Byron Writers Festival to share in $668,000 of Renewal funding in NSW

Byron Writers Festivals joins seven organisations to receive Renewal funds under the Regional Arts Fund Recovery Boost Program. Funds of over $668,000 will support seven exciting, long-term projects that will be delivered across eight regions of NSW and beyond, through partnerships and digital engagement. The selected projects will collectively provide First Nations curatorial and cultural employment opportunities, outreach, relationship development and accessible high quality arts programs for youth, people in aged care and at festivals.

This funding will enable Byron Writers Festival to engage regional and rural writers for their 2021 and 2022 festivals. Byron Writers Festival will continue its focus on Australian writers by developing a program that explores the breadth of contemporary Australian writing across a broad range of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. It will celebrate writers and stories reflecting our diverse society, engage audiences with new ideas and work, and bring together the voices of established and emerging writers for stimulating discussions of books, writing, big ideas and social issues. The main Festival will take place from 6-8 August 2021 & 5-7 August 2022 at the purpose-built Festival site in Byron Bay. Up to 140 writers and thinkers will participate in a program of 120+ sessions, giving attendees a choice of up to six sessions at any one time.

Also successful is Outback Theatre for Young People – $110,000, Arts OutWest Inc – $119,900, Flying Fruit Fly Circus – $120,000, Bathurst Regional Arts Gallery – $120,000, Aboriginal Regional Arts Alliance – $60,000, Byron Writers Festival – $68,188 and The Wired Lab – $70,000.

RANSW CEO Elizabeth Rogers commented, “the RAF Recovery Boost has provided much needed support for artists and arts organisations across NSW that have been hit very hard with the succession of natural disasters and COVID-19. The projects funded in NSW demonstrated that regional arts organisations had well thought out strategic projects with multiple partners that will assist their communities in the future recovery process.”

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the Australian Government is proud to support regional arts and culture through the Regional Arts Fund, and warmly congratulates the NSW recipients.

“The Morrison Government recognises the challenges regional communities have faced because of COVID-19. We are proud to play a part in the social and economic recovery of regional communities through our $10 million COVID-19 regional response fund on top of our annual funding of $3.5 million,” Minister Fletcher said.

“I am impressed with the diversity of activities being funded through the fund – extending from young people to those living and working in aged care facilities, from First Nations people to writers to circus performers.”

The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government Program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. It meets the strategic priorities of supporting participation in, and access to, the arts; and encouraging greater private sector support for the arts.

Regional Arts NSW delivers this program in NSW on behalf of the Australian Government and in partnership with Regional Arts Australia.