Welcome all to the first column for 2021 for the Leeton writers' group.
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May this year bring us all fulfillment, happiness, creative growth, love and health. I feel so grateful to be where we are, in this place, in harmony and security, when the world beyond our Australian borders continues to battle the gravest challenges.
How lucky we all are here in Leeton to be in this crucible of creative activity - building something that I really believe will last for generations. An arts and cultural hub where stories are told, in books, in films, in theatre, in song, in dance and art - our Riverina story, with its own Riverina aesthetic. Where skills are shared and passed on.
Where our children and young people learn their sense of self, belonging, power and possibility through engagement with these stories, through giving voice to their own.
Making things.
It's a project that every single one of us can get involved in. In many different ways. For the Leeton writers' group, the new year begins with a lot of exciting promise.
Having ended our association with previous venue partners at the end of 2020, we have been reborn as the Art Deco Writers Collective, Leeton.
And we have a new home, forming a collaborative partnership with another wonderful local institution, the Leeton Museum and Gallery.
This is an important opportunity to be embedded within the comings and goings of LMAG from the visiting artists and their exhibitions, to the visitors from all over the town, region and beyond, to the school groups, the historical society, the arts and cultural projects and programming of council, and having the presence of Western Riverina Arts in the office next door.
IN OTHER NEWS:
A hub begins to take shape.
There are many local projects that the writers' group are going to be actively involved in, contributing writing skills and products, educating, running workshops and producing publications.
These include the upcoming production of Henry V in April and the Australian Art Deco Festival, back bigger and better in July.
I am very honoured to be able to be situated within this burgeoning LMAG creative community as Leeton writer-in-residence, to share my skills, and to build the relationship between the wonderful, wonderful resource that is the people of the writers' collective, and LMAG and its people and programs.
We are in the process of moving, but will soon be able to announce a little public program of activities linked to the residency.
This will include me, as the resident writer, being available to mentor and nurture individual talent and interest, as well as building the writers' collective and running workshops on site and in schools and other venues as requested.
Stay tuned for information about consultation times, and in the meantime, anyone who is curious, I very strongly encourage you to come along on Wednesday nights to LMAG to be part of the collective.
The more members, the richer the diversity of our perspective and our story telling. Meetings start Wednesday February 3 at 6.30pm, LMAG boardroom.
Email sarah.tiffen93@gmail.com or ring or text 0404 348 277 for more information.