The State Arts and Culture Partnership Honours acknowledge the outstanding contributions of individual philanthropists and businesses who partner with arts and cultural organisations across WA.
The event was organised by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
Event partner: Perth Theatre Trust
Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman announced the recipients of the second State Arts and Culture Partnership Honours at the State Theatre Centre on 8 October 2018.
Nominated by Western Australian Museum
In 2015, two young Yawuru people Maya Shioji and Bart Pigram, participated in the WA Museum’s Emerging Curator Program where they worked with Nyamba Buru Yawuru curator Sarah Yu to develop the exhibition Lustre: Pearling and Australia. A book based on the exhibition has since been developed in consultation with Yawuru, Karajarri, Bardi, Jawi and Mayala Elders and the wider pearling community.
Nominated by Perth Symphony Orchestra
The Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) became the Perth Symphony Orchestra’s foundation partner in 2012 after representatives from the company saw the orchestra perform. AHG supported the orchestra at a critical time in their development, providing base finance and business and marketing support while they were still only a few months old and before they had concerts in the diary.
Nominated by Foundation for the WA Museum.
In 2011, the Minderoo Foundation made a generous donation to the Foundation for the WA Museum’s Discovery Endowment Fund. In 2018, a portion of the donation dividends were used to set up an annual Minderoo Grant that supports key projects which offer far reaching benefits and represent some of the museum’s diverse disciplines in science, social and cultural knowledge.
Nominated by Foundation for the WA Museum
Earlier this year, the Foundation for the WA Museum received a wonderful surprise, a $1 million donation from the Stan Perron Charitable Trust for the Discovery Endowment Fund. The donation will support a wide variety of museum exhibitions, research projects, educational opportunities, outreach programs and acquisitions. Stan Perron’s contribution is recognised as setting a new benchmark in untied private philanthropy.
Nominated by Black Swan State Theatre Company
The partnership between Black Swan and Michela Fini is one that has grown and developed over 10 years. This has included initiating key sponsorships and nurturing existing and potential donors. Michela has also personally contributed to Black Swan as a member of both the White Swans and Patrons Club Giving Circles.
Nominated by FRINGE WORLD Festival.
Artrage (producers of the FRINGE WORLD Festival) and Gage Roads collaborated to develop the Hello Sunshine cider brand to sell at the 2017 festival. The brand was so successful it is now distributed commercially. Gage Roads are donating the royalties from each cider sold during the partnership to artist development program, the Fringe Fund.
Nominated by DADAA
Following a state-wide callout by the City of Fremantle, DADAA successfully tendered for a 21-year lease on the historic Fremantle Old Boys School. This has resulted in a landmark contemporary and central arts and disability hub in the precinct. The City’s initial investment enabled DADAA to secure Lotterywest funding to restore this iconic heritage building to its former glory and ensure universal access.
Nominated by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
Spare Parts and the WA Museum have had several successful partnerships since 2007. Their most ambitious partnership to date, Tom Vickers and the Extraordinary Adventure of his Missing Sock had its world premiere at the WA Shipwrecks Museum earlier this year followed by successful seasons at the Museums of Geraldton and Great Southern. This innovative production explored the intersection between museums and puppetry through a choose your own adventure style performance.
Nominated by City of Greater Geraldton
This new partnership with Spare Parts supported the presentation of the String Symphony, an interactive large-scale spectacle as part of the City’s inaugural Wind on Water Festival. String Symphony garnered vital media attention, connected strangers and created real conversations between participants. As a result, Spare Parts will collaborate with the City again for the 2019 festival.
Nominated by AWESOME Arts Australia.
BHP’s partnership with AWESOME commenced in 2006 as program partner of the AWESOME Arts Festival. Since 2014, BHP upped their support to Principal Partner and the festival is now recognised as one of the leading international children’s festivals in the world. BHP has underpinned significant growth for the festival, allowing AWESOME to strengthen its resilience and grow its education program and broaden its reach in regional WA.
Nominated by West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
In March 2017 WASO welcomed Tianqi Lithium as a new corporate partner and supporter of music education program, Crescendo. The company’s support demonstrates their belief in the ability of the arts to make a positive impact on the community and provide life-changing music experiences to hundreds of children across two schools in Kwinana.
Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman announced the recipients of the inaugural State Arts and Culture Partnership Honours at the State Theatre Centre on 24 October 2017.
Nominated by Ochre Contemporary Dance Company.
For more than five years, Iluka Resources has sponsored Ochre Contemporary Dance Company, with its new triennial agreement enabling the company to employ two permanent, part-time staff.
Nominated by The Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Over the past five years, Rio Tinto has been instrumental in supporting and sponsoring the Desert River Sea: Kimberley Art Then & Now project, which champions the professional development of Kimberley artists, arts professionals and the community.
Nominated by Fremantle Press.
Established in 1990 and supported by the City of Fremantle, the biennial T.A.G. Hungerford Award for an unpublished manuscript offers a WA author a cash prize of $12,000 and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press.
Nominated by FORM.
In partnering with FORM, LandCorp helped transform a dilapidated railway shed in Claremont into the Goods Shed, an award-winning community arts hub that is used by FORM as a space for exhibitions, installations and artist residencies.
Nominated by Tura New Music.
Carl Erbrich has provided support and sponsorship to Tura New Music since 2011 and enabled it to host the internationally acclaimed pianist composer Keith Tippett, thus providing a unique professional development opportunity for 40 emerging Perth musicians and composers.
Nominated by West Australia Opera.
For more than a decade, the Bendats have generously supported young talent at the West Australian Opera through the Bendat Family Foundation and the Bendat Scholarship, thus enabling WA Opera to pursue its long-term strategy of nurturing young WA artists.
The Black Swan Production Fund has been established to provide long-term security to the company, enabling it to undertake development projects in line with its artistic vision. The Minderoo Foundation is Founding Partner of the Black Swan Production Fund.
Nominated by Fremantle Arts Centre/City of Fremantle.
The Asialink and Fremantle Arts Centre/City of Fremantle partnership crosses borders, bringing international artists to West Australian audiences and, through the introduction of a reciprocal residency program, local artists now have the opportunity to showcase their talents in other countries.
Nominated by Musica Viva Australia
Wesfarmers Arts have demonstrated their long-term commitment to the arts with a 21-year partnership with Musica Viva resulting in their Perth Concert Series, and the In Schools Program which provides disadvantaged students with access to music education.
Wesfarmers Arts (nominated by West Australian Opera, West Australian Ballet, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Black Swan State Theatre Company)
Wesfarmers has been a long-time partner with all four of WA’s major performing arts companies. Its partnership with WA Ballet spans 40 years. Likewise, Wesfarmers has partnered with Black Swan for 23 years; with the WA Symphony Orchestra for 20 years; and with WA Opera for 19 years.
Nominated by the Western Australian Youth Orchestra.
A 27-year partnership with Woodside has enabled the Western Australian Youth Orchestra to present ongoing community, education, and performance projects including a scholarship program and a mentoring/leadership program.
Nominated by Musica Viva.
Musica Viva’s partnership with the CBH Group has resulted in some 10,000 schoolchildren receiving free or subsidised access to Musica Viva programs in regional schools across the State in the past year.
Nominated by Western Australian Youth Orchestras.
Since the beginning of their partnership in 1991, Woodside has demonstrated a long-term commitment to young and emerging artists through specific projects such as scholarships which have enabled young WA musicians to study in England and Japan.