Regional Arts Conference Heads to Launceston

Regional Arts Australia's national conference, to be held in Launceston from 26th to 29th August, promises to be an explosion of ideas and creativity.

The gathering of arts professionals will draw 1,000 delegates from all over Australia, including artists, arts workers, volunteers, policy makers and those who want to learn how the arts can connect communities to a vibrant future.

The program features workshops on topics such as 'The role of arts in bushfire recovery', 'Dance like a man' and 'The top five disruptive technologies'.

Speakers include three of the world's leading community development thinkers: Francois Matarasso, who specialises in community practice; Ernesto Sirolli, an Italian-born expert on social enterprise and sustainable economic development; and Mike White, an authority from the UK, on the role of the arts in health promotion and community health.

Australians, Mark Peche, Marcus Westbury and Jane Bennett will also be addressing the conference.

The conference will also include the Junction Arts Festival encompassing theatre, opera, visual arts, cabaret, writing, installation and more, plus offerings from Australia, Canada, Indonesia and other countries.

Regional Arts Australia is the key national body representing the interests of those working with and for the arts in regional, rural and remote Australia. As an advocate, the body has won better recognition and support for the vast contribution that regional arts make to the cultural, economic and social well-being of the nation.

For more information on the Regional Arts Australia National Conference contact Angela Driver, Conference Manager on 0409 146 978, E: angela@junction2010.com.au, www.junction2010.com.au