What's New?

Arts & Disability Research Project

» RSVP - forum in Warrnambool
» Complete survey
» Visit wiki
» Register for Mapping Project

Devi

Devi Kanapathy from North Geelong Indian community with Indian tea ceremony at the Community Voice conference, Geelong June 2006

Publication:

Buy your copy of The Fourth Pillar of Sustainability: Culture's essential role in public planning by Jon Hawkes for the Cultural Development Network

 

Cultural Development Network

 

hot links HOT LINKS

Forthcoming events:
Homelessness & Cultural Democracy
•

Making the Case for Culture: Creative City Network of Canada
•

Poems about Community Spaces
& other papers from Connecting Schools & Communities conferences, June 2008
•

Meet, Meld, Merge Art Bringing a Community Together:
the Toil Art Project, in Yea, N.E. Victoria
•

Homelands Project
Home Lands: Internet TV program which connects young refugees to their home lands
•

The Agenda 21 for Culture is the first document with worldwide mission that advocates establishing the groundwork of an undertaking by cities and local governments for cultural development.
•

 

Search the CDN site:

CDN Events & Papers

Coming Events | Past Events & Papers

» Past Events    » Past Conferences

We host a variety of public programs to stimulate discussion among and between various sectors about the implications of applying a cultural perspective to local development. These events bring together people from disparate disciplines to forge new relationships, consider new ideas and be inspired by new thinking about the role of arts in communities.

Networking the Diaspora

Thursday October 30, VicHealth Seminar Room, Carlton

Networking the DiasporaThis exciting half day forum looks at the possibilities of modern technologies to facilitate, develop and maintain communication between dispersed communities. Networking the Diaspora aims to include refugee community leaders, human rights lawyers, and the broader community service sector to discuss new ideas in refugee resettlement policy and the premise that refugee youth resettlement is more successful if young refugees are able to identify, communicate and engage with their home communities.

Networking the Diaspora considers the home land of birth, the interim 'home land' of refuge and the adopted 'home land' of hope. The UN Declaration of Human Rights is not specific about geography when affirming the right 'to participate in the cultural life of the community' and the forum will examine how cultural participation can happen with dispersed refugee communities through new communications, technologies and media channels.

Panellists will discuss the rights of communities to communicate with each other, new policy developments, the possibilities of new technologies, and building cultural continuity across diasporas.

Panellists:

David Vincent - works as a Youth Facilitator with the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), is a Human Rights Youth Ambassador with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, a Community Liaison worker with Brotherhood of St Laurence, a Member of UNHCR Speakers Bureau and a Youth Leader in the Sudanese community. David arrived in Australia 4 years ago after 13 years in Kakuma camp, Kenya and is currently finishing up a BA double majoring in political science and criminology at Melbourne University.

Dr Raelene Wilding is Lecturer in Sociology at La Trobe University. She will be reflecting on findings from her ongoing research regarding the ways in which migrants and refugees use communication technologies to sustain family relationships across distance. She is co-author of the books Families Caring Across Borders: Migration, Ageing and Transnational Caregiving (Palgrave, 2007) and Race and Ethnic Relations (OUP 2008), as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters.

Rachel Bongiorno is the Youth and Women’s officer at the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council (NEMBC). The NEMBC is a national peak advocacy organisation dedicated to providing opportunities and support for multicultural and ethnic community broadcasters. Rachael has been involved in radio broadcasting since 2002 and more recently became involved in community TV with the independent media collective Plug-in TV. Rachael has produced feature material for Alchemy on SBS Radio, and programs such as Polyfonix and Women's World on 3ZZZ fm Multicultural Community Radio and the Student Youth Network (SYN). Rachael holds an honours degree in political science and migration studies and a diploma in modern languages from the University of Melbourne.

Andrew Lowenthal is a media and technology activist. He is a member of EngageMedia, a free software initiative, training project and video sharing site focussed on social and environmental issues in the Asia-Pacific.

