President's Report for the 2023 Calendar Year

It was a busy year for Millmerran Arts Council with six exhibitions, three Arts Council presented productions, two workshops, and involvement in another four community events.

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As they say, many hands make light work, and that was certainly the case this year for our passionate committee members, whom through eight general meetings, organised a vast program of arts activity for the Millmerran community.

 

Speaking of many hands, and in this case many hats too, Lyndelle Pfeffer has contributed to a multitude of community groups and events in the district and like them all, we were sad to see her depart the Arts Council committee following her recent relocation. Lyndelle has been part of the Arts Council for many years and in various roles, including Vice President and Exhibitions Officer. We are most grateful for her vast contributions.

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Our other many hands making up the committee for 2023 were Raelene Antonio, Leanne Brittan, Nell Macqueen (Interim Exhibitions Officer from Oct), Sheryle Rogers (Treasurer and Interim Officer Secretary), Margaret Stevens, and Pat Taylor (Vice President).

We welcomed new local, Natasha Lim into our committee meetings from earlier this year when she commenced organising the Music for All Program over the weekend of 5 August featuring Celtic music workshops and a bush dance. This event was well organised considering the very short timeframes she had to work with. A very welcome addition to our committee meetings and the community.

 

Like all volunteer groups, we would love to welcome new or renewing members into our committee to be involved in the organisation of 3-4 community initiatives annually as well as the set up of bi-monthly exhibitions at the Millmerran Library. Our mission is simple! To grow Millmerran’s participation in arts and cultural experiences and creative endeavours, as well as deliver opportunities for artists to connect with our community. Just look at the sorts of things we did this year….

 

Following our last AGM, we proposed several events for school aged students via meetings with Lawson Short at St Joseph’s and Pearta Nolan and Kate Barton at Millmerran State School (MSS). Both meetings were incredibly productive and led to growth in school student participation in Arts Council events in 2023 as outlined further below.

 

In March, the Arts Council set up a stand at the Millmerran Show with committee members making themselves available to share information about what the Arts Council does and taking membership applications.

 

Across the year, our Library exhibitions were launched every two months and featured an array of local artists across various mediums, including; Tim Ballinger (photography), Sophie Twidale (acrylic painting), Lexi Antonio and students (mixed media artworks), in June/July for NAIDOC Barbara Walker (weaving), Howard Flynn (woodwork), Darcie Harris (illustrations I wish I was a Farmer), Millmerran State School (Yr. 9 & 10 Visual Arts elective student works).

 

To coincide with her library exhibition for NAIDOC, proud Wiradjuri woman from Wagga Wagga NSW (living in Pittsworth), Barbara Walker, conducted weaving workshops in an Arts Council collaboration with Millmerran Community Support Service and Millmerran Library. The result was offering free workshops for children (value $40 per child) during the mid-year school holidays and for adults (value $80 per adult) in June. In the end, we had 25 participants with a whole bunch of beautiful woven creations and a new skill they can build upon or share with others.   

 

On Saturday 6 May, we once again showed our support to Yallambee Auxiliary at its annual Mother’s Day Market, with a stall of local artist works available for sale. It was wonderful to showcase and sell items in support of local artists, Geoff Bolton, Christine Turner, Chris Moreno, Lexi Antonio, Raelene Antonio, and Debra O’Halloran. Millmerran Arts Council also supported the live music program for the day with Cathy Drummond and Wylahra Jam Band taking to the stage and entertaining the crowds. Raffle proceeds for the Tim Ballinger gifted framed photograph were also donated to the Yallambee Auxiliary.

 

On Tuesday 16 May, the Arts Council set up a paper-craft mouse-making workstation at Millmerran’s Under 8’s Day. This was an interactive preview to our later presentation of Twinkle and the Moon, based on a book featuring the character, Twinkle, the mouse.

 

The Arts Council’s presentation of The Wind in the Willows by Queensland’s RAVA Productions, brought local school students by the busload to fill the Millmerran Cultural Centre on Friday 16 June.  280 students from MSS and St Joseph’s attended in addition to a small group of MSS senior drama elective students who participated in a tailored drama workshop after the performance.

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The aforementioned Twinkle the mouse came to life in a wonderfully engaging performance of Twinkle and the Moon on Friday 25 August at the MSS Hall. Millmerran Arts Council has been working with Red Chair for a few years to present this page-to-stage performance by author, actor, and singer Nadia Sunde. Designed to encourage a love of reading and confidence in imaginative play, this was a magical event for around sixty local Kindy, Prep and Year 1 students in attendance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               

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On 18 October, the Arts Council proudly supported MSS to present Didjeribone to 233 students. Queensland based international performer Adrian Fabila Tjupurrula AKA Tjupurru, is a descendant of the Djabera Djabera Tribe of the Western Australia Kimberleys. Tjupurru played the didjeribone, an Australian Made and designed instrument fusing the elements of the didgeridoo and trombone. Tjupurru shared his inspiring personal journey, the history of his culture and the expressions of Aboriginal art and music, enriching a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture.

