Project Profile: Shadow - Sculpture by the Sea
Ionas Kaltenbach

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Geraldton-based artist Ionas Kaltenbach was invited to exhibit his sculpture Shadow in one of Australia's largest free, international public sculpture exhibitions, Sculpture by the Sea, in Bondi, NSW. Problem was, the invitation came very close to the date of installation and exhibition and Geraldton is a long, long way from Bondi!

Ionas was able to access funding through the Quick Response Grant program to cover the cost of recreating and installing the artwork at Bondi and to attend the event's conference.

Being involved in Sculpture by the Sea allowed Ionas to discuss different artistic processes as well as network extensively with other artists from around Australia and the world.

Shadow was viewed by approximately 450,000 people along the Bondi foreshore. Such a large-scale exhibition also opened the door to a vast amount of media coverage and public discussion, allowing Ionas to develop his professional skills of discussing aspects of his artwork in a public forum.

Project Profile: MarshArt 2008
Disability and the Arts, Disadvantage and the Arts Australia (DADAA)

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DADAA employed a Regional Arts and Health Project Officer who worked with the communities of Derby and Fitzroy Crossing over two years, organising an artists-in-residence program based on community consultation.

One of the projects that resulted from this position was MarshArt.

Staged on the desolate marsh-land as part of the Derby Boab Festival, MarshArt is an annual community event that promotes participation and inclusion through arts and culture.

MarshArt 2008 culminated in a community celebration that presented several installations including a giant human nest and an installation of car tyres painted by local children.

The event also included performances by local children and musicians, many of which had been developed through workshops with visiting artists.

Films were locally produced and are available on YouTube. (2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XdOCvxNxtI )

"Local people are involved in the development of all elements of the event... they can see positive things happen with their input." - Jean Conroy / KCAT, Ireland Artist in Residence

Dancing with the Stars Carnarvon Style
Gascoyne Showcase of Performing Arts

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Inspired by the return of dancing to the small screen, the Gascoyne Showcase of Performing Arts developed an artist-in-residence project to develop dance skills in the local community.

Modern ballroom dancer Kerry Lavell ran a series of public classes in various dance styles. Participants also worked with Kerry to choreograph, rehearse and co-produce a cabaret event that rounded off the residency and brought Dancing with the Stars out of the TV and onto the streets of Carnarvon!

More than 300 people took part in the workshops and events based around the residency. The inclusion of the cabaret event also uncovered people in the community with hidden skills in areas such as lighting and sound, stage management and art direction.

"People were blown away and the event was the talk of the town." - Jennifer Peate (coordinator)

It's the biggest state in the nation and that presents enorrmous challenges for Western Australia when it comes to presenting high-quality touring shows to remote communities and, more importantly, making sure those shows leave behind a legacy.

Country Arts WA is addressing this with its Shows on the Go program where performers and musicians not only visit towns, but stay for a few days and run workshops with the locals. In 2009, Shows on the Go is being stepped up with the introduction of a pilot remote Indigenous touring strategy, with the aim of introducing it throughout the state in 2010.

"In 2008, we toured the award-winning contemporary Indigenous band Nabarlek to 14 regional, remote and very remote communities," says the chief executive of Country Arts WA, Jessica Machin.

"What we found so important, beyond the performances, was that the associated workshops really gave the young people a chance to talk to the musicians, hear their stories and get inspired to have a go themselves.

"In Warburton, after the visit of Nabarlek, we know that several of the local kids formed their own bands and groups and are practising and gigging. It's so good, because it also brings the elders together with the young people - it really inspires them to do positive things together," says Machin.

Machin says that whilst Nabarlek comes from Arnhem Land, there are also plans to tour some of the up and coming WA bands. "We have some really exciting Indigenous musicians here in WA and our new touring strategy will help raise and develop opportunities for them to work across the state. We even hope to work with communities across the border in the NT and South Australia," she says.

"What we know is that there's an enormous demand from these remote townships for regular visits of top-quality and inspiring arts product and that this translates into jobs and opportunities in the music industry. Country Arts WA can play a pivotal role in this," says Machin.

