AN upcoming get together is signalling the revival of a regional arts group that has lay dormant since the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Members of The BOP Arts Co-op nonprofit are aiming to bring the group back with the return of their annual creative catchup.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s president and cofounder Samantha Thompson said the meeting will help guide their direction for 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our official meeting for the year and anyone who\u2019s interested can come along, and we\u2019ll basically plan our entire agenda for that year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll run similarly to how it did before with paid memberships and regular workshops and events and hopefully we can apply for group shows as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to push this back into the limelight and let people know it\u2019s back so they can come back in.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a core team of three directors, another aim of the meeting will be to fill vacant administrative roles for the group.<\/p>\n
Using the former Meredith Interpretive Centre as a home base, Thompson co-established the group in 2016 with the purpose of bringing together creatives from Golden Plains Shire and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a way for us creatives to learn from other creatives who want to experience different types of ideas and approaches,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
The BOP\u2019s return is being supported with a $10,000 Creative Community grant from the Shire.<\/p>\n
Thompson preceded The BOP\u2019s revival last year with the return of her monthly Lino Club sessions which previously operated under the group\u2019s banner.<\/p>\n
With at least 10 activities expected for the year including quarterly artist-run workshops, Thompson said she already has her first session in mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first workshop planned will be about drag queen makeup and we\u2019ve got a friend from Melbourne coming down to do that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to do something a bit out of the box and offer things you don\u2019t normally find in small country towns.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than using a dedicated venue, the group\u2019s events will be held at varying locations in the region.<\/p>\n
The creative catchup will take place on Saturday 27 January at 12pm at Thompson\u2019s studio at 81 Goggin Road at Lethbridge.<\/p>\n
A website for the group is set to be launched, with all updates regarding the revival to be found on The BOP Arts Co-op Facebook page until then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AN upcoming get together is signalling the revival of a regional arts group that has lay dormant since the pandemic. Members of The BOP Arts Co-op nonprofit are aiming to bring the group back with the return of their annual creative catchup. The group\u2019s president and cofounder Samantha Thompson said the meeting will help guide […]<\/p>\n