 

The busy year concluded with a visit by members of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra as part of its Connect initiative. A dedicated Quintet and Orchestra staff worked with school students of Millmerran and Pittsworth, including Millmerran State School Concert Band and Black Inc Pittsworth Community Band, to deliver an incredibly inspiring performance event on 8 November at the Millmerran Cultural Centre. This truly was a highlight for the Millmerran cultural calendar in 2023 and whilst not an Arts Council initiative, is worthy of a mention given the Orchestra’s cultural significance and the huge contribution by the Doug Hall Foundation to make this happen in Millmerran.

 

Many of our Arts Council initiatives would not occur without the generous support of the Doug Hall Foundation throughout the year to supplement our Membership funds. This year we would also like to acknowledge the support from Captains Mountain Wind Farm, Millmerran Commerce and Progress Association, Millmerran Community Support Service, Millmerran Library, Christine Turner, and Tim Ballinger. You have all truly made Millmerran Arts Council initiatives possible and helped us in some way to grow Millmerran’s participation in arts and cultural experiences and creative endeavours in 2023.

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Angela Perrin, President, Millmerran Arts Council

 

 

President's Report for the 2022 Calendar Year

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It felt quite peculiar for such a newly elected President to preside over this milestone 40th year for the Millmerran Arts Council. At first, I likened it to the old theatre adage of being seen to steal the limelight from more prominent cast, or in this case, committee, and long-time members. 

Turned out not to be like that at all! Rather it was an incredible honour to put the people and the work of the Arts Council in the limelight, all the while, learning about forty years’ worth of arts experiences and entertainment brought to the community by the many creative individuals that call Millmerran, or its surrounds, home. It was also a masterclass in the Arts Council’s past endeavours and paved the way for the current committee to discuss what’s possible in future. 

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As we closed the 2022 year, we started to discuss the Arts Council’s mission, with the focus on our role in engaging more community members to connect with their creative side. We’ve been researching new touring productions that will excite our youngest of audiences, reaching out to the schools in the process, as well as reviewing a wide range of workshops that provide all adults an opportunity to try something new. We welcome you to be part of these ongoing conversations by reaching out to any of our committee members or coming along to a meeting in 2023.

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Behind the scenes in 2022, our committee have set up six exhibitions with a wonderful array of local artist works on display at the Millmerran Library. We expect there is much more hidden artistic talent in our community and enough to put on over twelve exhibitions a year, if only our library returned to more opening days in a week post-pandemic. Something we continue to advocate for whenever we can. 

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The local artists across Millmerran Arts Council’s 2022 library exhibitions were Shirley Wilkins (pottery, glasswork, and quilting), Matthew and Danica Black (photography), Lynette Haslam (three generations of handwork), Cheryl Fowler (watercolours), Lyndell ‘Tooty’ Bowden (hand painted, stitched, and quilted fabric), Clymene Page (ceramics and tapestries), and Tim Ballinger (photography).

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In early June, our committee members braved the elements and joined forces with many community groups to support the Museum in delivering the postponed annual Yallambee Mother’s Day markets. Our bit was cooking up some nice hot donuts, a welcomed snack for all those that also braved the elements. We thank St Joseph’s School for the loan of their donut machine and Rocky Creek Hall for the provision of donut pre-mix. All proceeds were donut-ed, I mean donated to the Yallambee Auxiliary.

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The Millmerran Arts Council are very passionate about ensuring part of its annual program provides an opportunity for community to come together, see, listen, and learn of our rich cultural heritage from our First Nations Peoples. In July, our first presentation of live music without any Covid-restrictions for some time, was Roger Knox and The Euraba Band. It was also the time that airlines were getting back on their feet, and one of the many flight cancellations left our leading man, Roger Knox, delayed in Canberra after attending the NAIDOC Ball. The Euraba Band held the stage until Roger arrived to perform an encore set in the late afternoon. All attendees enjoyed the afternoon and commented that it was the first time they’d been to a live music event since before the pandemic. They welcomed an afternoon event, that took advantage of The Mill Inn hospitality and the beer garden sunshine. Roger also took time to get photos, sign posters and talk to many who have become fans of his music and that of his family members who perform in The Euraba Band.  

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With the return of the Australian Camp Oven Festival, we again enjoyed our role in bringing a night of entertainment to the Cultural Centre. This year, we presented The Candy Shop Show with Speakeasy. The saucy and sassy night of talented singing and dancing attracted a slightly smaller than capacity audience for various reasons. We do however have a strong desire to seek out unique live entertainment options to support future Camp Oven events and provide a great night of entertainment in the late September of festival years for our locals.

Given the Arts Council’s Fortieth Anniversary year, it would not have been complete without a little celebration. Turns out we were all ready for something a bit bigger. The Volz family at The Mill Inn worked with us to deliver an elegant luncheon for 90 guests at Carallen Place on 14 August. Toowoomba’s Paul Hendon Trio provided a sublime backdrop of jazz music. It was a fabulous reunion for many past and present committee, members, artists, and patrons. 40 years’ worth of storytelling was entertainingly shared by long standing past President Nell Macqueen. She was deservingly bestowed the Millmerran Arts Council’s first life membership for her passionate contributions to the Arts in Millmerran.  Christine Turner prepared a pictorial masterpiece on-screen showcasing 40 years’ worth of Arts Council history complemented by a souvenir placemat for each guest. Teena Wilcock, who also spoke, summed it up most succinctly, “40 years of Arts Council in Millmerran – with Nell McQueen at the helm…no wonder it’s been one hell of a ride!”