Kirsty Baird has been the Project Coordinator for the Home Lands project since October 2007. She has worked on community based film/video and new media and arts projects for the last 8 years with a range of communities in a variety of different settings. In 2007 Kirsty travelled overseas on a Skills Development Grant from the Australia Council for the Arts, visiting film/video/new media organisations working with communities in the United Kingdom and then spent three months living in Cambodia and working with Epic Arts, a disability arts organisation. In 2008, she visited the Thai-Burma border to conduct research for the Home Lands project and met with members of Karen community based organisations. She hopes to travel to the Sudan in early 2009.

This event is free. Presented by the Cultural Development Network in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

Download flyer for this event
Download report

City of Melbourne logoliving the arts   

Connecting Schools and Communities: exploring the use of schools and community facilities for creative community outcomes

One day conferences in three Victorian regions, June 2008

How are school and community facilities contributing to creative and connected local communities, lifelong learning and successful local partnerships?
These events featured presentations about model projects, (local, national and international initiatives), that have resulted in better engaged communities, more effective partnerships, more creative community activity and improved local cultural development.

Keynote speaker was Lisa Fitzhugh, founder and Executive Director, Artscorps, USA, a non-profit youth development program that partners with schools and community organizations to bring free after school arts classes to low-income young people in Seattle USA. Since its 2000 inception, Arts Corps has grown from an enrolment of 400 students at 10 partner sites in 2000 to 2,700 students in 139 quarterly classes at 40 partner facilities in 2008. Arts Corps has been deemed a US national leader in excellent arts programming by Harvard University's Project Zero, a graduate research program on arts education and creativity and the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning. (www.artscorps.org)

Providing creative arts programs for young people through successful partnerships with schools, sporting and community organizations
Lisa Fitzhugh, Founder and Executive Director, Artscorps, Seattle, USA

Colac-Otway region, COPACC, Friday June 20
Download Brochure and program

How the Live Arts Incubator Came About, Jude Anderson, Artistic Director, Punctum
Skills Connection, Marita Brady, Manager, Community Connection
Creative Partnerships: What can we learn from Artplay? Robert Brown, The University of Melbourne
Making the Most of Creative Partnerships: collaborations between learners, teachers and artists, (Discussion notes), Robert Brown, University of Melbourne,
Schools as Community Facilities, Mark Donehue, Regeneration Officer, Dept Education and Early Childhood Development, Barwon South West region
Community Partnerships, Mandy Grinblat, Senior Arts Officer, Arts Victoria
School and Local Government Partnerships: Performing Arts Facilities and Programmes, Rob Robson, City of Greater Shepparton
Poems about Community Spaces, Annabel Tellis
The Policy Perspective: School and Community Partnerships, Michael Tudball, Director, School and Community Partnerships, Dept of Planning and Community Development

Western metropolitan region, Williamstown Town Hall, Monday June 23
Download brochure and program

Sound Links: collaborations between musical communities and schools in Victoria, Dr. Brydie Leigh Bartleet, Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University
Schools as Core Social Centres, Lesley Hyde, Catholic Education Office
The Song Room: Providing Opportunities for Enhanced Learning and Development for Disadvantaged Childen Through Music and the Arts,
The Song Room Vision and Target Groups, Deborah Nicholson, Program Manager, The Song Room
Learnings From Research: How Do Our Communities Benefit Through Developing Creative Partnerships? Maureen Ryan, Professor, School of Education, Victoria University, and Director, Gallery Sunshine Everywhere (PPT version)
Active After-School Communities Program, Kate Simkovic, State Manager, Victoria, Active After-School Communities Program

La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga campus, Wednesday June 25
Download brochure and program

Taking Learning to the Learners: Developing a Learning Community, Angela Craven, Yarrunga Primary School
Creative and sustainable mental health promotion through the arts in schools and communities, John Lane, Festival for Healthy Living
Museums and Education- Linking Students, Teachers and their Communities, Public Programs and Exhibitions at the Immigration Museum in 2008, Jan Molloy, Programs Co-ordinator Humanities, Immigration Museum
How do our communities benefit through creative partnerships?: a tricky question, Mark Selkrig, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga Campus

Read more about the conferences in this article from Curriculum Leadership Journal and the conference report.

