RADF Showcase 2013 - Mackay Regional Council

2013 RADF Showcase
Featuring a selection of local arts and cultural work by RADF recipients...
The Regional Arts Development Fund is a joint Queensland Government through Arts
Queensland and Mackay Regional Council partnership to support local arts and culture.
Front and Back Cover Picture:
Title: Fasten your seatbelt (Detail)
Jodie Connolly Digital Montage 2011
Mackay Regional Council Recipient Listing
2011 / 2012 Round 3
Developing Regional Skills
Colleen James $2,000
Participating in the Artists’ flinders and Gammon Ranges 9 Day Expedition.
Amanda Swart $1,511
The grant will be used towards the the cost to attend a 3 days workshop presented by internationally recognized felt artist Marjorlein Dallinga who is renowned for her
wearable & visual art.
Karrie Hayward $1,590
Attending the Tamworth Academy of Country Music.
Building Community Cultural Capacity
Kucom Theatre $5,000
Youth Theatre Production - “The Lion in Winter” . Staging a youth theatre production, “The Lion in Winter” at The Lynnette Denny Space, MECC, in August 2012.
U3A Musical Chimes Group $2,810
Conducting workshops and performing music using chimes at Greenmount Heritage Fair and other concerts.
River Rock to Mountain Top Festival $3,500
‘M150 Light Up’ Historial Photo and Lantern Parade Project. Facilitating community workshops to create large and small scale historical themed lanterns and a digital photo
exhibition for the closing event for the 2012 River Rock to Mountain Top Community Festival.
Cultural Tourism
Debbie O’Keefe $1,725
2012 Pioneer Valley Art Trail Photographic Exhibition. Producing 15 framed photo’s to display at coffee devine Pinnacle.
Edward Rigby $7,000
Developing my visual art to exhibition standard with help from the ‘Upstairs Gallery’ on River Street.
Contemporary Collections/Stories
Lorna Jenner $2,300
Mackay Flood 1958 Uncovered. Preserving local history relative to the 1958 flood in book form. Restoring photos, media clips and stories of survivors experiences during this
time.
Regional Partnerships
Jason Chetcuti $6,180
Chetcuti Art Vs Fashion Catwalk Show. Collaborative artistic art/fashion showing, consisting of wearable art which features textile design and avant guarde fashion combining
innovative make-up by local make-up artists and sculptural hair design created by local hairdressers in a catwalk presentation at the Mackay Artspace.
Concept Development
Julieanne Bergmann $3,009
Time for Questions. An individual concept development of a new dance work. Creative process to be documented and shared with the local community via a project blog and
work-in-progress studio showing.
Mackay Regional Council Recipient Listing
2011 / 2012 Round 4
Developing Regional Skills
Carmel Kelly $396
Collections Mosaic Training Course. Attending training for specific software used to collect and collate information on museum collections.
Tia-Che Gostelow $2,000
Attending the CMAA Academy of Country Music.
Carolyn Scott $445
Collections Mosaic Training Course. The grant will be used towards the cost of training for specific software used to collect and collate information on museum collections.
Margaret McReynolds $1,000
Attendance at 21st Annual Conference of the Romantic Writers of Australia
Building Commuinty Cultural Capacity
Sensory Circus Tribe $2,315
Professional Development Sensory Circus Tribe. Employing a professional circus trainer Nina Samootin from Brisbane to enhance the skills and teach new skills to students
and instructors of Sensory Circus Tribe.
Mackay & DIstrict Cake Decorators Assoc Inc. $2,930
Bringing top cake decorating demonstrators to Mackay.
Midge Point Arts & Crafts $1,717
Engaging the services of an experienced, professional artist to improve the talents of a group of amatuer artists
Pamela Hutley $3,840
Artists in residency in shade garden at Mackay Botanical Gardens.
Cultural Tourism
Noel Giles $5,600
“Steel and Fire Exhibition”. Producing, marketing and exhibiting new work in the “Steel and Fire” exhibition, to be held at “The Upstairs Gallery” in November 2012.
Contemporary Collections/Stories
Zodiac Moth-ers $5,569
The Bungy Jumping Caterpillar. Producing a children’s picture book which highlights locally vulnerable plant and animal species found in the Botanic Gardens to commemorate
the 10th anniversary of the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens.
Mackay Regional Council Recipient Listing
2012 / 2013 Round 1
Developing Regional SKills
Cleo Falzon, Kirrily Robinson, Mikahlah Mansfield, Zachary Summers, Makenzie Falzon, Ella Jarvis $800 each
Assistance to attend the Tasmanian Circus Festival training program in 2013. 5 days of intense training then 3 days of observation. With National and International trainers.