During its six week tour, Nabarlek visited 14 regional, remote and very remote communities in the Kimberley, Goldfields, Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Whealtbelt, Pilbara and mid-West regions of Western Australia. They reached a total of 3,670 audience members and delivered 12 workshops, mostly to Indigenous young people.

Shows on the Go takes place in all kinds of venues, from formal theatre spaces, to community halls and the outdoors. In Kununurra, Nabarlek performed at the local drive-in. Country Arts WA undertakes all aspects of the tour - itinerary development, contracting with local producers, on-the-road management and marketing support.

Find out more about bringing performing arts to your community through the Shows on the Go touring program here

This project relates to the following Country Arts WA priority areas: 

• Technology
• Focus Region

The Mingenew Project was the first of a series of Mid West Ignites Projects to take place.

Based on the successful model of the Digital Photography Project ‘Blink' 2006, project coordinator Jocelyn Morgan invited photographer, graphic designer and community arts worker Natalija Brunovs to spend the month of May in residence in Mingenew.

The Mid West Ignites funding program aimed to give communities in the Mid West the chance to work with a professional artist/s to develop public, contemporary arts projects that explore a sense of place and to celebrate distinctive local events, people or places, while engaging a broad cross-section of the community.

Workshops were held across a range of digital photography themes including sports action, ways-of-seeing and finding beauty, technical ‘how-tos', creative portraits, night shoots of stars, doing 'light grafitti' with laserlights and torches and sunset photography. The month long project attracted wide media coverage both within the region and the state and culminated in a community celebration and exhibition.

Many participants in the project had never used digital cameras before the residency commenced, however the availability of digital cameras for community use and the presence of a skilled artists who was able to work across new media artforms meant that by the end of the project more than a third of the community had taken part in the project and worked with the artist to develop new skills in photography and web applications.

A key element of the project was the development of a website by the artist and was designed as a way of using accessible technology for participants to share ideas and images and to keep connected.

The website is still active and can be accessed at http://www.mingenewproject.com/

The Mingenew Project ran for one month and culminated in a community celebration and screening of images. Approximately 100 people were at the launch of the exhibition and many more have been able to access, view and be inspired by the photography through the project website.

Download the case study here

The Mingenew Project received funding through the Mid West Ignites program, an initiative of Country Arts WA, the Mid West Development Commission and the Regional Arts Fund.

Above: Project participants in a portrait photography workshop. Photo: Rachel Bagshaw.

This project relates to the following Country Arts WA priority areas:  

• Technology
• Children & Young people
• Indigenous Arts & Culture

The Gooniyandi Reggae Music Project (named after the local language) was an innovative collaboration between respected traditional story recorder, musician and hip-hop artist Monkey Marc (Marc Peckham) and the Yiyili Aboriginal Community of Louisa Downs station.

The members of emerging Indigenous contemporary rock band, The Walkabout Boys, learnt new skills using technology as a catalyst for developing a reggae song based on a traditional Indigenous story.

25 young people and elders spent several days in the bush to record the Bat and the Crocodile story. Led by Gooniyandi elder, Mervyn Street, The Walkabout Boys spent 2 days visiting dreaming sites and recording the story on voice recorder under the mentorship of Monkey Marc. The story was then worked into a reggae song.

Marc helped The Walkabout Boys create the song by first uploading Mervyn Street's words onto a computer and editing the content to form a cohesive and smooth telling of the story. The group then wrote lyrics based upon Mervyn's telling and recorded themselves singing the tune. A reggae soundtrack was created and integrated with the lyrics using Pro-Tools sound editing software on Apple Mac.

On the last night of the project, the community came to listen to the song and watch projected images of the two week workshop and were very proud of the achievements.

Download the case study here

The Gooniyandi Music Project received funding and support from Yiyili Aboriginal  Community, Country Arts WA, YCulture Regional through Healthway to promote the Drug Aware message, the Shire of Halls Creek, Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre, Kimberley Land Council, Australia Council's Audience and Marketing Development Unit and the Regional Arts Fund.

