PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS TO COOROY FUTURE GROUP INC AGM 28 OCTOBER 2021
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. As President, I welcome everyone here to this 2021 Annual General Meeting of Cooroy Future Group Inc.
This past year once again has seen some great achievements, and also some disappointments. However overall, it has been busy and successful for Cooroy Future Group. Kym Neaylon joined the Board in 2020; and Angela Lisle, this year in 2021. We welcome both of you and the skills and experience you bring to our group.
And so on to our projects:
Cooroy Fusion Festival: Board secretary Barbara Luff stepped up to chair the new Cooroy Fusion Festival committee this year which was scheduled for September. Given the Covid 19 effects on many businesses locally, it proved very challenging to move forward and unfortunately after many hours spent organising the event, it was cancelled. We are grateful to the support of Noosa Council who funded the third year of the 3 year Signature Event Grant and after submitting acquittal documentation, agreed to leave the funding in place so expenses incurred could be met.
Great Noosa Country Trail Walk: This event was run very successfully over the recent October long weekend. Under the leadership once again of Jim Ennis, and ably assisted by Kym Neaylon and event co-ordinator, Lisa Marshall, once again the walk progressed through the Noosa hinterland, starting in Cooroy, and passing through Kin Kin and Cooran and finishing at Pomona. With 198 walkers booked, and 20 trail guides, plus a large contingent of community volunteers, it has been voted a great success once again. I would like to congratulate Jim and his team on another great event. Feedback on social media has been consistently positive and the mood at the registration desks was very upbeat. Plans are afoot for next year’s Great Noosa Trail Walk and perhaps a surprise event also. We are hoping the weather will be kind once again and thank you once again Noosa Council and Tourism Noosa for your support for this event.
Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre: Firstly, I need to thank Noosa Council for its ongoing support in our running of the Butter Factory. I welcome Councillor Karen Finzel to this meeting. Thankfully this year, The Arts Centre was closed for only a short time due to a Covid 19 lockdown in our area. Numbers of visitors at any time, and particularly at exhibition openings, are still restricted but we are able to manage this, by having attendees book free tickets on line and our wonderful volunteers check people off as they arrive. Visitors to the BFAC are averaging 2000 per month. Artisan Store artists average 35 – 40 each month and sales in both the gallery areas and Artisan Store are very strong. Masterclasses book out very quickly and are usually full by start date and children’s workshops for holiday periods are always booked out very quickly. Butter Factory Friends membership currently stands at 158. Exhibition spaces are booked out until September 2023. Exhibitions have been extremely well received throughout this last year, and currently we are showing the ‘Siliceous Award for Ceramic Excellence’ for Ceramic Arts Queensland. CAQ is one of the oldest arts organisations in Australia and entries have come from Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, ACT and of course Queensland. We are indeed very proud to be able to host this prestigious event. If you haven’t seen this exhibition, make sure you do. It is simply outstanding.
We have employed a Pottery Co-Ordinator at the Butter Factory Pottery. Michael Civiarella has joined us and is responsible for running classes, organising and doing the firings, organising master classes and helping pottery members with technical questions. There are currently 174 pottery members. Feedback from students has been very positive.
Masterclasses and workshops are regular occurrences and are often booked out well in advance. Pottery Classes are booked out currently until end of year, and new classes for Term 1 in 2022 will be going online by the end of week.
As a community arts centre, as always there have been numerous community based, or multiple exhibitor, exhibitions over the last year. Congratulations to the instal team, many of whom are volunteers, in handling the set ups of these joint exhibitions which naturally create significantly more work. Our Artist in Residence program in the Kaya Sulc Residency Studio on the mezzanine, has been consistently booked during this last year and is currently booked through to May 2022. The Artisan Store continues to grow and the rentals received, plus commissions generated from sales, are a steady contribution to the bottom line.
We are averaging 2000 visitors each month to the Butter Factory and feedback from visitors in relation to the ambience, vitality and friendliness of staff and volunteers has been extremely positive. We are fortunate to have staff who are committed to the success of our Butter Factory and put their creativity, passion and diligence to work to ensure continued success.
In closing I would like to thank Noosa Council for its support of our endeavours and in particular Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie who has been so supportive and so quick in following up queries for us; Tracey King, Manager of Libraries and Galleries at Council who has always been supportive and helpful; my fellow Board members for their support, hard work and generosity in building and maintaining our projects; and our wonderful staff led by Alicia and volunteers in helping to grow our role in the Cooroy community.
We look forward to the future with great confidence.
I would now like to welcome Mr John Hartley to conduct the election of officers for the 2021/2022 year. John until recently was President of the Cooroy Noosa Genealogical and Historical Society and is a member of the management committee of the Cooroy Rag.
Carol Watkins
