March 10, 2014
Blackbutt’s iconic community arts group The Friends Of Cultcha is calling it a day after 14 years of operations.
President Laraine Aniftos said today the annual Gala Night on Friday, March 21 will be the group’s social swansong.
Although monthly exhibitions will continue to be held at the former Nanango Shire Council building in Hart Street through until the end of 2014, the monthly opening nights that accompanied them will cease.
Ironically, the group is winding up because it has achieved its original objectives “in spades”.
“Friends Of Cultcha was established by former Nanango Shire councillor Brian Tillyer in 2001 to raise the profile of the arts in Blackbutt,” Laraine said today.
“We now have three art galleries in the town, a fourth gallery at Nukku, and a very busy digital art / photographic club.
“The visual arts and photography are now a regular part of local events, and many residents are now involved in the arts, crafts or photography in one form or another. And this has helped tourism, too.
“Cultcha encouraged all these things and they’ve helped make Blackbutt the most art-focused town in the South Burnett.
“So now we think it’s time to move on and let a new group take our place.”
Laraine said in recent years the group had found it hard to get volunteers to take up places on Cultcha’s committee.
Rising insurance costs had also put a strain on the group’s finances, forcing it to undertake fundraising ventures to stay afloat.
She was grateful for support the group had received over the years from the South Burnett Regional Council, Blackbutt’s Bendigo Community Bank, artists and community members.
But the main reason for winding up, she said, was that there were still holes in the town’s cultural landscape that could be filled.
“Personally, I’d like to see Blackbutt develop a theatre group or perhaps a public speaking group like Toastmasters,” Laraine said.
“We have many talented people living in Blackbutt who are very interested in these things. And if Cultcha doesn’t exist any more. I’m hopeful a new group will step into the vacuum to take some of them up.”
Laraine said she’s looking forward to the annual Gala Night on March 21 and hopes that many past friends of the group will attend to help see out Cultcha in style.
As usual, the event will be held at the Blackbutt Community Hall from 7:00pm.
It will feature displays from all the artists who’ve exhibited at Cultcha’s monthly openings over the previous 12 months; live entertainment by Fred Troughton; refreshments, a licensed bar, a lucky door prize and a raffle, along with the presentation of surplus funds from the previous year’s activities to worthy local causes.
This year the lucky door and raffle prizes will be two nights accommodation at the Landmark Resort in Mooloolaba.
Tickets to the Gala Night are $10 per head and will be available at the door.
RSVPs can be made to Laraine on (07) 4163-0135.
- Related article: A Gala Night For Cultcha
