RJAFTA Trustees are volunteers who bring essential skills and expertise to efficiently run our board. We have been incredibly fortunate to have had the support of two such Trustees, Maureen de la Harpe and Annika Moses, who have decided to step down and pursue new endeavors.

Applications for the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts 2024 are NOW OPEN. Contact us if you need help with your submission. Closes 30 September, 2024.

In a showcase of remarkable talent, this year's Robert Juniper Award for the Arts proudly unveils Jett Bieundurry, known by his stage name Kayps, as the recipient of the 2023 scholarship. After an intense evaluation of a formidable lineup of finalists, the adjudicators were captivated by Kayps' musical versatility, commitment to artistic expression, and passion for his craft.

The Annual RJAFTA Fundraising Schools Concert, held at Eastern Hills Senior High School’s exceptional performance space and facilities, was an extraordinary musical experience that left the audience in awe. The evening featured a diverse range of performances from Eastern Hills Senior High School and Guildford Grammar School that showcased the exceptional skills and talent of the performing students and their directors. The audience constantly had to remind themselves that these remarkable performances were being executed by students aged from Year 7 to Year 12.

On a recent electrifying evening, music aficionados and blues enthusiasts spilled into the Darlington Hall to witness a musical extravaganza featuring internationally acclaimed musician Dave Hole and his musical counterpart Glen Whisson (both Darlington residents). The stage was set for a journey into the heart of blues music, with both Whisson and Hole transporting the audience back in time to the roots of blues music, interspersing their expertly delivered soulful renditions with anecdotal narratives of blues greats, including obscure blues legends. . The combination of Hole's impeccable slide guitar skills with the steady rhythm playing of Whisson, plus both Hole’s and Whisson's captivating solo performances, made for an unforgettable night of blues magic.

The Robert Juniper Award for the Arts $10,000 scholarship serves as a significant stepping stone for emerging artists, offering them a chance to elevate their profile and enhance their present skills in various ways. The scholarship provides financial support that can be used to pursue specialised training, workshops, and masterclasses. This enables emerging artists to refine their craft, learn new techniques, and gain insights from established mentors. By participating in intensive workshops or masterclasses, artists can push the boundaries of their skills, gain exposure to different artistic perspectives, and expand their artistic horizons.

Most people know that the cutoff age for applicants submitting a project for the RJAFTA scholarship is 35 years old. Some people have asked us recently if there is a MINIMUM age, and after investigation it appears there is not!

Applicants are very often (and rightly so!) curious as to what happens after they have submitted their application. Read on to find out - including the fact that the Trustees have NOTHING to do with who is determined the Award Recipient for each year!

Applications are now OPEN for the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts 2023. Read the HOW TO APPLY page to ensure you address all the necessary criteria, and if you need help, email or phone us. You can also presubmit your application for review - just get it to us by 31 August, and we will review it within 7 days and return it with suggestions (if necessary). Final submission date is 30 September.

The Western Australian artistic community lost one of its stalwarts with the death recently of internationally-renowned photographer, Richard Woldendorp. He was 96 years old.

The Trustees of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts are delighted to announce the appointment of former dancer and contemporary Western Australian figurative artist Jo Meredith as new Trustee.

The Trustees of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts are pleased to announce the successful scholarship recipient for 2022 is musician Ben Bulla. A singer and multi-instrumentalist, Bulla received his award from RJAFTA Patron Trish Juniper at the annual RJAFTA Award Soiree on 9 December, which was held at Juniper Galleries for the first time.

The annual Schools Concert is one of the musical highlights of the RJAFTA calendar, and this year’s concert was no exception. The EHSHS Music Auditorium is quite exceptional with great views from any seat, the lighting and sound quality is fantastic, and the beautiful parquetry flooring, wood panels and dark walls makes for a sumptuous space. The talented and skilled youth musicians entertaining the delighted audience came from Eastern Hills Senior High School, Helena College, and Guildford Grammar School.

The Trustees of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts are delighted to announce the appointment of lecturer/researcher, artist, writer and musician Dr Glen Whisson as one of two new trustees to the board.

Any organisation, whether it is a multi-national corporation or a small community body, is only as good as the people who work in it, and the Trust has been very lucky over the years with the folk who have volunteered to serve as Trustees. Two of these have recently decided that they need to move on and have therefore, to our regret, resigned from the Board.

The Trustees of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts are honoured to announce our new Patron is Patricia Juniper, widow of our first Patron Robert Juniper, and gallery owner of Juniper Galleries in Darlington. Trish will be co-Patron with Emeritus Patron Richard Woldendorp. Read more about our new Patron Trish Juniper.

The Trustees of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts are thrilled to announce the winner of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts 2021. The Award Recipient for 2021 is Darlington actor/writer/director/producer/artist Haylee Whisson. Haylee received her award at the annual RJAFTA Award Soiree on 10 December, at the Mundaring Arts Centre.

Congratulations to our 7 finalists in the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts 2021. Each finalist is vying for the opportunity to be awarded a scholarship of up to $10,000, to assist in funding a designated project. Congratulations to Hayley Whisson (actor/writer/producer), Michael Day (songwriter, musician), Bianca Walter (visual artist), Jo Meredith (visual artist), Finn Owen (photographer, musician), Briony Bray (photographer), and Ben Bulla (musician).

If you have an interest in arts, and especially in supporting young creatives, then get behind the dynamic team at Propel Youth Arts WA. Propel Youth Arts WA provides young people 12-26 with access and opportunities to engage with arts and culture “on their own terms”. It is a not-for-profit membership-based association established in 2003 as Youth Arts Network.

Many RJAFTA award recipients are actively engaged in the same creative pursuit that won them their award. We delight in following their careers, and feel privileged to have played a small role in helping to elevate their artistic dream. But what have our previous award recipients been up to since winning their award? Fortunately we have been able to keep track of most of them. Today, meet an internationally acclaimed artist who divides his time between WA and the English countryside.