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Like with many of our events this year, our 40th celebrations were well promoted by local media, The Pittsworth Sentinel, and the Millmerran & District News. Millmerran Power Station also supported the 40th event.

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Last but certainly not least, we received record financial support from the Doug Hall Foundation and DA Hall & Co in 2022. Without these valuable contributions across many years, it’s certain the Arts Council would not have sustained such a breadth of productions and events for our community. Likewise for the time, ideas, creative contributions, and occasional culinary delights volunteered by our dedicated committee members Nell Macqueen, Fie de Wilde, Pat Taylor, Connie Hain and our Treasurer Sheryle Rogers, Deputy Treasurer Eileen Walker, Secretary Leanne Brittan and Vice President and Exhibitions Officer Lyndelle Pfeffer.  

                                              

Signing off on this my first year of the Arts Council’s stellar 40 years.

 

Angela Slater, President, Millmerran Arts Council

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President’s Report for the 2021 Calendar Year

 

We ended 2020 knowing that the Covid experience was behind us. After all we had had a successful Cabaret and a highly successful Pop-Up Shop!! Oh well………Maybe this year, 2021!!

Nevertheless we filled the year with a variety of entertainment-related activities. The idea of the Community Support Centre Meet and Greet was a good one, but with a lot of effort wasted possibly because of the time. However Pat Taylor devised and distributed a questionnaire to test what people wanted: some insights there.

Our Library continued in a state of indecision, and now the only change has been to open it on Thursday because that is the Fruit Man’s Day! Still only three days a week though, and I suspect it will stay that way. Because of the three-day week we have kept our Exhibitions two-monthly. What a wonderful line-up we have had!! Nancy Hegarty and her fine Folk Art, Chris Moreno (our NAIDOC Week speciality) and her family story along with her vibrant rocks and wood works, Ian Park with his model buildings and scenes, Edwina Osborne and her fine bright-eyed animal portraits, and Shirley Wilkins’s wonderful variety of pottery, glass works and quilts. Our wider Community is full of amazing talent, and it is good that we can “Show them off”!

Covid continued to lean on us, but the Yallambee Mother’s Day Markets were great at the Museum. Our normal involvement with a stall and providing the Stage and Music was not needed, so we supervised some of the buildings, since the Historical Society personnel were scarce! The setting was good, the stalls were successful, and it is proposed we do it again in 2022, as a combined effort of the Historical Society, the Yallambee Auxiliary, and the Arts Council.

We hosted an Afternoon Tea at the Bowls Club, with the High Altitude Harmony boys from Toowoomba who, as before, were good. The attendance was down but it was a pleasant afternoon spiced by our superb cooking!

Splash Test Dummies SHOULD have been as popular as they were a couple of years ago, but sadly the attendance was poor. The workshop was most engaging for the dozen or so enthusiastic participants. This experience caused us to do much advertising soul-searching, and there IS more we can do!

With online booking and advertising we again looked into the card reader/payment system…. It’s easy they said!! And so it (sort of) was!! It was put to the test at the CampOven entertainment, Barleyshakes……and it worked!! Barleyshakes filled the Cultural Centre to its Covid allowed capacity, and as often with Irish performances there were some ‘incidents’, but by far the saddest was our Secretary’s slipping and badly damaging her knee when taking food to our performers backstage. We are indeed grateful to the Village Caravan Park for giving free accommodation to two performers while the other three were billeted with Committee members.  We are prompted to review ticket pricing: always a hard one.

The MAC of course is sponsored by the D. A. Hall Foundation. The Hall family is renowned for its generosity to the Millmerran Community. The Millmerran Arts Council is indeed grateful. This has allowed us over the last few years to make some marvellous shows for children free. Fortunate children!

This year, 2022, marks 40 years of the Millmerran Arts Council, which began life at a large public meeting called by Viv Saal and the Millmerran Shire Council in April 1982 to find the best ways to make good use of our brand new Community and Cultural Centre! As the result of a motion from myself and seconded by Heather Ezzy it was moved that Council set about forming a Branch of the Queensland Arts Council. Our Branch was the only recorded Branch to have been begun by a Shire Council! Good old Millmerran Shire Council……..Those were the days! Our first meeting was on May 6th with Paul de Daunton as Secretary and Peter McCashney as Treasurer. John Schmidt, the Principal of the State School, was President, and we met for a year or two in the Shire Chambers. Our Arts Council has evolved quite vigorously since then to being a stand alone presenter of entertainments, workshops and Exhibitions. Mostly our Committees have been enthusiastic. This has certainly been the case of the past 10 years when we have been experimenting and trying new approaches. I want to thank especially our latest 2021 Committee, and look forward to our new 2022 Committee which has already new entertainments planned, and I am hoping even a little celebratory party when Covid loosens its grip!!

 

Nell Macqueen, January 2022