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Whyalla’s ground-breaking uneARTh Festival has been awarded statewide recognition as a contender for one of South Australia’s premier arts and culture awards.
The 2017 Whyalla uneARTh Festival has been announced as finalist in this year’s Arts South Australia Ruby Awards. The festival, held for the first time this year, is one of five events vying for the Community or Regional Impact Under $100,000 category of the prestigious awards.
It is a remarkable effort for a festival that was conceptualised from scratch and organised entirely by the City of Whyalla’s events team in co-operation with the Whyalla community and a host of volunteers.
“We are so proud of our small events team led by Community Events Officer Rebecca Neilson and congratulate them being finalists for these great South Australian awards,” Whyalla Mayor Lyn Breuer said.
“This tiny team of workers pulled off one of the best events this city has ever seen from literally nothing.
“I was an amazing effort and an amazing event that attracted more than 10,000 people to Ada Ryan Gardens. The Whyalla community should be congratulated too for the success of this event.
“I don’t know who the other finalists are but they’ll have to be bloody good to beat our uneARTh Festival.”
Twenty-five finalists have been announced across six categories, including Best Work, Best Event, Arts Innovation and Enterprise, Community or Regional Impact Under $100,000, Community or Regional Impact Over $100,000, and Sustained Contribution by an Organisation or Group.
A further three awards will be announced at the event: Sustained Contribution by an Individual, the Geoff Crowhurst Memorial Award and the Premier’s Award for Lifetime Achievement.
In congratulating the City of Whyalla on reaching the finals, Arts South Australia said in a statement there had been a record number of nominations this year. The finalists were selected by a panel of judges drawn from the arts and cultural community.
“Our judges had a tough job choosing just a handful of finalists,” the statement said.
“You should be very proud of your efforts.”
The awards are named in honour of late arts patron Dame Ruby Litchfield, the 2017 Ruby Awards are the 12th annual celebration of South Australia’s arts and cultural sector.
“The finalists in this year’s Ruby Awards represent the best in South Australian artistic endeavour, from artists and creators to arts administrators and producers, and everyone in between who keeps our State’s creative heart beating,” South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said.
“These awards are one of the most important ways in which the Government acknowledges and celebrates the contribution of the arts to the cultural life of our state. Our community-based creative and cultural institutions are the lifeblood of our city, and make South Australia a vibrant and dynamic place to live and work.”
The winners of the awards will be announced at the Ruby Awards event on Saturday, December 2 at the Queen’s Theatre in Adelaide.
All finalists will be in the running for the People’s Choice Award, with members of the public invited to vote for their favourite online at http://rubyawards2017.arts.sa.gov.au
Voters can win prizes including Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival vouchers, and tickets to the Ruby Awards gala event.
Pictured: The City of Whyalla Events Team and volunteers at this year's Whyalla uneARTh Festival.
12th ANNUAL RUBY AWARDS FINALISTS
Best Work:
SAUL – Adelaide Festival
The Secret River – Adelaide Festival and State Theatre Company SA
Intimate Space – Restless Dance Theatre
19 Weeks – Tiffany Lyndall Knight, Emily Steel, Daisy Brown and Mario Späte
Rumpelstiltskin – Windmill Theatre Co and State Theatre Company SA
Best Event:
2017 Adelaide Festival
2017 DreamBIG Children’s Festival Big Family Weekend
The Art of Science: Baudin’s Voyagers 1800-1804 – SA Maritime Museum
Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia – SA Museum
Wonderwalls 2017 – Renewal SA
Community or Regional Impact under $100,000 :
2017 UneARTh Festival Whyalla – City of Whyalla and Adelaide Fringe
Details: bit.ly/2017RubyAwards-UneARTh
2017 SALT Festival – Southern Eyre Arts Inc.
Creating Coonalpyn – Coorong District Council
Losing Faith in Unicorns – Kids Against Humanity
Sista Girl – State Theatre Company SA
Community or Regional Impact over $100,000 :
The Secret River – Adelaide Festival and State Theatre Company SA
2016 SALA Festival
Stirling Fringe – Bamboozled Productions
Arts Innovation and Enterprise :
Backbone – Gravity & Other Myths
Slingsby’s Market Development and Giving Circles – Slingsby Theatre
Intimate Space – Restless Dance Theatre
19 Weeks – Tiffany Lyndall Knight, Emily Steel, Daisy Brown and Mario Späte
Sustained Contribution by an Organisation or Group :
Music SA
Tutti Arts
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