An awesome result for Woodside partnership

Woodside Energy first funded the AWESOME Arts Australia in 2000 as part of its long-standing commitment to young Australians.

The first year of the partnership began with project sponsorship and an agreement to develop a three-year initiative from 2001. This year the partnership was named the outstanding long-term partnership at the State Arts Sponsorship Scheme Awards.

Woodside’s funding enables AWESOME to develop its 10-day festival as a platform for exchange between Western Australians and participating international artists under 25 years of age.

It allows AWESOME to present more than 80 per cent of its program free, thus making it accessible to the wider community.

Sascha Pendal from Woodside said there was a fairly straightforward benefit to Woodside in the partnership.

“It is a great delight and pleasure to make it possible for young Western Australian artists to do their thing,” she said.

“It gives them the opportunity to display their work, make contact with the public and to get some feedback so they can understand how to connect and maintain the connection.”

She said the AWESOME festival, held in November of each year, had a lot of value because it wasn’t just one event, but gave people the opportunity to see a range of events put forward by a number of artists over an extended period.

As well as ensuring the AWESOME festival can proceed every year, Woodside funds several AWESOME artists each year to go to the Pilbara and engage with the community there.

“We are very happy with the partnership – and one important test is whether these relationships bring benefit to the broader community; not only can we bring the festival to the CBD every year, we can also take some of it to the Pilbara, which is a very important area for us,” Ms Pendal said.

“We have developed deep roots with AWESOME, and it is so much more than just handing over funding to them.

“Each year our employees look forward to and anticipate the festival.”

A special project is developed for Woodside employees annually.

In 2005, local new media artists PVI Collective ambitiously developed a special project to include the international Woodside community.

The project utilised video, Internet and telephone facilities and included the contribution of Woodside communities in Africa, America and Europe, as well as offshore and local groups.

The final installation at the 2005 festival, a video and sound art project, was an unqualified success.

This hands-on involvement gave Woodside staff and families a personal sense of ownership of the AWESOME Festival.