COVID-19 Response

Tuesday, 17 March 2020

As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia continues to grow, it has become clear to us at Propel Youth Arts WA that we must cancel the upcoming Youth Week WA KickstART Festival, which was scheduled to take place from 17 - 24 April.  

We are heartbroken as this year’s event was supposed to be our 10th anniversary celebration of KickstART and, in our team’s opinion, was shaping up to be one of the best festival programs we would have ever put together. However, we have a responsibility and a duty of care that stretches beyond just the arts and youth sectors, to our community at large. It would be a risk to public safety if we were to continue with KickstART this year. 

We have not made this decision lightly and are aware that many artists, staff, volunteers and the extended community will be affected.  

To the freelance artists and arts workers who we were looking forward to collaborating with for the festival this year, thank you for your time and contributions so far. We will be in touch to ensure that every artist involved in KickstART 2020 is paid their full fee, despite this unfortunate situation. 

To the broader arts community, please check out these Facebook groups being run by artists and arts workers on a national and state-wide basis, where ideas and resources are being shared on a consistent basis:

• Australian Arts amidst COVID-19 

• Arts Revival WA 

There is also some great advice, guidance and resources for the arts industry available in the below links: 

• Creative Capital - List of Arts Resources During the COVID-19 Outbreak  

• MEAA - COVID-19 (coronavirus) advice for MEAA Media members  

• NAVA – Industry Advisory Note: COVID-19 Response 

To our many volunteers and those young people who had responded to our callouts for expressions of interest, we deeply regret that we will be unable to provide these opportunities for the time being. If you are interested in volunteering to help some of our most vulnerable people during this pandemic, I encourage you to check out this COVID Volunteer Coordination scheme for seniors in Mandurah, which has been started by Zak Kirkup MP, or contact your closest local government for volunteer opportunities closer to your area.

The Propel office will be closed from today until further notice and our staff will begin working from home with immediate effect. We will continue to provide services and resources to the youth arts sector during this period. We will be contactable via the following email addresses during regular office hours:  

• General Enquiries – hello@propel.org.au  

• Jamie McGleave, General Manager – jamie@propel.org.au  

• Cecile Vuaillat, Program Manager – cecile@propel.org.au  

• Yoshika Kon, Communications Officer – yoshika@propel.org.au  

• Zal Kanga-Parabia, Advocacy Development Officer – zal@propel.org.au  

• Kobi Arthur Morrison, Creative Coordinator – kobi@propel.org.au  

• Karen Connolly, Finance Officer – karen@propel.org.au  

In taking these measures, and encouraging others to do so, we hope to limit the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in our community. This is also an opportunity for us to collaborate and dream up new platforms for more accessible arts delivery in the near future. We acknowledge that there are difficult times ahead and encourage everyone to look after themselves and each other, and to stay informed about how to remain safe. 

There will be an ongoing list of resources added to the Propel website very soon, with links to information from various agencies and professional services. If you would like to see anything added to this list, please get in touch. 

Thank you for your understanding and support. 

Jamie McGleave, General Manager  

Propel Youth Arts WA