Image: Scot Macdonald, Cultural Tutor Heather Mitjangba (Elcho Island) and NAISDA Artistic Coordinator Jasmine Gulash.
The NSW Government’s Regional Arts Fund has provided a $12,800 grant to NAISDA Dance College towards Speaking Countries, a unique cultural event that will take place at Carriageworks Sydney this November as part of the iconic College’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
Running from 16–24 November 2016, Speaking Countries will see the Carriageworks public space transformed into a community dance ground filled with sand.
Artists from around the country will join NAISDA in celebrating and acknowledging each communities’ contribution to creating with NAISDA, and indeed what contemporary dance is today. The generous grant will see Indigenous artists from Arts NSW take part in the event.
Sean Gordon, Chair of NAISDA Dance College, thanked Arts NSW for their invaluable contribution to this significant cultural event.
“We are thrilled with the ongoing support that NAISDA has received from the NSW Government. This grant will play a pivotal part in bringing NAISDA’s major 40th anniversary program to life,” said Mr Gordon.
“Speaking Countries is an opportunity for NAISDA to reconnect with Indigenous communities throughout Australia and will enable us to share important cultural traditions with the residents of Sydney,” he added.
Scot MacDonald MLC, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter and Central Coast who presented NAISDA with the grant, said, “I am very pleased to see NAISDA receive a grant from the NSW Government’s Aboriginal Regional Arts Fund.
“I am in awe of the dancers’ passion and skills. I believe it is important regional artists have the opportunity to tell their cultural stories and this grant will help stage the Speaking Countries performances in Sydney later in the year. I wish them the best.”
Speaking Countries will take place at Carriageworks Sydney from 16-24 November 2016 and will form part of Circle of Cultures, NAISDA’s major 40th anniversary season which will transform Carriageworks across three spaces, showcasing the many sides of NAISDA.