Forbes Arts Society President Karen Ritchie, Chair of Grazing Down the Lachlan Committee Wendy Muffet, Evolution Mining Community and External Relations Officer Renee Pettit, and Forbes Arts Society’s Tourism Promotions and Marketing Manager Emily Wilson at the announcement of the partnership extension.
Grazing Down the Lachlan (GDTL) is set to return on Saturday, 18 September 2021, and so too will Evolution Mining who is back on board as the event’s major sponsor.
Following the event’s sell-out success in its first three years, GDTL and Evolution Mining have chosen to extend their partnership to 2025.
The new five-year sponsorship agreement is valued at $150,000. The general manager of Evolution Mining’s Cowal Gold Operation, John Penhall said the mine was proud to secure its partnership with the award-winning event.
“The mine has stood alongside the Forbes Arts Society since Grazing Down the Lachlan was launched,” John said.
“Since then we have had the pleasure of watching it grow year-on-year and I’m proud to say we will be continuing our partnership for the next five years as the major sponsor of the event.”
Chair of the Grazing Down the Lachlan committee, Wendy Muffet said, “This is our dream partnership. Based on the bedrock of shared values, it enables us to leave a legacy as one of the funding streams for the extraordinary Sculpture Down the Lachlan trail and related projects.”
In 2019, the GDTL committee decided to take a 12-month break to refresh the event, a decision which has been deemed a sheer stroke of luck in light of COVID-19.
“We used our one-year hiatus to review Grazing’s existing format and explore new and different opportunities and ideas,” Wendy said.
“Next year’s event has been developed in conjunction with a robust COVID-19 safe plan, and we are so looking forward to announcing the 2021 program early next year.”
Proceeds of GDTL support the Forbes Arts which so far have facilitated the commissioning of 20 new sculptures to extend the Sculpture Down the Lachlan public art trail, the redevelopment of Gum Swamp reserve and the construction of a new Cultural and Arts Centre.