We asked the community: What would you most like to have in the way of arts events in Kangaroo Valley over the next, say, 5 years? Seven multiple-choice questions, two for open-ended comments and suggestions. It was distributed to the Arts in the Valley database residing in seven postal codes in Kangaroo Valley and vicinity, plus invitations extended via social media and through Lee Sharam’s database.
186 people responded from Kangaroo Valley (55%), Shoalhaven including Berry, Wattamolla, Broughton Vale (35%) and the Southern Highlands including Robertson, Moss Vale, Berrima, Exeter, Bundanoon (15%).
The results were informative, and consistent across groups – what the broader community would like is the same as what our members like.
What are you telling us?
Both the community at large and our members would like us to keep doing our current three main activities – classical music concerts and sculpture and visual arts exhibitions.
In terms of new art types, very interesting to see jazz concerts as 4th most preferred, close behind classical music and the strongest preference for a new art form by some distance.
Also interesting to see the appetite for the performing arts (live theatre and dance). A couple of people also asked for Aboriginal music and dance performances.
When asked for other types of art activities not mentioned in our survey, close to 50 people responded (>25%) with a range of suggestions. The strongest suggestion, first place by far (~30% of suggestions) is for art-related workshops and talks/interviews.
Asked about your preference for an intensive biennial festival of music vs spreading music over the year, a strong majority (almost 3 to 1) are in favour of music being spread throughout the year.
Very strong support for keeping sculpture and visual arts as is, about the same size and duration (sculpture 5 to 1 in favour of same size/duration; visual arts 3 to 1 in favour of same size with some sentiment ~20% for larger visual arts festivals perhaps including regional sites).
Asked to whom would you like us to cater, 40% asked us to cater more to younger singles and families, 33% to leave it as is. A reflection of the changing demographic in the Valley? Interesting and unselfish – the vast majority of respondents were between 45-65 and over 65 and yet said, in essence, “Continue to provide for us; but please also provide for the next generation.”
There is a very strong preference for Arts in the Valley to expand regionally (65%), while only 10% felt we should cater only for those in the Valley. Again, unselfish, as the majority of respondents are from the Valley but are asking Arts in the Valley to expand regionally and involve more people from surrounding regional areas.
Disclaimer & Invitation
We said in the survey that Arts in the Valley greatly values the opinions of our members and the community. We are taking the results of this survey very seriously. The Committee will be discussing future strategic directions over the next six months.
However, we can make no promises. We are a volunteer not-for-profit association. We have no source of external funding. We pay to hire the KV Hall like everybody else, we have to maintain very expensive attendee, volunteer and public liability insurance, and we have a myriad of necessary software and administrative expenses, each small by itself but collectively in the many thousands of dollars per annum. Plus of course the events themselves are expensive to run. To cover the costs of bringing various Arts to the Valley, we rely entirely on memberships, ticket sales, commissions from art and sculpture sales, donations from local residents and the very occasional grant. To host arts events is very expensive and requires that the events are financially sustainable.
To be able to stage new art forms, and to expand coverage to younger people and regionally, we will need to count on new people to join the Committee, to help organise any new events and to support the events financially and as volunteers. If you are passionate about any of these possible new directions, please get in touch. We would love to have you join us to think about them and help organise them. Please feel free to contact any member of the Committee or either of us below.
Forthcoming 2024 Events
While we ponder future directions, we are delighted to announce there will be a range of musical and visual arts events spanning the rest of 2024.
On Saturday 4th May, the Nexas Saxophone Quartet will be performing at the Kangaroo Valley Hall. They are a trailblazing saxophone ensemble known for redefining the boundaries of chamber music. They have a passion for versatility in presenting multiple genres of music with dynamic performances. Their interpretations will showcase the saxophone’s expressive range and adaptability.
Then on Saturday 27th July, classical guitarist Jesse Flowers joins us for a concert of classical guitar works from the Renaissance to today’s contemporary compositions. A part of Flowers’ mission is to grow the repertoire of the classical guitar through new arrangements and collaborating with composers to commission original pieces.
In September, the acclaimed and very popular Goldner String Quartet will perform for the very last time in the Valley on Sunday 29th September. Through a collaboration with Music in the Regions, we are delighted to be able to bring you part of their 30th and FINAL Concert Season. The Goldner String Quartet has long-standing recognition as not only Australia’s pre-eminent string quartet, but as an ensemble of international significance, favourably compared with the best in the world.
More information on the music season and tickets will be available very soon.
And then over the October long-weekend, we will again host the biennial Visual Arts in the Valley Festival, October 4-7 in the Kangaroo Valley Hall and a variety of other venues. This year, our focal point will be a Celebration of Local Artists with also a Gallery of Australian Artists. Part of the Celebration of Local Artists will be the Salon of Local Artists Prize (increased this year to $2250 in prize money dedicated to local KV artists), the Kangaroo Valley Art Trail (expanded to a minimum of six local studio-galleries), an Art Installation at the Pony Club, a Film Night screening of the ABC-acclaimed documentary about John Olsen by local filmmaker Tony Williams, along with other events still in the planning stages.
We look forward to seeing you at these events, and to hearing from you if you are passionate about new art forms, thinking about them and helping to organise them.
Gary Moore, President president@artsinthevalley.net.au
Nikki Sharp, Manager info@artsinthevalley.net.au
