Arts Minister Peter Garrett today announced funding for arts and cultural activities at 27 regional community festivals around Australia.

``Festivals in outer regional and remote communities will have the opportunity to add special arts and performance projects to their programs, such as dance workshops, storytelling, circus arts, puppetry and film,'' Mr Garrett said.

``These new projects add exciting elements to the celebrations and help regional tourism, as well as community spirit, in these towns.”

The $30,000 grant will be used to fund a collaborative project between the aerial performance company Strange Fruit and the Art is… Festival, in partnership with Wimmera Women’s Circus, local dancers and the Natimuk rock climbing community.

This partnership will produce a spectacular show that will respond to the 2010 Festival theme Art is... elemental, through the four elements _ earth, air, fire and water.

Strange Fruit will train Horsham community performers to participate and perform.

Each element will be performed using different skills and designs, and all elements will subsequently draw together for a final cohesive image showing the coming together of the disparate elements into a unified whole - a potent statement of strength in diversity.

Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction Bill Shorten said that the Art is… festival was a major community event in the Wimmera and he was delighted that the festival had received funding.

``Horsham was one of the towns affected by the bushfires of February 7 and has been part of the Rudd Government’s rebuilding efforts,'' Mr Shorten said.

``Arts festivals are a chance for the local community to come together and celebrate the things they hold in common. This festival will be a great community event for the Wimmera.''