Bathurst artist and academic Dr Kate Smith has received an award from Create NSW, the key arts body of the NSW Government, in recognition of her outstanding ongoing work in the creative industry.
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Dr Smith has received a Creative Development Fellowship, an award that provides up to $30,000 for early to mid-career practitioners working across any art form or cultural practice.
She was acknowledged as a recipient in person by NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin at the recent Artstate conference in Bathurst.
“I’ve never had funding for my profession before as I’ve always worked as an independent artist,” Dr Smith said.
“The creative process behind my work is all unpaid labour, and as an independent artist, professional development is something you have to pay for yourself.”
Bathurst has long been recognised as a powerful regional centre for the arts.
- Dr Kate Smith
“This fellowship will enable me to participate in further training and mentorships to aid in my research and development.”
Dr Smith is currently involved in a number of local arts projects including Mighty, an upcoming production by the Lingua Franca dance company set to debut at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre [BMEC] in March 2019.
She is also working on a new project called smalltown WOMAN/country GIRL, which will see Dr Smith combine digital and live performance to highlight the stories of country women.
“I’m going to do some training in how to create podcasts and intersect them with live and pop-up performances,” she said.
Dr Smith has an illustrious history with the region’s arts community as both an academic and a performance artist.
A well known character of Dr Smith’s creation is ‘Rusty Nails,’ an alternative cabaret performer who has dazzled audiences with her sharp wit and electric satire for the last decade.
“Bathurst has long been recognised as a powerful regional centre for the arts,” she said.
“Storytelling is at the heart of arts practice regardless of what medium you’re working in.”
Dr Smith is one of 20 to receive a 2018/19 Create NSW Fellowship.
“I want to thank Regional Arts NSW CEO Elizabeth Rogers and Artstate Arts Program Director Adam Deusien for giving me the opportunity to be part of Artstate,” she said.