CQU\'s Regional Centre of the Arts (RCotA) has awarded $69,000 to approved arts projects in Central Queensland.

$25,000 grants have been awarded to both David Downer for his ‘Rainbow Serpent Sculpture’ project and $30,000 to Alison Lees and the Queensland Music Festival for ‘The Song Train’.

Downer’s sculpture will feature at CQU’s campus in Rockhampton and symbolise the co-existence of different cultures on the campus. It is hoped that it shall not only be looked upon as a symbol of reconciliation, but also as a symbol which expresses acceptance of one culture to another and tolerance of cultural and religious diversity.

‘The Song Train’ will host some of Australia’s leading singer/songwriters for a journey from Emerald to Brisbane, stopping on the way in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Bundaberg. Internationally renowned singer/songwriter Deborah Conway will curate the program and select her accompanying singer/songwriters who will conduct workshops with the community to inspire potential musical poets, uncover undiscovered artists and to ask each Central Queensland community – what makes a great song. A project to digitise a large collection of early Central Queensland photographs has also been given close to a $12,000 boost through RCotA. The photographs give an in-depth perspective on life in various Central Queensland communities during the period from about 1905 to about 1922. These images are recorded on their original glass negatives and are not publicly available in their current format. This project will be undertaken by Lex Johnson.

$2000 has also been awarded to Joseph Hannan and the Rockhampton Little Theatre to produce ‘Shakespeare at the Saleyard’ in May, 2007. It is intended the theatre company will perform a William Shakespeare play in the Saleyards building in Rockhampton.

RCotA encourages the development of all forms of the arts in Central Queensland.

The Centre provides a liaison role between CQU and the arts communities of Central Queensland and recommends to the Vice-Chancellor proposed budgets for grants to support approved arts projects.