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OUYEN is receiving a grant of $350,000 for an arts project in the centre of town.
It’s one of five small Victorian towns to benefit from the latest round of funding under the State Government’s Small Town Transformation Program.
Others to receive the $350,000 grants are Avoca, Dookie, Natimuk and Neerim.
Ouyen’s windfall will be spent on a public artwork and public event space in front of the restored Roxy Theatre.
Mallee Up In Lights will create a new outdoor space for public events, framed by a major light installation.
The Regional Arts Victoria website describes the Ouyen project as a “transformation from an uncreative garden into a wonder of lights, sound, public art, and community creativity”.
It includes the building of a major light installation artwork and structure, landscaping and redesign, and functional outdoor room for community meetings and events.
Victorian Arts Minister Heidi Victoria said the program aimed to support small towns to undertake an arts project that had the potential to transform a town and its people.
“There is no doubt that the arts play an important role in Victoria’s communities, both large and small,” she said.
Delivered through Regional Arts Victoria, the program sought creative ideas from Victorian towns with populations of less than 1500 and received 65 submissions.
The Arts Minister congratulated the communities of the five successful towns, saying the projects chosen were “exciting, ambitious and incredibly diverse”.
“They will see artists and communities working together to realise large-scale projects that will deliver strong outcomes for the community, while at the same time, producing truly great art,” she said.
All projects should be completed by end of 2014.
Information on the Small Town Transformation program is available at www.smalltowns.rav.net.au.
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