Above Left: Elder, Mervyn Street & Monkey Mark. Above Right: The Walkabout Boys with Monkey Marc. Photos: Bec Cockram.

RESURRECT was an artist-in-residence project in Albany, exploring the theme of recycling and environmental issues engaging the visual arts, music, multi-media and community cultural development processes. It was a partnership between the Nine Lives Youth Art Studio (formerly Open Access), Vancouver Arts Centre, the City of Albany, and Cleanaway, and was based at the Albany Landfill site and the Vancouver Arts Centre. 

The project involved an artist in residence program over 5 weeks with a series of community and artists workshops, open studio, and a schools program. This resulted in an exhibition at the Vancouver Arts Centre including instruments made from recycled materials, a sound-scape, performance, sculpture, installation, and multi-media.

The artists in residence were Cecile Williams (visual arts) and Peter Keelan (music) both who specialize in using recycled materials. They worked in collaboration with each other and with the Nine Lives artists- Sandy O'Doherty, Michael O'Doherty, and Saz Lockyer-  as well as local artists, community members and youth. The project was managed by Nine Lives Coordinator Sue Codee.

The project was in 3 stages:

Stage 1 saw the artists working intensively in a studio at the new Waste Education Centre at the tip where they had access to the tip face and the tip shop, and the recycling yards for materials. The TIP TEMPLE series was developed as a meditative and reflective homage to trash. A series of Open Studio days and workshops with schools were also a part of this process. Peter Keelan and Saz Lockyer created a sound-scape and Sue Codee made a short film to document the process.

Stage 2 saw the exhibition at the Vancouver Arts Centre including the TIP TEMPLE series which were sculptural artworks which created sounds when spun; a sound-scape created from sounds and materials from the tip; a multi-media peice documenting the process; and a series of recycled instruments including a percussion cage. On opening night Peter and Saz performed part of the sound-scape live.

Stage 3 saw Cecile Williams based as artist in residence at the Vancouver Arts Centre where she conducted workshops with school children, the local home-school group, and an ACTIV group to create an installation from recycled and found materials. This unfolding installation resulted in an amazing assortment of artworks and on the final exhibition day a closing event unveiled this installation.

The Albany Environment Centre supported the project by providing hands-on workshops on recycling and sustainability which gave participants valuable information as well as ideas for artworks.

This was an opportunity to make use of the new Waste Education Resource facility at the tip and to introduce community members to it.  Surprisingly the Albany Landfill is a particularly picturesque environment. As well as reflecting on the beauty of the landscape against the rubbish and debris that had been dumped onto it, a relationship developed between the workers at the tip and the artists, and exposed the tip workers- most for the first time- to the arts.

This project also gave the community the opportunity to work with skilled artists, learn new artistic skills, and be involved in an enriching and innovative community project. Participants were excited about the potential of creating artwork from recycled materials that in turn has given them an insight into different ways of viewing the world. This will hopefully have the long-term effect of creating a genuine interest in the arts.

"The project provided the community with a unique and engaging experience through the exhibition that was participatory in its nature. Many commented on how it was nice to be able to go into a gallery and actually touch, spin, and play the artworks." - Sue Codee, Project Coordinator

Resurrect was supported by Country Arts WA through Community Arts Project Scheme, YCulture Regional and Regional Arts Fund Project and Residencies Funding.

Above Right: Piece made from assorted bits of plastic toys, springs from trampoline, wheelchair wheels, metal table legs, metal drum, wire racks and dolls arms at the Junk sculpture exhibition held at Vancouver Arts Centre. Photo: Sue Codee.

Big Story Country showcases stories about the great, the curious, the inspirational and the most creative arts and artistic events that have happened in towns, cities and remote communities of regional Australia.

Big Story Country can be downloaded from the Regional Arts Australia website www.regionalarts.com.au in pdf or html format.

Development of Big Story Country was assisted by the Regional Arts Fund, an Australian Government initiative supporting the arts in regional, remote and very remote/isolated Australia, and the Australia Council for the arts, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body.

