The GAINS project started in April 2007 with 23 team members participating for various periods researching and gathering information from the Nambucca region for the compilation of the GAINS Arts and Cultural directory. In the six months that the project has evolved, participants explored museums and galleries acquiring knowledge and experience about the diversity of arts and cultural practice within the Nambucca community.

The GAINS team developed skills in administration including computer skills using email and internet programs, devising forms, flyers, brochures and letters, website design and development, data entry, photographic documentation, events management planning and customer service skills in the areas of project promotion and gathering and dissemination of information for the directory to and from key stakeholders. The GAINS team met with many individuals and organisations throughout the project, building knowledge, confidence and expertise evidenced in the GAINS directory.

The team has also generously shared prior knowledge and experience with each other to make the GAINS project worthwhile and have worked harmoniously and good humouredly in a project that at times presented a number of challenges. I would like to thank the GAINS team for the opportunity of working with them on this project, they include in order of attendance:

Nicholas Banbrook, Michelle West, Ashwini Lata, Nirmaia Lee, Amii Carmody, Tymothy Stephens, Julie O'Shea, Aaron Weaver, Michael Stahn, Yuri Nakov, Matt O'Donnell, Sarah McDonald, Alex Tate, William Boney, Allisha Selke, Tiffany Connors, Ed Harley, Matt Daly, Elizabeth Locke, Catherine Khatchadourian, Jon Easton, Sheree Markham & Lee Watching.

GAINS Project Production Team Roles

CUSTOMER LIAISON & SERVICE - Michelle West, Amii Carmody, Julie O'Shea, Aaron Weaver, Michael Stahn, Alex Tate, Alisha Selke, Matt Daly, & Elizabeth Locke
DATABASE DESIGN - Aaron Weaver
DATABASE ENTRY - Aaron Weaver, Amii Carmody, Alisha Selke & Matt Daly
GAINS ACRONYM - Michelle West
GAINS LOGO DESIGN - Tymothy Stephens
GAINS LOGO V-WALL PROMOTION CONCEPT - Nicholas Banbrook
GAINS LOGO V-WALL PAINTING - Nicholas Banbrook, Julie O'Shea, Michael Stahn, Yuri Nakov & Matt O'Donnell
GRAPHIC DESIGN - Sheree Markham
IMAGE SELECTION & EDITING (PHOTOSHOP) - Tymothy Stephens, Sheree Markham, Matt O'Donnell, Alisha Selke, Ed Harley, Matt Daly, Jon Easton & Julie O'Shea
IMAGE STITCHING - Matt O'Donnell
INDIGENOUS ARTS CULTURAL INFORMATION - William Boney
IT SUPPORT - Matt O'Donnell & Nicholas Banbrook
IT TUTOR - Matt O'Donnell
PHOTOGRAPHY - Nicholas Banbrook, Tymothy Stephens, Julie O'Shea, Aaron Weaver, Michael Stahn, Matt O'Donnell, Sarah McDonald, Alex Tate, Alisha Selke, Matt Daly, Sheree Markham, Edward Harley & Lee Watching.
PHOTOSHOP SUPPORT - Jon Easton & Sheree Markham
PHOTOSHOP TUTOR - Sheree Markham
PROOF READING - Alisha Selke, Matt Daly, Elizabeth Locke, Edward Harley & Julie O'Shea
PROJECT COORDINATOR - Julia Morrell
PUBLICITY & MEDIA LIAISON - Alex Tate & Elizabeth Locke
RESEARCH - DIRECTORY ENTRANTS - Michelle West, Amii Carmody, Julie O'Shea, Aaron Weaver, Michael Stahn, Alisha Selke, Ed Harley, Matt Daly, Elizabeth Locke & Catherine Khatchadourian.
RESEARCH (PUBLIC ART) - Elizabeth Locke
RESEARCH (MUSEUMS) - Matt Daly
WEB MASTER & WEB DESIGN - Matt O'Donnell
WEB DIRECTORY DEVELOPMENT - Nicholas Banbrook
SURVEY BROCHURE DESIGN - Michelle West, Amii Carmody & Nicholas Banbrook
SURVEY BOX DESIGN - Ashwini Lata & Nirmaia Lee
WORD PROCESSING - Julie O'Shea, Aaron Weaver, Michael Stahn, Sarah McDonald, Alisha Selke, Tiffany Connors, Ed Harley, Matt Daly & Elizabeth Locke.
WRITING (DIRECTORY COPY) - Elizabeth Locke, Matt Daly & Julia Morrell

The GAINS Project has been supported by many individuals and organisations and we would like to acknowledge the generous support of:

Arts Mid North Coast - Richard Holloway for continual support and follow through with every request made by the GAINS project team and Russell Stockley for resolving a full gamut of IT issues with a particularly challenging collection of computers.

Bowraville Technology Centre - Colin Kemp for the generous hire of equipment and IT support.

DEWR - for funding to the project

Dynamic Web Solutions - for the donation of a hard drive to the project

Evolve Network Australia - Kerry Grace for advice, encouragement and support.

Nambucca Community Centre - the volunteers for providing a welcoming space for the GAINS Project to take place. Thanks also to the coordinator Jai Bonnefin for running the Events Management workshops for the GAINS team and to Tony Stokes for providing the support and IT changes to the centre to improve the running of the GAINS Project.

Nambucca Valley Computers - David Dalrymple for generous support and advice on a myriad of IT problems.

Rallies Discount Variety - for discounting materials used in the project

TAFE OUTREACH (Macksville Campus) - Kerrie Bowtell, Tony Dunn & Emma Reiten for the loan of laptops to the project participants.

Wesley Uniting Employment - Jenny Skeen & Suzy McAteer for Work for the Dole coordination of participants to the GAINS project.

Additionally, we would like to thank the directory individuals and organisations who have gone that extra mile to provide information to the GAINS directory to make it a useful and interesting resource for the Nambucca community and for visitors to the area seeking out arts and cultural experiences in the Nambucca Region.