features

	5/4/2004
	Lisa Greenaway

With 6 billion people on the planet and a fair few of them expressing their creativity, it can be a bit daunting deciding to turn your passion into work. Even before you get to the question of selling it, there�s the learning of it, the practice of it, the construction of it � and trying to eat at the same time.

Creators of culture are looking for space to work in, teachers to work with, money to make things, audiences to experience it, and, let�s face it, awards and applause to win.

Consumers of culture are looking for entertainment, distraction, stimulation, laughter, tears, spiritual and intellectual sustenance � and more - you can be sure that for every work of art there is an audience. As Billy Connolly said, you just have to go out and find them.

THE PROGRAM steps into the breach between the two extremes, of creator, and consumer - artist, and audience. And immediately challenges the notion that they are extremes. On THE PROGRAM, artists write about audiences in the Feature stories and Reviews � and the other way around. The Creative Industry section profiles everyone from the National Gallery in Canberra to a visual artist from country Victoria. Opportunities for everything from a free work space in inner city Sydney to application dates for a wildlife photography award in North East Tasmania. Event listings for everything from an exhibition of stencil art in Melbourne�s laneways to the highlights of the Adelaide Festival. And if you can�t afford want to pay to go, THE PROGRAM gives tickets away. The Resources and Links sections feature all the new, old, vibrant, wonderful, above all useful, things that the Editors and Reporters can find as they trawl the country and the world each week. And all of these things just grow, and grow, and grow � added to by a creative and practical community of creators and consumers from all over the country (that is � you!) Virtually every section of THE PROGRAM is open for submissions.

You can think of it as an ever-filling, ever-expanding canvas on which we�re painting a portrait of Australian arts and culture. Or, you can think of it as a website which is pretty useful for picking up on something to do or see each week. It�s up to you.

Stay in the creative loop all year round at www.theprogram.net.au