Communities, Accessibility and the Arts: responding to and embracing difference and diversity in arts and cultural contexts

One day conferences in Ballarat, May 7,  and Morwell, May 9, 2008

These events sought to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to be involved in creative arts activities, by inspiring and challenging participants about possibilities for their own context.  Delegates from local government, disability support organisations, artists and artsworkers and educators, gathered for a full day of discussion, debate and workshops.   Inspiring model projects, diverse speakers and a range of workshop options offered participants a range of experiences, to ensure that they left inspired and encouraged with useful new contacts and ideas.

Keynote speaker Ross Barber, Executive Director of Arts Access Queensland shared his experiences and successes, inspiring attendees with his speech 'Creative Pathways: Opening the Door to More Inclusive Arts'. The achievements of Arts Access Queensland both as an organisation and in the broader community offered lessons and ideas for Victorian artist, support workers and organisations. Participants described Ross as 'inspiring!', 'excellent' and 'wise on tap'.

Ballarat Program
Morwell Flyer
Report and photos

Forum: Permissible Art

not fine enough for art, not illegal enough for grafitti
anon, Union Lane 2007

Permissible Art – Forum and Walking Tour
presented by CDN and the City of Melbourne April 6th 2008

A large and varied crowd showed up Sunday afternoon to learn more about how the bright colourful artworks which have been adorning Union Lane in the centre of Melbourne since December last year came to be. As Phase Two of the City of Melbourne’s Graffiti Mentoring Project, Union Lane was painted by over 80 young artists and mentors, offering young people a blank canvas, quality materials and the opportunity to learn from and work alongside established and respected artists. The walking tour offered an opportunity to talk with program coordinator Amanda King about the birth and evolution on the project, meet Deb, one of the young artists, and have a good look at (and photograph) the artwork. Questions covered the mentoring process, style, outcomes and reactions. Union Lane is perhaps unique in Melbourne for offering such a wide variety of graffiti art styles in a single space, demonstrating the range and skill of Melbourne graffiti artists in a highly public thoroughfare in the CBD.

The Bigger Picture: how local cultural development fits into an international perspective

Information session for artists, community workers, and local government, Wed March 19, Castlemaine

CDN Manager Kim Dunphy was invited by Mount Alexander Shire to address a meeting of Castlemaine's Creative Community Network, a diverse group of local artists, artworkers, and staff from local government and non-government organisations. The topic was 'Agenda 21 for Culture', the important international new initiative led by United Cities and Local Government, the international peak body for local government. Cities and local governments all over the world are becoming signatories to this Agenda, and thereby enshrining their commitment to human rights, cultural diversity, sustainability, participatory democracy and creating conditions for peace . The Agenda 21 process has raised the interest of international organisations, national governments and civil society all over the world. CDN is advocating for local governments in Australia to follow the lead of international peers and become signatories. More information is available on the Agenda 21 site.

Download Notes from the presentation:
The Bigger Picture: how local cultural development fits into an international context
Kim Dunphy, Manager, Cultural Development Network

Artists talk: The international perspective: community based arts initiatives overseas

December 14, North Melbourne Town Hall

This informal afternoon featured artists and artsworkers who had recently travelled overseas to develop their skills and understanding of arts practice in diverse communities.

Artist: Kirsty Baird
Artist Kirsty Baird at 'The
International Perspective’
Artists Talk, December 07

Kirsty Baird spent four months in the UK and Cambodia in 2007. In the UK she visited a number of organisations and projects working with communities using film/video and new media. In Cambodia she worked with the NGO Epic Arts on puppetry and film projects with deaf and disabled young people. Kirsty discussed some of the insights into the nature of community based arts, both in the 'developed' and in the 'developing' world, that this trip afforded her.

Rosalie Hastwell has been Manager of the Arts and Culture Program at North Richmond Community Health Centre since 2001 and Project Development Co-ordinator with the Community Cultural Development Unit, VCA since 2007. Rosalie discussed her Asialink residency in India in 2006 and 2007 that led to a community engagement program with Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts Research.

Raelene Marshall discussed her recent work at the visit to the EcoMuseo in Cortemilia in northern Italy. The EcoMuseo focuses on the preservation of the cultural landscape (dry stone wall and grapevine terraces) and is a story of one woman’s achievements to create a community of interest where one did not previously exist, involving artists at every step.