The Mingenew Project was a month-long photography project that happened during the month of May as part of Mid West Ignites. Coordinated by local go-getter, Joceleyn Morgan, Photographer Nat Brunovs was brought into the community that lies about 100km inland from Geraldton to run a series of photography workshops with some amazing results! With nearly a third of the population taking part in the project, people were able to build new skills in photography, develop a different way of looking at their community and come together with the rest of the community.

www.mingenewproject.com

Check out Drew Radford's video diary of the project at the ABC Rural website www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2008/s2262442.htm

It’s been a ten year journey from a motor garage space where artists met to work and exchange ideas, to a best practice partnership model providing a Community Art Centre, Gallery and cultural precinct in Port Hedland.

The Regional Arts Fund has contributed $70,000 over two years towards to the funding of a full time Visual Arts Coordinator for the Courthouse Art Centre and Gallery (CAGC). The coordinator works with the partners, Town of Port Hedland, Hedland Arts Council, Pilbara Arts Craft and Design Aboriginal Corporation, BHP Billiton Iron Ore Alliance and FORM Contemporary Craft and Design Inc.

Participants in a Clever with Our Hands workshop with tutor Nola Taylor.

Courtesy of the Courthouse Art Centre & Gallery

"Over the last 21 years in Hedland there have been many marvellous, but short lived halcyon bursts of creative activity in the town: amateur theatre, choirs, creative writing groups and belly dancing troupes to name a few. These Camelot moments were driven by passionate and energetic people. The problem being, of course, that when these people left town that activity invariably died. To create sustainability for the Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery it was essential to have a paid position so that when project co-coordinators leave town (which they have) the Courthouse continues functioning (which it has.) Because the funding for the position of coordinator was not solely dependent on one partner, the position remains, in spite of changes and the differing viewpoints and levels of interest. The fact that the Courthouse was supported by the Regional Arts Fund, BHP Billiton, and local government also gave the arts community more leverage to push on." Kathy Donnelly, Visual Arts Coordinator Courthouse Art Centre and Gallery.

Bradley Taggart Smith at work.

Courtesy of the Courthouse Art Centre & Gallery

The CACG has successfully supported community arts groups, local artists, and the Indigenous community by developing an inclusive multi-arts and exhibition program. An example of this is the HARTZ Hedland Art Award, a popular annual event attracting nearly two hundred entries from across the region.

Two Carnarvon Aboriginal Corporations collaborated to create a weaving project that involved 4 days of workshops with nationally renown fibre artist, Nalda Searles. The workshops were open to the whole community and included basketry, jewellery and sculpture. With more than 60 people joining in, the workshops were a huge success.

Banana leaf and emu basket.

Photo by Kim Whitehall-Holla

Local fibre materials were used, such as banana leaves and emu feathers. There was high quality artistic input mixed with an accessible and relevant medium, drawing on locally available materials. The beautiful basketry that emerged from the workshops, as well as demand for further workshops in more advanced weaving techniques, was a good indicator of the success of the project. The project left a legacy of new weaving skills in Carnarvon, using local fibres.

Organisers of the Nannup Music Festival wanted to ensure that young people of primary and high school ages were part of the Nannup Music Festival. They consulted with the local Youth Advisory Group and High School and decided to apply for funding to support funk band, Earthwise Junkadelic to come to the Festival.

Young people in Nannup participate in the Junkadelic street parade

Photo by Louise Stokes

A successful CAPS grant contributed to the cost of Junkadelic doing percussion workshops with recycled materials prior to and during the Music Festival. This culminated in a huge street parade involving all the workshops participants (and a few others!) and a stage performance.

Huge numbers of young people wanted to participate. New percussion, instrument making, dance and performance skills were gained. The success of this project has encouraged the Festival organisers to build on this and invite other artists to future Festivals to offer activities targeted at a younger audience.

For more information contact the Nannup Music Festival.

