Arts Narrogin secures $12,000 grant to make shows more accessible and target broader audiences

Narrogin’s top arts and culture organisation has received more than $12,000 in funding to make their shows more accessible and to grow audiences.

Arts Narrogin received a $10,000 grant through Regional Arts WA to improve the accessibility of its live performances by offering transportation options to guests.

The grant will boost the organisation’s “Take Your Seats” program which aims to provide a safe and reliable means of transportation for local seniors and First Nations people from surrounding communities.

“This (program) is a vital tool in removing financial and practical barriers for audiences, which will encourage community participation,” Arts Narrogin communications officer Casey Thornton said.

“It will also create opportunities for people from all backgrounds to meet, share the experience of live performance and encounter First Nations and local stories that they can relate to.”

The arts group will provide a free bus service for people living in surrounding southern Wheatbelt towns to watch selected shows before dropping them back home.

“We are really excited about the $10,000 grant because it will enable us to get free buses out to those surrounding towns to bring people in for our shows,” Ms Thornton said.

“It takes away some of those accessibility issues — it’s really hard to drive at night when it’s dark and there’s kangaroos.

“It just makes it a bit safer and makes people feel like they can actually come out and have a good night out, they can have a drink if they want and not have to worry about how to get home.”

Arts Narrogin also secured another $2500 grant towards targeting a greater audience by distributing ”What’s On?” flyers to surrounding communities.

“These two grants are pretty much designed to add on to our existing programs that we’re running this year, and to just make them even better,” Ms Thornton said.

“The $2500 grant will really help us to get our annual program out there to people living outside of Narrogin.

“We are looking at targeting towns within 75km of Narrogin and we can do a flyer drop in all of those towns and help get word out.”