April ENews No Images? Click here Hi everyone, Awaken Dance Theatre Company premiered their new, Regional Arts Fund-supported contemporary dance work Voyage at the Shepparton Arts Festival in March, and I was excited to make my own voyage to the McIntosh Centre to see it. The phrase ‘young people are the future’ has always bugged me. The future is something that hasn’t happened yet; consigning young people to the future implies we measure their current worth only by their as-yet-unrealised potential. Sitting in the audience for Voyage, I wasn’t thinking about potential. I was thinking about the contribution being made right here, right now, by the young regional Victorian artists of Awaken, in the present. And the present is an exciting place to be. Just look at the present month at Regional Arts Victoria for evidence, with Small Town Transformations events in the Bass Coast Waterline Townships, Girgarre, Birregurra and Rainbow; Showcase Victoria programmed and ready for launch; and Expressions of Interest for our 2019 Connecting Places and Arts & Education program right around the corner. So, here is where we are. And away we go. Joe Toohey Regional Arts Victoria’s thoughts are with communities in Victoria and New South Wales recently impacted by bushfires. For up-to-date advice and recovery information in Victoria, please head to http://emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/#recovering_from_a_bushfire. Small Town Transformations eventsApril is a big month for Small Town Transformations with major events taking place in four of the six towns. Also on 28 April, Dive Down the Rabbit Hole at Birregurra Mechanics Institute Hall and experience an outpouring of creative expression that defines Birregurra's identity and its connection to its Mechanics Hall. AGM save the dateThe 2018 Regional Arts Victoria Annual General Meeting will be held at the Footscray Community Arts Centre from 11.30am on Saturday 26 May 2018. More details available soon. Matthew Harding 1964 - 2018Donate to support the family of renowned sculptor, Matthew Harding. Showcase VictoriaShowcase Victoria, the biggest state-based performing arts marketplace, will take over the Darebin Arts Centre from 17-18 April. The full program is now available online. Artlands VictoriaArtlands Victoria's Call for Papers and Presentations will close on Monday 16 April. Get in touch with the Artlands team to discuss your submission. OpportunitiesExpressions of Interest for Regional Arts Victoria's Connecting Places and Arts & Education programs will open in May, keep your eye on your email for more details. Invitations to Tender are now open to design, produce and install five large-scale works on The Great River Road between Bellbridge to Khancoban Complete the Australian Entertainment Industry Mental Health Survey Complete the Creative Victoria Review of Arts Touring and Engagement Nominations are now open for the CHASS Australia Prizes Find a choir close to you with Creativity Australia's With One Voice program Get involved in Big Dance Australia, the largest free celebration of dance in the world Events1 - 29 April SALT by Barking Spider Visual Theatre at WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC 28 - 29 May Communities in Control conference in Moonee Ponds 18 April - 9 June Land Water Sky exhibition at East Gippsland Art Gallery What's on the road...That’s not a daffodil by Jump Leads Productions Rogue Romantic by Anya Anastasia Ickypedia by The Listies Macdeth by Company 13 Super Amazing Giant Girl by Anna Lumb |