Kalannie Netball Club was assisted by Share the Risk to present a performance by Bellydancers at their Melbourne Cup Luncheon in 2006. The Kalannie Community Association, which also involves the Tennis Club, Playgroup Mums and the Bowling Club ladies, supported the event. Adding some shimmer and dance to the day gave everyone an opportunity to come together and try out something new.

Kalannie Belly Dancers

Photo by Courtesy of Kalannie Community Association

"Everyone was smiling and laughing and enjoyed themselves. The belly dancer "Gitana" gave a talk about what belly dancing is all about which was very interesting. It was great fun and really rewarding to see everyone having so much fun." - Sally Sanderson.

A Quick Response Grant supported Memento Awards finalist and winner, Papulankutja artist Katherine Jackson attend the Awards Presentation Breakfast and professional development workshops held in Brisbane in September.

The Memento Awards showcase fresh, contemporary, commercially viable craft, art and design that reflect the unique character and spirit of Australia. Since its inception in 1999 Memento has generated more then $3.2 million in marketing and promotion for producers of Australian tourism merchandise.

Papulankutja artist, Katherine Jackson (right) and Papulankutja Artists Coordinator Erin O'Connor in Brisbane

Photo by Courtesy of Papulankutja Artists

Papulankutja Artists are based in Blackstone, a remote community near the border between Western Australian, South Australian and the Northern Territory. Papulankutja Spinifex Paper and commercial products have been in development for a number of years. Three different product lines were submitted to the Memento Awards 2006. These were Miniature Paintings on Spinifex Paper, a Notepaper and Envelope set and a ‘Post-a-Painting’ with handpainted paper. The Miniature Paintings on Spinifex Paper were selected as finalists by the judges.

Finalists were invited to attend the Awards Breakfast as well to a number of workshops on offer, such as a Product Authenticity Forum, the ‘Product to Market’ Workshop, and to benefit from personal consultation with marketing experts. A development meeting involving Western Australian craftspeople was also held.

For more information about Quick Response Funding, click here.

The Hotspot Project run by MIX Artists of Albany included innovative arts projects involving some smaller communities in the Great Southern. The aim of these projects was to engage people in considering issues and aspects of their local environment through fresh eyes and to express this in an artistic way. A range of different people became involved, including local CALM officers, the Gondwana Link environmental group, Indigenous representatives, historians, teachers, farmers as well as artists became involved. Highly experienced artist Cecile Williams, facilitated an environmental community art workshop at Twonkwillingup or (Police Pools) near Katanning to explore the location and create ephemeral site-specific art.

Hotspot work by Kerrie Argent from Lake Grace

Photo by Courtesy of MIX Artists

The support of the Regional Arts Fund aided MIX Artists to implement two community aspects of the project - a partnership with Katanning Art Gallery to mount an exhibition of works from the Twonkwillingup workshops, and the Lightsite project, a collaborative work involving regional and remote farming families, environmental scientists and community groups.

'Remnants of Place' by Ann Copeman

Photo by Warren Bellette

The local Noongar art organisation, Mungart Boodja supported the project and would like to work with MIX on future possibilities.

The Hotspot exhibition toured WA through Art on the Move in 2007. More information is available at www.artonthemove.com.au.

Connections between community, artists and the environment were key to the development of the Southern Forest Sculpture Walk. The Regional Arts Fund has supported the Southern Forest Sculpture Walk in a number of ways over the past three years.

There was an initial mentorship between Fiona Sinclair and Maggie Baxter supported by the Regional Arts Fund in 2004, which Fiona, as mentee, credits as an important factor in the success of the broader project. Without the professional mentorship of Maggie Baxter, public art consultant, the development and implementation of the project would have been an overwhelming task for the volunteers from a community of fewer than one thousand residents.

Artwork by Cecile Williams created as part of the Southern Forest Arts Festival

Photo by Cecile Williams

A later project saw internationally renowned site-specific artist, Francois Davin, conduct a residency with the community and committee in 2005. A further project involved the development, recording and public presentation of music and stories created by local residents. The CD, Canopy Songs from the Southern Forest was launched as part of the Southern Forest Arts Festival to celebrate the opening of the Southern Forest Sculpture Walk in November 2006.