Anne Riggs and Jyoti Mukherjee (also known as Alex Pinder) discussed their recent visit to India where they ran visual and performing arts workshops for socially disadvantaged children, and professional development workshops for their teachers and community leaders, across the whole country. Download their paper 'Art Across India'.

Download event flyer here (pdf version)

Public Forum: Social Action Theatre - led by David Diamond

October 2 at DanceHouse, Carlton
What role does social action theatre play in making spaces for change in the lives of participants?’ presented by the Cultural Development Network and Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service.

This event was an exploration of Theatre For Living methods and their application in communities, and the learnings of communities who engage in critical dialogue through theatre. Featured speaker was David Diamond, the award winning Director of Headlines Theatre, Vancouver, Canada and a panel of local practitioners; theatre worker Xris Reardon of Taking Up Space project, research and policy advisor, Dr. Kathy Landvogt from the Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service, family therapist and researcher, John Bamberg from the Centre for Adolescent Health and family worker, Jacqui Sundbery, from the Reconnect Program at Youth Substance Abuse Service.

The forum was attended by a diverse audience of theatre workers and other performers, as well as local government and NGO community workers, therapists, counsellors, activists and academics. Lively discussion followed the presentations, on topics including therapeutic experiences through the arts versus 'arts therapy', quality of participation versus quality of outcomes and challenges of sustainable practice.

Forum Report

David Diamond forum David Diamond forum David Diamond forum David Diamond forum

Photo 1: Presenters (L to R) John Bamberg, Kathy Landvogt, Jacqui Sundbery
Photo 2: David Diamond
Photo 3: Forum participants make shapes
Photo 4: David Diamond and participants

Forum: Rising Above It All: Vertical Communities and Cultures

Thursday June 21, Arts Centre

This successful forum was recently presented by the Cultural Development Network with the City of Melbourne, and featured 'Crowd Theory' - Southbank project, an activity of City of Melbourne's Community Cultural Development Team and Footscray Community Arts Centre. The photographic project 'Crowd Theory - Southbank' was used as a catalyst for discussion about the experience of communities in new high rise developments.

Some questions considered included:
Does vertical living addresses the budget and the amenity first and the culture and the community second? Compared to sub-urban living is the community and culture different? How do we know? How important is the spatial cohesion and the environment to the culture, community and well-being of the residents?

Key players in vertical living, developers, architects, body corporate, residents, service providers and urban planners, discussed how vertical living can rise above the ground-dwelling residential experience.

The forum was hosted by freelance journalist and artist Sian Prior and involved lively discussion between the panellists who included
· artist, Simon Terrill, producer of 'Crowd Theory'’, Jerril Rechter - CEO, Footscray Community Arts Centre;
· residents and staff, Joe Bagnaro, President of Southbank Residents Group, Judith Dunster and Dorothy LeClaire, from MICM body corporate managers.
built environment experts, Ed Horton - Stable Properties, Developer, Sydney, and Rob Moore from City Design, City of Melbourne.

An audience of eighty, including local residents, planners from a variety of disciplines including urban, cultural, community, architects and artists contributed to a lively discussion and exchange.

An interactive workshop for cultural planners - Cultural Planning and Cultural Indicators: how do we measure what we have planned?

February 16, VicHealth, Carlton

This theoretical and practical workshop was designed for those who plan for and measure cultural activity, especially local and state government arts and culture workers and social, community and urban planners. Presenters were Professor Mike Salvaris, Institute of Community Engagement and Policy Alternatives, Victoria University and Hayden Raysmith, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Built Environment, RMIT University.

The international context: community based arts initiatives overseas

December 8, Meat Market, North Melbourne

This event featured presentations by three artsworkers who had recently travelled overseas to study the role of arts in communities, Liss Gabb, community artist with the Arts and Culture Program at North Richmond Community Health Centre, Ana Vrantsis, Arts and Cultural Development Officer with Brimbank City Council and Marcela Nievas, Australian Argentinian CCD practitioner. 25 people, mostly artists and artsworkers, enjoyed the opportunity to be inspired by the travellers’ talks, as well as networking over Christmas drinks and nibbles.

