The Channel Country Ladies Day was started in 2012 by two women who recognised the absence of opportunities for women in western Queensland to get together and be women for the weekend.
It is for all women in the Channel Country, whether you live in a small town or on a large pastoral station. It is for women of all ages to come together and enjoy a relaxing and uplifting break from the demands of life in the bush. We have had women from 14 through to 90 whom have all taken away something from the weekend.
The Channel Country Ladies Day developed in 2012 to bring women together from across a large geographic area to socially connect as social isolation is a significant issue for women in the remote western Queensland region. It offers women a platform and safe environment to openly share and discuss emotions, access women’s health while at the same time have fun and enjoyment, form new friendships through creative engaged arts experiences reducing social isolation and increasing emotional wellbeing. The Channel Country Ladies Day is now an annual event as a means of providing women from sheep and beef properties and towns across the Queensland Channel Country vast region, along with those in agricultural, health, arts service industries and corporates, to be inspired and empowered to better lead in their regions and better understand themselves.
Channel Country Ladies Day has had a long partnership with local arts organisation Red Ridge (Interior Queensland), with Red Ridge running the Artsbreak Area at the event each year. In April 2016, CCLD became a sub-committee of Red Ridge. We are excited for what this means for the long term sustainability of Ladies Day and for the possibility of securing further funding through RR’s long established relationships across the country, to bring the event alive.
Red Ridge helps create healthy and resilient communities in remote western Queensland by bringing people together in art and cultural activities.
We enrich their lives and we protect our heritage by working with our communities, government and donors. Our focus is the social and economic health of our own communities and all who live here.
OUR VISION ‘Vibrant and flourishing Western Queensland communities keeping our arts and culture alive’ OUR MISSION ‘Creating better rural communities through participation in the arts’ Red Ridge was established from the Queensland Government’s Creative Generators project; CICADAS@RAPAD and has gone from strength to strength since inception in 2009. It evolved as a regional charitable arts organisation established to provide a platform for local government networks in remote regions to promote the benefits of arts and cultural engagement to the liveability and ambience of the Interior.
It was formed to respond to regional needs and to support volunteer groups or organisation and to build the artistic and cultural capacity through partnerships across and within remote Queensland communities.