Building Community Cultural Capacity
Bush To Beach $1,200
Visual arts work shop presented by Noel Miller from Brisbane.
Quota International of Mackay’s Rural North Incorporated $3,800
Calen Photography Group: Employing a professional photographer to come to Calen to teach a group of amateur photographers to use digital SLR Cameras.
Cheryl Mitchell $2,040
Puppetry and stagecraft workshop to design and develop a giant puppet and props for the ‘Reluctant Dragon’ performance.
Margaret Burgess $1,500
Ben is Back: Two day professional development workshops with Sydney based abstract artist Ben Stack at Paxtons Creative space.
Cultural Tourism
Debbie Connors $1,000
Visual Art Exhibition (first solo exhibition): Art from the Heart.
Contemporary Collections/Stories
Valley Theatrical Players $4,000
Setting up a data base to detail 40 years of history of the Valley Theatrical Players and 20 years of the Pinnacle Playhouse.
Regional Partnerships
Crossroad Arts $6,000
Cherish: A community arts project that explores the things we value.
Concept Development
Riot Stage $4,151
The Chorus: A one-week conceptual development for The Chorus; a new devised theatre piece created with the young people of Mackay.
Youth Musicians Connect $2,500
Developing a Youth Musicians program to be offered to young music artists and musicians aged between 12 to 17 years in Mackay during the June 2013 school holidays.
2012 / 2013 Round 2
Building Community Cultural Capacity
Gary Matthews $1,200
Mackay Disability Photovoice Project: Employing a professional digital media artist to facilitate workshops for people with a disability to learn new skills to give them a new
medium to express themselves.
Concept Development
Mental Illness Fellowship North Queensland $3,750
Developing a Dvd that captures the journey of the Choir of Unheard Voices.
Jodie Connolly $5,830
‘Whitenoise’ Exhibition: Developing the concepts for a new media digital series called “whitenoise” and for planning the logistics for the related educational display, exhibitions
and artists talks.
Mackay Regional Council RADF Initiatives
Mackay Creatives Website
Artform: Multi Arts
Amount of Grant: $22,832
Project Description:
The grant was used towards the cost of a second series of build your own artist website’ workshops and consultant fees to design a ‘Mackay Creatives’ website
home page. Acting as a directory of local artists and art groups.
Outcomes:
•
Human Ventures were engaged to design and develop a web platform to promote the work of local artists and creatives, specifically aiming to expose their
work to the wider business community
•
Phase 1: Artist profile page template designed and workshops facilitated giving artists the opportunity to build and maintain their own online profile and
portfolio. These workshops and consultation sessions were well attended with 46 local artists completing the training and building their ‘mini’ website.
•
Phase 2: Design and development of ‘master’ website that contains and showcases the individual artist profile pages. A refresher workshop and several
Community Consultation sessions were facilitated to gain insight into the vision of the community and inform the design and functionality of the master Mackay
Creatives Website.
•
Phase Three will involve the handover of control of the website project from Council to the community. A draft report regarding suggested next steps and
design options has been received from Human Ventures and we are currently awaiting a final version before determining where to from here.
Amanda Swart
Category of Funding: Developing Regional Skills
Artform: Visual Arts - Textiles (Felt)
Amount of Grant: $1,214
Project Description:
Participation at a three day workshop ‘Form in Felt’ presented by world renowned felt artist Marjolein Dallinga,
held in Canberra.
Outcomes:
An expanded knowledge of felting techniques to achieve sculptural and structured forms, which have been
incorporated in my new works.
Understanding experimentation and disappointment are a part of the process and can make a positive
contribution to artistic outcomes.
I have become a better artist; willing to evolve with my work through perseverance and experimentation,
which will enable me to interact within the local community (exhibits, markets, workshops) with confidence and
determination.
Top Left: Sample of sculptural felted form created during the workshop.
Bottom Left: Sample of current work incorporating concepts gained from the workshop.
Below Left: Detail of sculptural felted form created during the workshop.
Below Right: Sample of current work incorporating concepts gained from the workshop.
Karrie Hayward
Category of Funding: Developing Regional Skills
Artform: Music
Amount of Grant: $1,590
Project Description:
Attended the CMAA Academy of Country Music. To develop skills in Songwriting, stage presentation, and
attend lectures with music companies, publishers and Managers.
Outcomes:
I have started songwriting and it opened many doors this year when I attended Tamworth in January. I have
made contact with publishers and two original songs that I have written have gone back to Nashville and I am
now waiting to hear what the outcome will be.
