Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to speak on this motion about Revive, because Revive commits new funding to creativity in regional Australia, including in my electorate of Mayo. Mayo is one of the most creative hotspots in the nation, and this was really on show during the South Australian Living Arts Festival. We affectionately refer to that as SALA. The festival celebrated 25 years, with over 600 venues and 9,000 artists, and truly provided a feast for the senses. We have a thriving community arts scene throughout the year, from the Adelaide Hills, down the Fleurieu and on to Kangaroo Island, and they are well supported by community, because we value art in every medium. I thought I'd mention just a few of those. We've got Ink Pot Arts, the Stirling Players, Yankalilla Youth Theatre, the Hills School of Theatre Arts, the Stirling Community Theatre, the Adelaide Hills Performing Arts Centre, Adelaide Hills Rockit Performing Arts, Theatre Bugs, the South Coast Choral and Arts Society, the JamaeRaw School Of Performing Arts, Fortuna House of Performing Arts, Fleurieu Dance Collective, and Laughing Llama Dance and Drama. They're just the performing arts organisations in my electorate.

In my time as the member for Mayo I have met with so many groups who are seeking to create spaces to develop their passions, whether it's music, song, dance or theatre, and for people of all ages, which is really important. Yvette Wolf established the Yankalilla Youth Theatre and has shared with me her vision for the theatre's future, about the ways she does workshops. She wants to encourage all young people, particularly young people who don't necessarily gravitate to sport. We need to make sure we've got exciting spaces and opportunities to let all young people thrive. And the Stirling Players—I'm one of their patrons. Last year they celebrated 50 years, and I've got to say, I do love going along, particularly to their opening nights. I've seen so many wonderful productions with the Stirling Players. And Ink Pot Arts offer regular workshops for children, young people and adults, from dance and drama to creative writing and improv sessions. They make art accessible to everyone.

We all know there is a strong relationship between the development of cognitive capacity through visual arts and improvements in academic and social performance. Artistic expression has helped develop individual creativity and self-expression as well as the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that we all need. Henri Matisse said that creativity takes courage. And it takes courage for people to get up on that stage, to sing, to dance, to write and to share their soul with all of us. We can draw on personal experience in shaping that soul and shaping that story. Revive provides a platform through which to recognise the contribution of artists and societies and to allow us all to enjoy and watch them flourish.

I'd like to end by listing a few of the galleries, and I hope I haven't missed anyone. We've got Hahndorf Academy, The Cedars, UKARIA Cultural Centre—I was recently there for an amazing performance by a New York jazz musician—the Hills Sculpture Trail, Crystal Lake Sculpture Park at Macclesfield, Fabrik at Lobethal, the Lucent Art House, the Top of the Torrens Gallery in Birdwood, the Coach House Studio in Gumeracha, Atelier in Crafers, the Bamfurlong Fine Crafts, Field Trip in Balhannah, the Aboriginal Art House in Hahndorf, Tineriba Tribal Gallery and Tineriba Fine Arts in Hahndorf, The Strand Gallery at Port Elliot and Gallery 45 also in Port Elliot. We've also got ArtWorx Gallery in Goolwa, Art@Goolwa Inc., Sand Drift Gallery at Goolwa, the Signal Point Gallery at Goolwa—that's incredibly important and undergoing renovations—the Victor Harbour Regional Gallery, the Coral Street Art Space, the Ocean Blue Arts, Yankalilla Yarns and Fine Arts Studio/Gallery, Gallery88 at Yankalilla, Fine Art Kangaroo Island Gallery, Shep's Studio, the Kangaroo Island Gallery and the Baudin Beach Artworks Gallery that I would absolutely recommend to everyone in my community. When you go to Kangaroo Island, make sure you get to the Baudin Beach Artworks Gallery. I bought some beautiful little Christmas presents there not too long ago. I'm not even mentioning the wonderful illustrators in my electorate that are illustrating children's books, those who are painting murals across our community. Art truly fills our soul with joy and makes our community feel alive. I thank all of the artists that live in Mayo. I send great support to you all.

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