A total of 13 people from across Australia are to receive the prestigious new national Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Award at a ceremony under the stars this weekend at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station.

They will be presented with a hand-crafted specially-commissioned art-work by Alice Springs designer Elliat Rich, in front of 900 members of the national arts community attending art at the heart, Regional Arts Australia’s 6th biennial conference.

 “These awards are brand new and are designed to give volunteers national recognition for their contribution towards the arts across regional, rural and remote Australia,” says the President of Regional Arts Australia, Suzie Haslehurst.

“Each one of these volunteers has made an exceptional contribution and we are delighted to be able to recognise them in this way.”

“Not only will they receive a beautiful and original work of art, but they have also received free flights, accommodation and registration to attend art at the heart in Alice Springs.

“Regional Australia is home to one in three of us, and the arts have been shown again and again to be a barometer of community health.

“The arts teach skills to our young people, generate jobs and tourism and help retain doctors and other professionals in the smaller towns and centres.

“And volunteers are vital to all of this – they really are the backbone of the arts in regional Australia,” Ms Haslehurst says.

A total of seven people from each Australian state will receive a Sustained Contribution Award, while six young Australians are to be presented with Youth awards (see over for details).

The Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards will be presented biennially to recognise, reward and encourage regionally-based arts and cultural volunteers who have made a substantial contribution to the arts in regional communities in Australia.

They are the first national awards recognising arts volunteers in regional Australia.

Further information: Vivienne Skinner 0411 206 224

Regional Arts Australia promotes the development of the arts for the one-in-three Australians that live in regional, rural and remote parts of the country. It gives country Australians access to outstanding cultural experiences that are home grown or tour from other towns and cities. In this way Regional Arts Australia gives a voice to artists and puts culture at the heart of community life across country Australia.