Top Left: Instrumental music class
Middle Left: Performing at Graduation Class
Bottom Left: Graduating with my amazing tutors and now great friends, Simon Johnson, Lee Bowman (Jetty
Road) and Amber Lawrence
Below: My Graduation Class
U3A Musica Chimes Group
Category of Funding: Building Community Cultural Capacity
Artform: Music
Amount of Grant:
$2,810
Project Description:
Conducting workshops and performing music using chimes at Greenmount Heritage Fair, Holy Trinity Church
(twice), Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village, Northview Nursing Home and Resthaven Aged Care Facility.
Outcomes:
Participants learnt methods of playing chimes, music notation and how these apply to the chimes. Various
pieces of music were learned and performed at Greenmount Heritage Fair as part of Mackay’s 150th Birthday
Celebrations.
Above:
U3A Chimes rehearsal December 2012 at St Ambrose
Hall.
Below:
Chimes are similar to hand bells and give members an
enjoyable mental workout.
Right:
Musical Director
Renae Covey
teaches participants
during the workshop
series.
Chimes were exhibited at Fair together with information and displays of U3A Mackay’s various other groups which
number about 35. One member utilises skills gained to lead chime playing with residents in a nursing home. Several other
members benefit using musical knowledge in both solo and choir singing.
Members appreciate the learning challenge and satisfaction of playing for others in the community, and the
benefits gained by being part of a positive and productive group. River Rock to Mountain Top Community Festival
Category of Funding: Building Community Cultural Capacity
Artform: Festivals
Amount of Grant:
$3,500
Project Description:
The RADF Grant assisted with the funding of community art workshops and curatorial fees to create large and
small scale historical themed lanterns and a digital photo exhibition for hte closing event for the 2012 River
Rock to Mountain Top Community Festival.
Outcomes:
It highlighted the geographical importance the Pioneer Valley played in the settlement of Mackay .
It contributed to the M150 clelbrations by providing a vibrant and family friendly event.
Community members were provided with an opportunity to gain new skills and a sense of achievement by
participating in a large scale community arts event.
The event promoted tourism in the region and provided financial opportunities for small businesses and local
arts workers.
Top Left: Finch Hatton
Primary School
Students
Bottom Left: North
Eton Primary School
Church Lantern
Right: North Eton
Chimney. M150
historical photo by
Debbie O’keefe
Far Right: Buick
Emblem. M150
historical photo by
Debbie O’keefe
Debbie O’Keefe
Category of Funding: Cultural Tourism
Artform: Photography
Amount of Grant:
$1,725
Project Description:
Produced 15 framed photos of the Pioneer Valley to display at Coffee Devine Pinnacle as part of the Pioneer
Valley Art Trail.
Outcomes:
Received positive feedback and comments from local and tourists, but did not make any sales.
Top Left:
Welcome Home. The road to home looks so
welcoming. Location: Wollingford Road.
Left:
Teemburra Reflections. An early morning
kayak on Teemburra Dam is the perfect way
to experience it’s beauty.
Ed Rigby
Category of Funding: Cultural Tourism
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$7,000
Project Description:
The grant was used towards the costs of developing my visual art to exhibition standard with help from the ‘Upstairs
Gallery’ on River Street.
Outcomes:
I gained new skills that enable me to produce a more professional finish to my work, and sold work at my exhibition.
I had media coverage in the Daily Mercury and Channel 7 for my exhibition. It raised my profile as an indigenous
artist.
My exhibition “Colours of the Outback” gave hope to other inspiring indigenous artists in our region, and I was
offered a position teaching art to indigenous children.
Top Left: Ed Rigby with Marg Burgess at the launch of his exhibition “Colours of the Outback”.
Left: Water colour pencil on paper from Ed’s Eungella series.
Below Left: Lyn Ahmat and Ed enjoy discussing the works at Ed’s exhibition launch.
Below Right: Water colour pencil on paper from Ed’s Eungella series.
Betty Everson & Lorna Jenner
Category of Funding: Contemporary Collections/Stories
Artform: Heritage
Amount of Grant:
$2,300
Project Description:
We gathered stories and photos from survivors of the 1958 Mackay flood and printed them into book form as a
record of the major event.
Outcomes:
Benefit of this project is to allow the public of our district to have an understanding of how people, city and
country, were dislodged and survived their time of distress.
It is comforting to survivors of recent times of flooding as they can relate their difficulties to others who have
been affected before them.
As organisers of the 1958 flood we were overwhelmed with the response from the general public.
Prior to that day on the 15th February 2008 our city suffered from major flooding.