Connect! How to Use Art to Build Better Communities

November 25, Arts Centre Warragul

This full day workshop presented by Baw Baw Shire Council, Regional Arts Victoria, the CDN and Creative Gippsland was attended by 30 people, mostly local artists, arts workers and council staff. Topics included ideas for how to 'Investigate innovative ways to engage your community, beautify your surroundings, breathe life into new ideas and have some fun along the way'

A case study and dialogue: How can research enrich arts practices in local communities?

November 24 at VicHealth, presented by Cultural Development Network, RMIT Globalism Institute and VicHealth

This half day forum was presented by Cultural Development Network, RMIT's Globalism Institute and VicHealth. It focussed on lessons learnt about relationships between research and practice in the broad field of community arts and the challenges involved in making this relationship really work. This event was attended by a group of 40 community-based arts, artists and artsworkers, local government workers and those from health, welfare and community organisations interested in the relationships between research and their work.

Artists Talk: Popular Culture, Art And Community Cultural Development

November 17, Footscray Community Arts Centre

This informal event was presented by Footscray Community Arts Centre in partnership with Cultural Development Network. Artist and ccd practitioner Tom Cho led a lively discussion enjoyed by audience members of mostly artists, and others, including education professionals, academics, local government youth and arts workers ensued. Topics considered included:
'What attention should artists pay to popular icons, idols, styles and fashions?'
'Should CCD practice challenge popular culture and therefore exist outside of it?'
'Can engagement with popular culture be a way into involving communities in the creative?'
'Could that engagement lead to more subversive and broad based arts practice?'

Agenda 21 for Culture meeting and Interaccio conference

Barcelona, Spain, October 2006

Report on visit to Barcelona by Kim Dunphy, Manager, Sue Beal, Chair and Jon Hawkes, invited keynote speaker, for the Agenda 21 for Culture meeting and 'Interaccio' conference on cultural policy for communities. Jon Hawkes gave a keynote speech at this conference to 600 European delegates, all interested in the relationship of culture and local government.

Conversations at the Watchhouse

October, Melbourne

This series of informal conversations were presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival by the Artful Dodgers Studio, Jesuit Social Services and supported by the Cultural Development Network and the City of Yarra. Topics: 'Alternate Voices' – A conversation about the complexities associated with facilitating community arts programs in prisons and community justice settings
‘Speaking Honestly’ - The professional artist in the CCD Studio – How does one process affect the other?
‘Other Voices’ - What we make – our art in a broader context. Young people involved in CCD projects talk about their own art.

Meet, Meld, Merge: art bringing people together

September 1, Yea Victoria

This one day forum presented by Berry St Victoria with the Cultural Development Network was directed to artists, artsworkers, and those interested in exploring the possibilities for arts development in their local communities.

Engaging Communities Through the Arts

July 31, Horsham

This one day forum explored the opportunities and possibilities of utilising the arts as a medium to engage communities. It was attended by a diverse audience of local artists and artsworkers, and workers and managers from sectors including health, environment, education and arts. The event was faciliated by Ian Pidd, with speakers including Kim Dunphy from the Cultural Development Network, Bin Dixon-Ward from Regional Arts Victoria, Sue Ball from VicHealth and Regional Arts Development Officers, Marion Matthews, Liz Andrews and Verity Higgins.

Community Voice Conference 2006

June 23 & 24, Corio, Victoria

This conference aimed to strengthen an active model of community and government and services partnerships in 'Place Planning' for the north Geelong region. It drew together many of the projects, community groups and individuals to develop directives for government, services and business for the future of these communities.

The Cultural Development Network, in partnership with Corridor One 4, arts and culture action group of North Geelong, presented as part of the conference program. 'Cups in Corridors' a roundtable discussion about community arts, 'From the Tea Cup: reflections on community arts' a presentation about the role of arts in community, and 'Cups In Corridors', an interactive community arts project incorporating storytelling and tea ceremonies from around the world.

