Achieving in the Arts

24 October 2008

  Jandamarra on stage in February 2008. Image by Gary Marsh. It was a curtain call not to be missed this week, as Rio Tinto was recognised for its commitment to the arts, taking out two awards at the prestigious 2008 WA Business and the Arts Partnership Awards (WABAPA).

‘Better Beginnings’, a partnership between the State Library of Western Australia and the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund, was awarded the Prestige Community Investment Partnership award.

The decade-long partnership between the Black Swan State Theatre Company and Rio Tinto was awarded the Prestige Outstanding Long -term Partnership Award.

Sam Walsh, Chief executive, iron ore and Chairman of Rio Tinto’s WA Future Fund, accepted the awards on behalf of Rio Tinto, alongside community partners.

Mr Walsh said “Rio Tinto is exceptionally proud of our arts partnerships with the Black Swan State Theatre Company and the State Library and are pleased to be supporting a more vibrant, healthy and sustainable arts community.”

“We are seeing stronger commitment to the arts and Western Australian culture as we learn to value our home-grown talent and creativity.”

‘Better Beginnings’ is a universal early literacy programme that works with families to support literacy development in babies and children up to age three. The programme has reached more than 50,000 families from Kununurra to Albany, and is expected to reach the families of 25,000 new babies in 2008 – about 89 per cent of babies born in the State.

Rio Tinto in Western Australia has been the Principal Partner of Black Swan for 10 years, providing vital support to Perth productions, NW regional tours and the youths skills development programme, Operation Pilbara. Rio Tinto has recently made a commitment to continue and strengthen our partnership for a continuing three years, enabling a new Western Australian commissioning series called the Rio Tinto Black Swan Commissions.