Survivors then had the opportunity to hear from residents from the 1958 flood. Top Far Left: Cnr River &
Sydney Streets with Harbour
Board building
Middle Far Left: Remains of
one of the houses at Foulden
Bottom Far Left: Boat and
rubbish remaining after the
flood in Foulden
Left: Debri left by the flood
water in River Estate
Jason Chetcuti
Category of Funding: Regional Partnerships
Artform: Visual Arts - Fashion Design
Amount of Grant:
$6,180
Project Description:
The grant will be used for the cost of a collaborative artistic art/fashion showing, consisting of wearable art
which features textile design and avant guarde fashion combining innovative make-up by local make-up artists
and sculptural hair design created by local hairdressers in a catwalk presentation at the Mackay Artspace.
Outcomes:
There was a fantastic outcome in which the Mackay community supported the event, exposure was gained for
the CHETCUTI label, locally and nationally as the project was filmed and promoted through the internet. We strengthened professional relationships with our contributors. The show was successful.
Top Far Left: Local Mackay model Lauren Mitchell Wears CHETCUTI design in Mackay CBD.
Bottom Far Left: models before the catwalk show
Left: Jason Pictured with two models from Chetcuti
fashion show
Below: Image of Jason Chetcuti with models wearing his
designs after the CHETCUTI Fashion show
Brooke McReynolds (Nom de plume: Maggie Brooke)
Category of Funding: Developing Regional Skills
Artform: Writing
Amount of Grant:
$1,000
Project Description:
Attended the Romance Writers of Australia Annual Conference and held a
book signing
Outcomes:
Book sales, exposure, networking, contact with major publishers
Pamela Hutley
Category of Funding: Building Community Cultural Capacity
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$3,840
Project Description:
Artists in Residence Pam Hutley and Jenny de Thomasis facilitated an ephemeral arts project in the Shade
Garden at Mackay Botanic Gardens, Julv 2012.
Outcomes:
The purpose of the project was for the Artists in Residence to provide materials and expertise to
•
•
•
share knowledge and skills
to provide encouragement
non judgemental creative spirit
The project was very successful in providing a space for generational participation (grandmother, daughter,
children) and others to learn and create together, and the unexpected result of story telling, or ‘yarning’ of
shared memories, experiences, other cultures.
People whose family members were working on these weekends, came to seek company, ‘yarn’, and create for
a few hours.
Top Left:
BG Project 1
Middle Left:
BG Project 2
Bottom Left:
BG Project 3
Right:
BG Project 4
Noel Giles: Giles Blacksmithing
Category of Funding: Cultural Tourism
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$5,600
Project Description:
Fire and Steel exhibition was a new body of work produced for an exhibition at the Paxton’s Upstairs Gallery. I then travelled
with the new work to Western Regions of Queensland.
Outcomes:
The new body of work, animals and insects were well received by the public.
I made sales at the exhibition and on the regional tour to outback centres.
Numerous people enquired about learning Blacksmithing.
The gallery noted a huge increase in the amount of men visiting the exhibition.
Bush to Beach
Category of Funding: Building Community Cultural Capacity
Artform: Visual Art
Amount of Grant:
$1,200
Project Description:
Two day Mixed Media Workshop with Noel Miller, visual artist from Brisbane. The workshop was held in
Armstrong Beach.
Outcomes:
All participants learnt about colour theory, mixed media.
Top Left:
Demo Noel Miller
Middle Left:
Landscape Lynnie Hutchins
Left:
Outback West BRIZI
Right:
Noel Miller and students
Quota International of Mackay’s Rural North Inc. as auspice for Calen Camera Club.
Category of Funding: Building Community Cultural Capacity
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$3,800
Project Description:
Employment of a professional photographer to teach a group of residents to use Digital SLR cameras
Outcomes:
Skills development: Participants certainly learned skills in use their cameras. While no specific evaluation of skills was undertaken, participants reported in their feedback
forms that they learned a lot from the workshop.
Relationship-building: This was a major outcome of the workshop with all 11 local residents agreeing to continue meeting together on a fortnightly basis to support and
encourage each other. While not part of the written feedback, 1 local resident spoke of her long struggle with anxiety and her feelings of safety and welcome during the
workshop.
Community capacity-building: Since the workshop, participants have joined the Calen Camera Club and have begun to identify a number of projects that will both continue to
develop their photographic skills and also document aspects of the community in which they live.
Community identity: Many of the participants talked about their excitement that the workshop was being held in Calen, rather than Mackay. There was also lots of discussion
about ways to link the culture of the Calen area with photography.
