Urgent funding needed for arts precinct in northeast Victoria

The not-for-profit Regional Youth Performing Arts Foundation (RYPAF), which supports young regional creatives, is seeking funds to purchase a property to upscale its national operations. 

With backing from jazz musicians and industry groups, including Bill Page (Mushroom Records), Ross Irwin (Cat Empire), Music Victoria, and the Country Music Association Australia, the Foundation needs to raise $30,000 in seed funding. 

Its Australian Cultural Fund campaign has seen the Foundation raise just 1% of its goal from five supporters. The campaign was created to open a creative arts training and production precinct in Wangaratta, Victoria.

“The integration of allied services such as media, broadcast and sound production, visual and industrial arts, event infrastructure and artists management will create employment and innovative career opportunities for disengaged youth, gifted and talented, special needs, Indigenous, multicultural and multi-generational people across Australia,” said the Foundation.

The Foundation expects 26 new jobs could be created under current plans.

While corporate or other Philanthropic Partners are also being sought to fund up to 40% of the project, the Foundation currently has a window of opportunity to purchase part of a former school site. 

The Foundation’s Chairman Wayne Robinson said if the ACF campaign was successful, the arts training and production precinct could up and running for under $1 million.

“We have the opportunity to purchase a property - it will provide the resources and leverage to upscale operations nationally,” he said. “The Foundation has for many years been trading as Northern Rivers Academy of Music (NRAM) and National Youth Jazz Academy (NYJA) - both of which provide young people with opportunities to be inspired, taught and mentored by world class musicians.”

The Foundation’s past students and current clients include:

• Nick Ujhazy (Sydney-born Guitarist - now at Berkley New York),
• Alicia Groves (Wangaratta - Opera Singer),
• Amanuel Visser (Wangaratta / Byron Bay - Vocalist),
• Travis Loughhead (Sydney independent artist),
• Theo & Flora Carbo (Melbourne - sought after sessional musicians and
• arrangers/ composers),
• Scott Van-Gemert (Melbourne - Arranger for James Morrison) and
• Joe Orton,(Wangaratta - Independent Artist) 

The National Youth Jazz Academy with Cat Empire’s Ross Irwin

Those wishing to make a contribution have until the end of November. Contributions can be made online here. 

This week, the Foundation is running workshops and performances at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz. For more information head to www.nyja.org.au and www.nram.org.au.