCA in establishing its direction for the coming year. Michael’s visit brought about some new conversations across the 3 organisations and some exciting collaborations as a result.
The LSC Strategic Planning Workshop which took place in April was also a valuable opportunity for Council to engage with the arts community as they work on the development of a much needed Strategic Plan for Arts in Livingstone Shire. As a community based arts organization it is important that KCA remains part of this conversation into the future.
The demise of Artslink (Queensland Arts Council) in April 2016 sent waves of concern through the Arts community state wide. A Regional Arts Working Group was quickly established and a group of individuals from across Queensland were invited to meet in Beaudesert to brainstorm ideas for a new model for supporting the arts in regional areas. Moves are currently underway to present the outcome of this meeting at State government level. In the mean time Arts Queensland has stepped in to ensure local Arts Council groups have governance and support to continue to operate. For us at KCA the impacts have been minimal and it’s been pretty much business as usual.
Fig Tree Markets continued to provide us with regular funds to support our activities within the community. Although clashes with other events in the calendar saw us in direct competition with the Festival of the Winds and the Beef to Beach events in Emu Park, which impacted on stall numbers, we have seen reasonably steady numbers of stallholders attend on a regular basis and the popularity of the markets with the general public seems to continue to grow also. KCA was again invited to organize markets during Pinefest 2016 which were very successful despite high winds. We have declined to organize market stalls for the upcoming Carols by the Beach, due to changes to the Council requirements for the event organiser.
I would like to thank Dean Anderson for his assistance on site at the markets and for getting the stalls site plan down on paper now that the Council’s replanting of trees and sprinkler system has been installed in the park. Dean’s willingness to step in as markets coordinator when necessary has allowed us to build some continuity to the event which is key to our successful operation throughout the year. Thanks also to Dana, Emily and Di who have all assisted at the markets events this year, attending the admin tent and providing a chance for KCA members & the public to access forms, pay fees and ask questions. Thanks to Ori, for all his help with setting up and packing up. Once again Paul Bambrick deserves our thanks for coordinating the live music performances at the markets. Each month we are entertained by local talented musicians and the variety and reliability of the program has been much appreciated. Thanks also to Anni Simmons for coordinating our Artist in Residence each month. I have enjoyed the role of markets coordinator and would be happy to continue in this role in 2017.
Shipping Container Space: The Artship is beginning to take shape. The igloo shelter was installed, along with a protective roof over each container and replacement of all vents. Wire mesh panels are now in place, with gates, to secure the space, the markets trailer is in residence there when not in use. The space was used very successfully to hold a KCA members party in April this year, is used at each FTC markets event to house the art workshops and became the home of the Palimpsest project artists for the first stage of their public art project in July. Thanks to Steve Jones, Frank Mills, Dean Anderson, Hughi Simmons and Martin Schlick for all their hard work in setting up this space which is now ready to be handed over to the artist who will work on new art designs for each side of both containers.
Marcia the Musical is a project which KCA began in 2015, and I’m pleased to report we have this week received the final rehearsal draft of the play from playwright Rod Ainsworth, along with confirmed additional funding from John Villiers Trust ($20000) and RADF ($5000) to ensure we will be able stage the performance of the work. In early 2017 the director will commence work with a view to performance in the second half of 2017.
10 Artists Living in Livingstone was a KCA planned exhibition destined for Regional Arts House in Brisbane and caught in the closure of Artslink. With the help of Livingstone Shire Council and The Mill Gallery we were able to salvage the project and it became the 2016 KCA sponsored exhibition at The Mill Gallery. This definitely attracted the attention of Brisbane based arts workers and there are some conversations to be pursued with a view to future opportunities to bring regional artists to the urban scene.
The Regional Arts Australia conference was held in Dubbo NSW in October and KCA invited Steve Marshall to attend on our behalf as none of the committee members were available. Our thanks go to Steve for giving his time and making the journey to Central NSW to learn what’s happening in the regional arts scene and what may be relevant to our community.
During this year KCA has continued to use our website as a promotional tool for our activities and a ticketing tool for our events. The KCA facebook page now has 905 likes. Our MAD newsletter continues to be sought after and we’ve had lots of requests for folks to be added to the mailing list - thank you Emily.
Keppel Coast Arts has continued to manage two sub-committees supporting specific cultural and artistic ventures. These are the Yeppoon Ukulele Movement (YUM) and Keppel Coast Camera Club. Reports have been tabled separately. Keppel Coast Flix has also continued to grow in popularity, presenting regular monthly movies. A separate report has been provided. It seems KCA has, potentially, a wider role to play in the local arts community by providing organizational support for various groups, in addition to developing our own projects. I have no doubt some strategic planning by the incoming committee will see great outcomes in the future.
As president of KCA in 2016 I was invited to meet regularly with LSC staff to provide updates on our arts activities and background for their Strategic Plan for the Arts. I also attended the regional arts brainstorm session at Beaudesert. As a local community based arts group we can be very proud of what we are doing, we are recognized as achieving some very sound results for our community.
This year I will step back from the role of president, after 6 years it’s time for a change. I want to thank the Committee members for 2016, Dana, Mary, Dean, Di, Frank, Emily, Anni, & Hughi. It’s been a pleasure to work with all of you this year, and with some of you over many years.
Leanne Smith
KCAC President
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