AbaF State Awards and National Finalist Announced

The state winners and national finalists in the Australian Arts Business Foundation (AbaF) Awards for the best relationships between business and the arts in areas of partnering, volunteering and giving have been announced.

And according to AbaF business support for the arts continues to be strong despite th the impact of the Global Financial Crisis.

In NSW, there are three winners at state level, including Bangarra Dance Theatre and Boral. Four NSW partnerships are finalists in national-only categories. The Museum of Contemporary Art & Penrith Panthers are national finalists in the City of Brisbane Encouragement Award.

Cultural organisations and businesses from Melbourne and regional Victoria are among the winners and finalists in Victoria. Among the winners are a quirky project which saw specially-knitted items secretly placed on Melbourne trams by guerrilla craftworkers as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

In Queensland, the Brisbane Airports corporation partnership with the Institute of Modern Art has been named as a finalist in the national-only category. The partnership is said to reinvigorated the annual New Fresh Cut exhibition and boost career opportunities for emerging artists.

In South Australia the AbaF Giving Award went to Tracks Dance and Lajamanu Management Committee for a strong, long term relationship that results in the Milpirri Festival for people in the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory.

In Western Australia, Rio Tinto was a double winner in the Awards. Cultural organisation DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts Australia) also won two awards – one in partnership with Rio Tinto and one with the City of Swan and Midland Redevelopment Authority.

Rio Tinto’s second win came through a partnership with the Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts to bring festivals, dance and arts workshops to children in the Pilbara.

Two partnerships in Tasmania will go into the national finals -Tasmanian Regional Arts and RACT Insurance and Australia Council Young and Emerging Artist Award.

The state results and national finalists can be found at www.abaf.org.au

The National AbaF Awards will be announced on 15 October in Brisbane.