Case study - Cross regional projects

Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE)

Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) was established in 1984. Lena Nahlous is the CCD Program Manager in addition to her other job of acting Executive Officer. Apart from the local Holroyd and Parramatta projects that ICE initiate and run, they are well known across the Western Sydney area for initiating the ARTFILES project that has had enormous ramifications for artists and the arts generally in Western Sydney. Artfiles maps and profiles the arts in Western Sydney. Through extensive research and publicity around 1,000 individual artists, artist groups, educators, performers, independent artsworkers and community cultural development workers have chosen to be listed in artfiles. Artfiles also provides information on funding opportunities, cultural events, media contacts, educational institutions and organisations.

Artfiles is an invaluable, easy to use information resource. If you have a question about the arts in Western Sydney, or you need to find an artist or a group, it's all here!

Switch:

Multimedia and Digital Arts Access Centre is a partnership between ICE and Parramatta City Council.

Switch engages diverse communities with new-media arts and information technology in an environment of innovation. Switch is also a response to social exclusion; it will be a digital bridge that applies and develops community cultural development practices in digital arts mediums.

Switch is a new-media arts space where artists (including emerging artists) and communities can explore the possibilities of digital arts and other new forms of cultural expression, and where community practitioners can work with communities on cultural programs and develop their own arts practice.

Initially Switch will specialise in Digital Music and Web and Graphic Design.