Shoalhaven Arts and Events

Shoalhaven City Council oversees the management of a broad scope of arts and events activities in the region. The Council offers a range of projects to directly support local arts practitioners. These activities include the annual Shoalhaven Arts Board Grants, inclusivity in programming at the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, a wide variety of facilities for hire and a series of publications promoting arts activity in the region.

The Shoalhaven City Council is advised on art matters by the Shoalhaven Arts Board, a committee of both community members and councillors with delegated Authority. Its charter is to recognize innovation in the arts, build strong foundations for the future of the arts in the Shoalhaven and forge new pathways that will be of benefit to the arts practitioners from the region.

A range of facilities are provided by the Council to support creative activities in the region, these venues offer reduced hire fees for not-for-profit organisations and are available for a wide variety of activities. The core facilities include the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, the Nowra School of Arts, Shoalhaven Art Centre and the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. The Council also proudly supports the Lady Denman Museum and runs a round of Small Museum Grants annually to support and recognize the smaller volunteer based heritage organisations in the Shoalhaven.

The Shoalhaven City Council produces a series of arts and events publications to promote local artistic activity, these include a biannual What’s On and the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery’s six monthly exhibition program.

Community groups are also encouraged to take advantage of the Council’s digital Calendar as a free promotional tool and to avoid clashes with other activities in the region. The Arts and Events Unit is responsible for administering community event applications and they have developed a series of useful event information booklets to support community members in developing and executing successful events.
 

Artists, arts organisations and community cultural groups are invited annually to submit an expression of interest to present exhibitions of art, sculpture, installation work, photography, 3D works, pottery and ceramics, sculpture, cultural heritage, fabric and textile art, video/multimedia film and community cultural projects at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre. Expressions of Interest are received in June & July of each year for the following years exhibition program.

The Shoalhaven City Council's Arts Board Grants program provides an equitable process to enable individuals, local non-profit and non -government organisations to access financial support for artistic activities, arts festivals and other forms of arts expression which foster a strong sense of local identity, distinctiveness and community spirit. Grant applications are accepted by the Shoalhaven Arts Board in May & June annually, with notification of success advised in September. Application forms and Guidelines will be available from Council‟s website in the newyear.

The foundation stone for the Nowra School of Arts (formerly the Nowra Mechanics Institute) was laid on 3rd October 1891. The main hall and associated spaces offer the hirer a range of flexible spaces to suit a wide range of activities. The main building (hall) is a charming environment – providing a perfect location to hold a small stage production or expo style event. Council also offers a special weekly rate for community groups wanting to hold self-monitored exhibitions.