Artlands Victoria Announces Program – All The Threads Come Together

The nations thriving regional arts sector is a vital thread that helps make regional and remote Australia a better place - it enriches lives and nurtures pride, resilience, empowerment, connectivity, wellbeing and healing in all communities.

The crucial dialogue on the impact created by regional arts and artists continues as Artlands Victoria unites the national sector to share knowledge, trade resources and exchange gifts at a platform to learn and understand innovative research and new ideas into regional cultural practice.

Held in Bendigo and Castlemaine over five days in October, the full Artlands Victoria program is now announced - it includes 13 panels, 23 sessions, over 20 workshops, works in progress, conversations and special events with over 20 cultural and local visual arts projects all interspersed around the eight keynote presentations:

• Dhelkunya Dja - Trent Nelson and Rodney Carter
• Taonga tuku Iho - Treasure handed down - Desna Whaanga-Schollum (New Zealand)
• Turning the world upside down - Amanda Smethurst and Jenny Rutter (United Kingdom)
• Out of bounds - Documenting contemporary Industrial landscapes - Sue Jane Taylor (Scotland)
• The Gannawarra - Creating a soul where art influences a creative economy - Tom O'Reilly and Roger Griffiths
• A new technology for an ancient culture - Brett Leavy
• Regeneration - Some much needed youthful perspectives - Bryce Ives
• Shaping the arts voice in regional Australia - John Oster and Simon Spain

The Artlands Victoria program is curated to connect creative projects with critical conversations on key themes - from health and wellbeing in the arts to innovative practice across industries; and from Indigenous practice on country to developments in technology, education and skills development.

With a spotlight on the dynamic and distinctive connections between people and place, Artlands Victoria includes a series of plenary sessions on innovation and best practice; panels with speakers sharing knowledge and expertise; workshops to develop skills, insights and connections; poster room interactive sessions on art practice and process; and open round table dialogue about regional practice.

Linking the arts sector with industries that export growth, productivity and innovation in a regional context, Artlands Victoria facilitates a dialogue that advocates a model that is socially, creatively, financially, environmentally and artistically sustainable.

Artists, arts organisations, philanthropists, government agencies, businesses and volunteers from local, state, national and international locales, across artforms, cultural backgrounds and professions will come together at Artlands Victoria to discuss shared experiences, forge new relationships and set future directions for the sector.

Artlands Victoria Creative Director Ros Abercrombie explains that Artlands Victoria is cross-disciplinary, interconnected and intergenerational, "We've created a forum to showcase new thinkers that will influence the way we engage with regional arts and to exchange the latest trends, case studies and projects. Our program highlights and acknowledges the significant contribution arts and culture can make in ensuring our regions remain strong and vibrant."

Celebrating twenty years in 2018, Artlands is a biennial event presented by Regional Arts Australia's member organisations that shines a national spotlight on Australia's regional arts.

Artlands Victoria is produced and presented by Regional Arts Victoria.
Full registrations are on sale and day tickets have just been released.