Three local artists have been presented with Veolia Creative Arts Scholarships for 2018.
Film maker Hilary Balmond from Welby and theatre director Chrisjohn Hancock from Goulburn were each awarded a 2018 Veolia Creative Arts Scholarships for their arts practice.
Sculptor and painter Lucinda Lewis of Moss Vale received an Arts Recognition Scholarship.
Veolia Creative Arts Patron Jennifer Lamb and Wingecarribee Shire Council Cultural Development Officer and panel member Jenny Kena recently presented the scholarships, which aim to support practicing and emerging artists and recognise the valuable contribution artists make to enrich our community.
Presenting the scholarships, Ms Lamb said the Veolia Mulwaree Trust must be congratulated for this invaluable program of creative arts scholarships.
“There are many arts workers across all artistic disciplines in our region, and most receive minimal financial reward for their work, even though that work enriches communities across the region – and beyond. The Veolia Mulwaree Trustees are enlightened in their recognition of this and in their financial and moral support for the artistic vitality of our region,” Ms Lamb said.
The scholarship program is now in its 11th year and has supported more than 40 artists from across the region. Applications for 2019 Veolia Creative Arts Scholarships will open early next year. The scholarships are on offer to local creative artists working in any arts discipline, including but not limited to, visual arts, music, theatre and writing, in either arts practice or arts study from the region serviced by the Veolia Mulwaree Trust.
2018 Arts Practice Scholarship was presented to film maker Hilary Balmond of Welby. Hilary has finished the principal filming of her recent feature documentary 'Champion Girls' and the film is now in post production. She intends to use the Veolia Mulwaree Trust scholarship toward editing and finishing of 'Champion Girls' and to enter the film into the Sydney Film Festival 2018 at 'rough cut' stage. Several of the characters in the film are from the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly areas and Hilary hopes that the film is screened in regional cinemas around Australia.
2018 Arts Practice Scholarship was presented to theatre director Chrisjohn Hancock of Goulburn. Chrisjohn has been artistic director of the Lieder Theatre Company in Goulburn since 1992 and has a passion for working in regional communities to create and producing arts projects that are entertaining, innovative, educational, challenging, healing and dynamic. Chrisjohn has been invited to take part in Teatr Brama's major Theatre Festival in Poland in 2018, the culmination of a four year social theatre project throughout Europe working with more than 50 cultural professionals and their associated communities across Europe and beyond. Teatr Brama's director and part of their company will visit the Lieder Theatre in Goulburn in October 2018. Chrisjohn’s attendance and participation in the Poland event will inform the nature and direction of the local event planned to host this international group.
A $1000 Arts Recognition Scholarship was awarded to sculptor and painter Lucinda Lewis of Moss Vale. Lucinda’s sculptures are generally abstract with a systematic, playful approach to colour, line & shape, aiming to create harmonious symmetry with the forms & shapes relating to each other and the surrounding space. Lucinda was selected as a finalist in the Tom Bass Sculpture Prize and will be exhibiting at the Bowral Art Gallery in 2018.
MEDIA CONTACT: Please contact the Veolia Mulwaree Trust office on (02) 4822 2786.