Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to pay tribute to the creative spirit of Novocastrians and to celebrate the contribution that artists and creative minds make to our city. Newcastle is home to more artists per capita than any other city in Australia. Not surprisingly, we have a full program of festivals, events and performances, and our community arts and city renewal program is envied by all.

Last weekend, I attended the 15th annual Newcastle Emerging Artist Prize and exhibition, which opened up at the Newcastle Art Space. Finalists were sourced from the fields of textiles, painting, sculpture, photo media and works on paper. Congratulations must be given to all 57 finalists, but I particularly want to acknowledge this year's overall prize winner, textile artist Louisa Magrics, for her piece As Above, So Below.

I also want to pay tribute to Marcus Westbury for the launch of his new book, a provoking and inspiring book called Creating Cities, and his recent TV series, Bespoke, shaped in no small part by his life and work in Newcastle. Creating Cities gives a behind-the-scenes look at the award-winning and internationally replicated urban regeneration project Renew Newcastle. Renew Newcastle is now a model for cities and towns around the world. Newcastle was also honoured to host the launch of Marcus's new TV program, Bespoke, a thoroughly engaging, amusing and ultimately thought-provoking TV series about the rise of homemade, bespoke, locally produced and artisan produce.