Pictured: Member for New England Barnaby Joyce with Best Employment CEO Penny Alliston-Hall and Best Community Connections Disability Services Manager Kellie Uebergang outside the Inverell offices on announcement of the new funding.

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, have announced funding for BEST Employment through the Festivals Australia funding program. 
 
“I am pleased to announce BEST Employment has received $27,156 for its production Unstop-Ability:Journey through the latest round of the Government’s Festivals Australia program, enabling them to deliver its project at the Inverell Sapphire City Festival,” Mr Joyce said.  
 
“Unstop-Ability: Journey is a disability and Aboriginal-led production including dance, music, song and drama culminating in three performances at the festival. Four artists will work with participants drawn from disability support services, Aboriginal and youth groups. 
 
“This is great news for the Inverell arts’ community and will allow people of all ages, cultures and abilities to explore their creativity.” 
 
The Australian Government is providing almost $540,000 through the latest Festivals Australia round to support cultural projects at festivals in regional and remote Australia.  
 
Minister Fletcher said the Government is focused on supporting the creative and cultural sector to take steps in recovering and safely returning to communities.  
 
“The Festivals Australia program celebrates cultural projects and helps make them available to regional audiences across the country. The latest round of funding will support 14 diverse projects, which will attract tourists and bring communities together,” Minister Fletcher said.  
 
The Office for the Arts will work with organisations receiving funding on the timing and delivery of these activities in line with any current COVID-19 requirements.   
 
The Festivals Australia program supports arts projects that invite community participation and audience engagement at festivals in regional and remote Australia. Around $1.2 million is provided each financial year through two competitive funding rounds to support arts projects at festivals in regional Australia. 
 
The Government is investing $776 million in the arts and cultural sector in 2020-21 through its funding programs.  

(ENDS)