The latest round of the Regional and Remote Festivals Fund has provided a financial boost to eight regional organisations to deliver arts and cultural activities at regional festivals in Western Australia.
The Regional and Remote Festivals Fund is part of the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP). It is open to groups, organisations or individual artists, WA regional local government authorities and Aboriginal communities to support the costs associated with delivering arts activity that is part of a festival in regional Western Australia. 
Initiatives receiving grants through the program are:

1. Esperance Community Arts for the Kaddatji Nyungar Boodja Community Sculpture project which will be displayed at the Esperance Wildflower Festival in September 2021;
2. City of Greater Geraldton for the artistic program behind the Big Sky Festival 2021;
3. Shire of Yalgoo’s Open Air Sculpture Gallery, part of the Emu Festival 2021;
4. Shire of Mount Magnet for SciArt & Astro-Photography Activities, drawing on local Indigenous artists and culminating in an Astro-Photography Exhibition;
5. York Arts and Events for presentation of the 7th annual York Festival;
6. Shire of Merredin for War Stories Illumination Projections, part of the inaugural Memorial Festival;
7. Big hART Inc for Songs for Peace 2021, a month-long series of events featuring song writing workshops, community feasting and intimate acoustic performances; and
8. Annette Nykiel for the We Must Get Together Sometime exhibition and related events.

 
Media statement 
More information

Premier Mark McGowan has announced Phase 4 of WA's COVID-19 recovery will begin on Saturday, June 27. Major sporting and entertainment venues can now open, operating at 50 per cent capacity, and gyms will be able to operate unstaffed. Hospitality venues will not have to maintain a guest register and patrons will not have to be seated. Gathering limits will be determined by the 2sqm rule, which will also apply to staff at venues that hold more than 500 patrons. Phase 5, which will involve the removal of the 2sqm rule, is likely to come into effect on July 18. Phase 6 will see borders reopen, but no date has been announced.
Media statement.

Perth Festival is an annual boost to our State's social well-being, economy and hospitality industry, a new report reveals. This year’s Festival attracted new audiences and extended its vital role in assisting local artists, workers and companies, the Perth Festival 2020 Impact Report shows. Based on extensive Festival participant surveys and financial data, the 2020 report demonstrates the Festival’s significant public value and capacity to help kick-start community confidence in the State's post-pandemic recovery. The Festival's direct economic impact from spending by audiences, artists and the Festival was $30.3 million, up 60% from 2019. This provided flow-on total economic value to the State of $84.7 million. The Festival invested in significant local commissions and international collaborations involving WA artists. More than 75% of the 2,286 participating artists were from WA and the Festival put $10.8 million into the pockets of local artists, workers, suppliers and contractors. Ticket sales were at a record high of almost $6 million, even with the cancellation of the final three weeks of the Lotterywest Films season due to COVID-19. Nearly a quarter (23%) of our 413,076 total attendances were Festival first-timers.  
​Read the full report here.

Regional Arts Australia have announced the details of The Recovery Boost funding scheme for individual creative practitioners and organisations in regional, remote and rural Australia. The funding is a one off investment provided by the Commonwealth Government which recognises the central role the arts play in supporting cohesive, thriving communities in regional Australia.  The funding which is designed to meet immediate, medium and long term activity through Relief, Recovery and Renewal stages includes a broad range of criteria including professional development and training programs.  Further information can be found here. 

Seventy-seven events to be hosted in regional WA have been awarded funding via the Regional Events Scheme. With the expected influx of intrastate tourists holidaying within WA, these smaller and emerging events, ranging from a celebration of wildflowers in Esperance, to star-gazing in the Wheatbelt will help support jobs and local economies by attracting visitors to the regions.
Seven events were awarded funding under the Regional Aboriginal Events Scheme, to showcase Aboriginal activities and experiences, and encourage Aboriginal leadership and participation.
Successful funding applicants have been given the option of holding their event at any time up until December 31, 2021.
For a full list of events awarded 2020-21 funding, visit Tourism WA
Media statement