An ABC Radio National program was made about this element of the Southern Forest Sculpture Walk. It can be found at this page on the ABC website.

Artwork by Katie Thamo from the Forest Stones series, the cat nook.

Photo by Courtesy of Southern Forest Arts

The Southern Forest Sculpture Walk and the projects that were part of its development is testament to the multi art form approach adopted by the project organisers.

The catalyst for action came in the midst of the ‘timber debate’ that ravaged our region several years ago. The social fabric of our community was torn apart by conflicting opinions about the future of the forests – about ways to balance economic viability and environmental sustainability. Fiona Sinclair, Coordinator Southern Forest Sculpture Walk.

This mentoring partnership was between Nancy Lumsden and her professional mentor Lucy Bromell.

The Project

Newman artist Nancy Lumsden and her mentor, Perth-based textile artist Lucy Bromell found their mentorship offered mutual enjoyment, professional development and above all, inspiration. Time spent exploring the Pilbara landscape together allowed each artist to experiment with natural materials and dyes, leading to new work and honed skills.

Mentoree Nancy Lumsden's Devore Scarf

Photo by Nancy Lumsden

What Happened?

The original objective of the mentorship was to develop a body of textile work that related to the landscape of the Pilbara. The partners initially worked on developing a purpose built studio space and acquiring equipment for Nancy and a range of new textile skills to produce a body of work influenced by the new relationship and the regional environment. Working with a highly experienced textile artist and professional mentor has given Nancy access to information and the right contacts for the specialised equipment and materials needed to produce high quality textile product.

Mentoree Nancy Lumsden's Print Table

Photo by Nancy Lumsden

Over time the partners developed a strong working relationship via face to face meetings in Perth as well as an extended camping trip to an inspirational Pilbara location. The creative stimulation created by this exchange has significantly influenced the designs and use of dyes by both artists in their recent works.

Showing the Way – why is this an example of good arts practice?

Nancy and Lucy’s mentorship provided Nancy with access to new techniques, professional contacts, expanded networks and the confidence to pursue a new artistic pathway.

To find out more about mentorships, click here (points to Artists/Mentorships).

Background

Moora Fine Arts Society (MFAS) began in 2001 and started applying for Annual Funding in 2003. The organisation has steadily grown from year to year in various ways and this has been reflected in the increasing amount of funding they have successfully applied for. Their program is dominated by the visual arts, but does include other artforms such as theatre, music, circus and dance.

Recent achievements include:

• becoming registered as a touring exhibition venue,
• relocation to a new facility which has space for gallery, workshop and artist in residence activitie,
• establishment of a popular new Winter School arts program,
• hosting the 2005 Wheatbelt Cultural Forum – a gathering of all Wheatbelt people associated with culture and the arts.

Creative personnel involved

The year long program draws on a mixture of local artists and artists from elsewhere, ensuring opportunities for local people to share their skills and also for the introduction of new skills.

Moora Fine Arts Society

Photo by Natalie Tonkin

Sources of funding and other support

Their income is made up of membership fees, workshops fees, commission on sales of artworks and various sources of arts funding, including local Government and Country Arts WA Annual Funding.

Hurdles along the way

Making sure there are enough volunteers to share the workload.

Most significant or innovative aspect of the organisation

• Successful involvement of younger people on their committee, ensuring the organisation’s sustainability into the future.
• The program includes a showcase of Indigenous artists and MFAS has an Indigenous Committee member. These are 2 strategies of working toward greater inclusion of Aboriginal people in their activities.
• Establishment of an excellent gallery space equipped with high quality lighting and hanging systems. This means they are one of few Wheatbelt communities which can receive touring exhibitions from Art On The Move.
• The MFAS vision extends beyond Moora to the Wheatbelt, as evidenced in their hosting of the Wheatbelt Cultural Forum.

For more details contact Deb Fisher at mdfisher@westnet.com.au.