THOSE who know Glenn Inglis might be surprised to hear the long-term council honcho was engaged in a bit of interpretive dance on Thursday.
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Yep, it's true, Cr Inglis held court at the Tamworth art gallery in front of the city's premier artists and the state's art industry heavies with their jaws agape and applause aplenty.
The dance was perhaps lacking in artistic athleticism, but Cr Inglis showed he was a master of political manoeuvring as he shifted the 2019 Artstate launch to an impassioned petition to MP Kevin Anderson to cough up some money for the council's new performing arts centre.
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In late October and early November, Tamworth will host the third ever Artstate conference bringing a bevy arts industry people to town, alongside a free four-day arts festival featuring public exhibitions and performance across the region.
Cr Inglis called on Mr Anderson to play a leading role during the conference.
"What a beautiful opportunity we've got in regard to timing for a capital funding announcements," he said.
"On the 31st of October as you open with Mr Harwin [the NSW arts minister] the third iteration of Artstate.
It was at this point Cr Inglis drew Capitol Theatre manager Peter Ross into the dance.
"What an opportunity, what an opportunity, Mr Ross," he said.
"You will be there with your capital plans, your business plans, your cost-benefit analysis, it'll be tick, tick, tick for treasury, Mr Anderson."
Cr Inglis said Tamworth Regional Council would have to continue to invest heavily in arts and culture as part of the quest to build the population to 100,000 people to ensure the community is desirable and livable.
"I like to say that cultural creativity is the source of human progress, including our progress here in Tamworth," he said.
The four day event in Tamworth will draw 200 arts industry delegates and include a line-up of inspirational speakers alongside a multi-genre arts program showcasing the very best in arts from the North West region.
"Artstate is a time to celebrate the very best in regional arts and culture across NSW and I am delighted that this year it is heading to Tamworth," Arts minister Don Harwin said.