Arts Northern Rivers > Arts & culture

Northern Rivers cultural profile

The Northern Rivers is a culturally diverse and creative region that has the highest concentration of artists and creative industries workers outside the capital cities.

The region is home to NORPA, one of the few regionally located professional theatre production companies in Australia, the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra, Spaghetti Circus and a range of professional and amateur performing arts organisations.

The creative industries are supported by peak resource organisations: the Northern Rivers Writers Centre, Northern Rivers Screenworks and the North Coast Entertainment Industry Association. These three organisations have combined subscriber lists of over 3000 people. The region is recognized for its coastal “lifestyle” and is attracting increasing numbers of leading professional filmmakers, writers, musicians and artists.

A 2005 survey conducted by Arts Northern Rivers also identified over 1000 visual artists in the region and there are over 50 commercial and community art galleries.

Music and Cultural Festivals also attract large numbers of national and international visitors to the region. Events include the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Splendor in the Grass, The Byron Bay Writers Festival, the Wintersun Festival, and heritage festivals such as the Jacaranda Festival in Grafton and the Banana Festival in Murwillumbah.

The region is also a centre for arts education through Southern Cross University based in Lismore, the many campuses of North Coast Institute of TAFE which offer courses including Music, Visual Arts, Digital Media and Design, the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and Arts Centre and the Clarence Valley Conservatorium, and North Coast Community Colleges.

There are literally hundreds of groups and organisations working in the arts and community cultural development in the Northern Rivers Region, with new groups emerging all the time. Following are just some of the organisations that feature on the region’s cultural landscape.

Visit the links section for a comprehensive directory of arts organisations in the Northern Rivers region

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	Northern Rivers cultural profile The Northern Rivers is a culturally diverse and creative region that has the highest concentration of artists and creative industries workers outside the capital cities. The region is home to NORPA, one of the few regionally located professional theatre production companies in Australia, the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra, Spaghetti Circus and a range of professional and amateur performing arts organisations. The creative industries are supported by peak resource organisations: the Northern Rivers Writers Centre, Northern Rivers Screenworks and the North Coast Entertainment Industry Association. These three organisations have combined subscriber lists of over 3000 people. The region is recognized for its coastal “lifestyle” and is attracting increasing numbers of leading professional filmmakers, writers, musicians and artists. A 2005 survey conducted by Arts Northern Rivers also identified over 1000 visual artists in the region and there are over 50 commercial and community art galleries. Music and Cultural Festivals also attract large numbers of national and international visitors to the region. Events include the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Splendor in the Grass, The Byron Bay Writers Festival, the Wintersun Festival, and heritage festivals such as the Jacaranda Festival in Grafton and the Banana Festival in Murwillumbah. The region is also a centre for arts education through Southern Cross University based in Lismore, the many campuses of North Coast Institute of TAFE which offer courses including Music, Visual Arts, Digital Media and Design, the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and Arts Centre and the Clarence Valley Conservatorium, and North Coast Community Colleges. There are literally hundreds of groups and organisations working in the arts and community cultural development in the Northern Rivers Region, with new groups emerging all the time. Following are just some of the organisations that feature on the region’s cultural landscape. Visit the links section for a comprehensive directory of arts organisations in the Northern Rivers region return to top

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