12 intrepid Brisbane artists and artsworkers bravely fronted up on Sunday morning for a day’s intensive training on How to: Prepare and Write a Business Plan. The day went extremely well with much enthusiasm, plenty of concentration and heaps of questions. Despite the toughest of business topics everyone seemed to go away with a better understanding of how a business plan can help to make a difference to running a sustainable arts business. Thanks to workshop host Flying Arts Alliance.

A happy return to the Gladstone region last week. Three days of workshops, project consultations and an inspiring public art forum. Great to meet with so many of the region’s committed and creative artists and community champions. This trip I got to spend time in Miriam Vale and Yarwun as well as funky downtown Glad Vegas. Council and its staff continue to drive the community and cultural vitality of this region with splendid success. The Gladstone Region has an arts and cultural energy and ambition to envy. Good luck everyone; keep up the wonderful work. And thanks GRC.

Happily back in the heartland of Queensland heritage in Charters Towers for the weekend. A brilliant balance of now and then. No better example than the Excelsior Library – formally a classic Queensland pub. Here I spent a happy two days with community champions from Pentland, Homestead, Ravenswood and Greenvale raking over the principles and practice of good Association governance and the dizzy delights of managing finances and preparing budgets. A great couple of days punctuated by the community announcement about Charters Tower’s exciting role in the Commonwealth Games torch relay. Thanks everyone and congratulations on the wonderful work you do in your communities. Thanks also to the Charters Towers Regional Council for the invitation.