Welcome to Artsblast

Arts & Cultural news, events + opportunities from across the Mid North Coast

Arts Mid North Coast is thinking of all in our region and especially our community of artists and cultural workers who are being adversely affected by the impact of the Coronavirus /COVID-19.

We hope people will rally to provide support for one another. We have been listing events and local venues in the region which have been closed down and cancelled. You can find this ever-growing list is on our website. If you or your organisation has been adversely affected, please contact us and let us know, so we can gather information to pass on to the appropriate organisations to support our cultural sector.

We have put some resources and information together here and expect many more changes to evolve rapidly. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter as we will continue to update information through our social media.

In the meantime, stay safe and please support one another.

Covid-19 Pandemic Impacts the Arts

The Coronavirus pandemic has sent the arts sector reeling with venue closures, event cancellations and grounded flights around the country. The impact on the arts industry has been devestating to say the least, with many artists and arts organisations already operating on pretty tight budgets.

Following an industry roundtable convened by Federal Minister for the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher, arts industry leaders have called for an "emergency industry support package" following the lead of Germany and the UK. As of March 20, the I Lost My Gig Australia website has tallied around $200M lost income from cancelled events with around 400,000 people impacted.

How we can help the arts community

Arts Mid North Coast is staying up-to-date with efforts being made through various National and State peak arts organisations to secure support for the arts sector from government. We are also working with our local Council partners to ensure continued support for our arts community.

If you are in a position to do so there are some ways you can help to support our artists during this difficult time:

Stream Australian music so royalties stay local rather than go overseas. Encourage your local radio stations to do the same.
Buy some postcards showcasing local artists or a local arts organisation and send it off to an elderly or more isolated relative or friend.
Donate to Support Act. This vital music charity provides crisis relief services to artists, roadies and music workers directly affected during this difficult time.
Donate your ticket. If an event you are going to has been cancelled, consider using your refund to buy some merchandise or see if you can make a donation.
Buy a book especially by an Australian author.If you feel more comfortable buy it online or else from a local bookshop near you.
Lobby your politicians. Contact your local MP and Minister and demand support for an arts sector support package. Your local MP can be found here and you can email the NSW Minister here.

Keeping creative in the coronacrisis...

In these unprecedented times of social distancing and self-isolation, staying creative and connected is even more important for our health and wellbeing. Displaying their incredible resilience, creative people all around the world have responded to the corona-crisis with balcony and online concerts and fundraising campaigns to support the artist community.

The Guardian has published some 'expert tips' on keeping your audience and work out there. Artists are using innovative online solutions through subscription services such as Patreon and Zoom conferencing platforms. Eventbrite have also got some great tips for moving events online. Live streaming shows or pay per episode have been popular approaches to keep artists connected with their audiences. See how the Melbourne Symphony streamed their show and actor Julia Giolzetti's virtual theatre show 'Sofa Shakespeare'. Some artists have been creating 'how to' videos and starting online workshops and courses, such as Kempsey guitarist, Minnie Marks.

For arts organisations and groups or those isolated in care homes, consider doing a pen pal project and creative writing activities. A user-friendly resource is available here to help you set up a pen pal project.

For those looking for some inspiration whilst in self-isolation, 64 Million Artists are launching "Create to Connect" - two weeks of daily creative challenges to use with friends, family, in school or community groups. Sign up here.

Locally, artists like Got Ya Back Productions are holding creative competitions in playwriting and songwriting to keep those kids creative. And Big Fig Arts Inc.'s Dead Flowers Society have launched their #withdrawingproject on social media.

Looking after ourselves...

With many still recovering from the recent drought and bushfires, this new crisis can trigger feelings of anxiety and distress. It's important that we look after ourselves and each other, especially the vulnerable people in our communities.

Beyond Blue offers some good advice on looking after your mental health during coronavirus outbreak. Find a healthy balance to the large volumes of negative media and make sure you are accessing good quality information from credible sources. And remember, we are all here together!

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