Image: Calen Masterclass participants
Margaret Burgess
Category of Funding: Building Community Cultural Capacity
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$1,500
Project Description:
The grant was used towards the costs of bringing profesional Sydney based artist Ben Stack to Mackay to
conduct two, two day workshops at Paxton’s Creative Space.
Outcomes:
15 local artists gained new knowledge with new abstract painting techniques being brought to the region in
abstract expressionism, geometric abstraction and space in abstraction.
I have noticed Ben’s techniques being used in new works being developed by local artists.
The workshops strengthened ties between Mackay creative community and Sydney.
Promoted our Paxton’s Creative Space and the Upstairs Gallery and promoted our region as a tourist
destination, Ben intends returning as a tourist.
Above Left:
Example of expressionism in abstraction, Ben Stack
Left:
Kerry Alexander enjoys the workshop
Below Left:
Ben Stack in action
Right:
Workshop participants learn from Ben Stack
Debbie Connors
Category of Funding: Cultural Tourism
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$1,000
Project Description:
Debbie Connors first solo art exhibition. Titled “Art From The Heart” Consisting of 19 paintings,
acrylic and mixed media. Inspiration for this exhibition was based on our tropical surroundings.
Outcomes:
Exposure as a local emerging artist and Teacher.
Networking with other local artists
Offering new workshops in Mackay as an art teacher
Above Left:
Sundrenched acrylic on canvas
Left:
River Rocks acrylics on canvas
Below Left:
Harbour Lights acrylic on board
Below:
Freedom acrylic on canvas
Crossroad Arts
Category of Funding: Regional Partnerships
Artform: Visual Arts
Amount of Grant:
$6,000
Project Description:
Cherish: A community arts project that explored the things we value.
Outcomes:
Cherish brought together a diverse range of people from Mackay to explore how values play an integral role in
the life of a community.
Above:
Sam Miller in “The Nest”
Photo Ashley Holmes
Left:
Sam Miller and Georgia
Knoll in “The Nest”
Photo Ashley Holmes
Below:
L to R Tony Moore; Sam
Miller; Dougal McLauchlan
“The Nest”
Photo Ashley Holmes
Participants from Mackay OzCare Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre initially participated in a series of art
workshops, exploring the technique of cyanotypes, to create a series of artworks that explored the idea of ‘what
people cherish’.
A hand-stitched ‘Cherish’ cyanotype quilt was then created by the participants, using the cyanotypes produced
during the workshops. This quilt was installed in the foyer of the Parish Hall, at the entrance to the Holy Trinity
Op Shop (and Crossroad Arts’ loft studio). An opening event was held on Saturday 1 December to launch the
installation and to acknowledge the project outcome.
Participants were also involved in filming components of the quilt and the resulting film accompanied the
artwork installation, with it being screened on the outside wall of the building and in the loft studio windows
(back-projected), which face Gordon Street. The installation remained on display in the foyer from Saturday 1
December – Saturday 15 December 2012.
Cherish STAGE 2 began with a 10-week series of skill-based workshops (beginning on September 24) with
participants from Bluecare Respite Centre (for people with a disability). Participants explored a wide variety of
art-making in these weekly workshops, including: theatre; dance; music; and the making of zines.
Bluecare participants were very involved in determining the project direction and outcome. The resulting
public, multi-arts performance (a culmination of the skills-based workshops) entitled ‘The Nest’ was initially
devised/’story-boarded’ by Bluecare participant Natasha Tomlinson.
Local artists Pam Hutley & Wanda Bennett were brought in to work with participants to create weavings and a
large-scale ‘nest’ as part of the performance and local designer Carol Forbes created costumes for the event.
The live performance took place on Friday 14 December 2012 in the grounds of the Holy Trinity Anglican
Church Parish.
Jodie Connolly
Category of Funding: Concept Development
Artform: New Media - Digital Art
Amount of Grant:
$5,830
Project Description:
To develop the concepts for a new media digital art series called ‘whitenoise’ and to plan the logistics for the
related educational display, touring exhibitions and artists talks.
Outcomes:
I plan to use my knowledge and experiences gained from this project to assist future work within the local
community. My aim is to embed myself into the local art community, network with others and then contribute to
the development of new initiatives and projects.
I plan to document my project journey through my blog, website and Facebook page. I will also be developing an
educational display based on my conceptual development work and will hold artists talks in conjunction with the
local exhibition.
This project will provide informative, new media digital artwork that has strong underlying conceptual
development relating to contemporary social and technological issues.
Images:
Jodie Connolly and examples of her previous work
The RADF is a joint Queensland Government through Arts
Queensland and Mackay regional Council partnership to
support local arts and culture.