Artivism: the role of arts in regeneration

June 23, 2006 Melbourne Town Hall,

Presented by the Cultural Development Network in partnership with City of Melbourne’s Community Cultural Development Program.
Featuring international speaker Min Jay Kang, Associate Professor of Architecture from Tamkang University, Taiwan.

Associate Professor Kang spoke about his inspiring work with artists and squatter residents of Taipei’s Treasure Hill. His research and practice focuses on dialectics in cultural landscape, creative sustainability, identity politics and 'artivism,' representation of landscape in arts and literature, urban design, and landscape narratives. His most recent projects include a comprehensive survey and planning for Taipei's cultural landscape, interpretation and construction of landscape narratives for a waterfront settlement, and action planning for the Treasure Hill squatters in Taipei's Gong Guan district. This forum was an extended version of Professor Kang's presentation ‘Altered Spaces: Squatting and Legitimizing Treasure Hill, Taipei’ at Asialink’s forum ‘Blind Dates and Foreign Affairs’.

Working outside the box: the role of cultural facilities in community strengthening

May 8 2006, Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, South Morang

This event explored how cultural facilities (including galleries, museums and performing arts centres) can work with communities to facilitate the expression of local identity. Questions discussed included;
- how facilities can develop programming that contributes to community building;
- how building design can advance or detract from community engagement
- the challenging balance between artistic and community expectations
- celebrating local cultural assets.

The program featured keynote speakers, Paul Reeves, Deputy Head of Education at Royal Opera House, London, John Kirkman, CEO of Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and Lewers Bequest with Anne Loxley from Penrith Regional Gallery in western Sydney; case studies from diverse regional and metropolitan facilities, Professor Mike Salvaris on cultural indicators, a Hypothetical facilitated by Professor Peter Sheldrake.

Presented by the Cultural Development Network in partnership with Arts Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria, Museums Australia (Victoria), Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres, Hume City Council and Shire of Yarra Ranges, in conjunction with Showcasing Victoria, a RAV and VAPAC initiative'.

The Art and Craft of Research in Communities

Friday April 28th, at VicHealth, Carlton

A half-day seminar was directed at researchers working in community based arts programs. It addressed issues about the process and application of research through formal presentation and discussion.
Topics included;
How can our work:
- lead to better outcomes for audiences, participants and communities?
- engage practitioners, arts organisations and local government?
- impact funding priorities?
- influence policy decisions?

Speakers
Kim Dunphy, Manager, Cultural Development Network: ‘The full circle - research, practice and art - making it come together’

Dr. Deborah Warr, Research fellow, Centre for Health and Society, University of Melbourne. ‘True Stories: The Importance Of Research As Praxis’
Dr. Deb Warr is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health and Society at the University of Melbourne. Her research is concerned with social contexts for health-related issues and, in particular, those associated with circumstances of socio-economic disadvantage. She has recently completed research for a Neighbourhood Renewal Project, and the Department of Victorian Communities.

Ms Sue Hartigan, Geelong Arts Alliance and Back to Back Theatre Company,
‘Outcomes of a research project on communities and organisations in north Geelong’

Professor Paul James, Director, Globalism Institute:
‘The big picture - tying together policy and practice’

Community dance: working with young people in a community context

Half-day forum as part of the Australian Youth Dance Festival, Horsham, Fri 21 April

This forum included discussion about current practice of community dance around the world, hands-on experience with a community dance artist, and informal discussion about the issues and challenges that face dance artists working with young people in community contexts. Presented by the Cultural Development Network, Ausdance, Regional Arts Victoria and 'The Art Is' Festival.

Opening the cocoon

Arts, culture & community on the Mornington Peninsula
Hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire & CDN, Thu 6 April 2006

This forum aimed to enhance the capacity of community artists & community groups to positively influence the health, hope and happiness of the Mornington Peninsula. Its key objectives were to:
- develop mutual relationships, connections and networks
- encourage skill development
- promote other ways of engaging with the community through community cultural development (CCD)
- raise awareness of community cultural development practice

Artist Talk and workshop with Petra Kuppers, community dance artist and disability advocate

February 3 2006, DanceHouse, North Carlton

Dr. Petra Kuppers was visiting Australia during her stay at the University of Otago, as the first Caroline Plummer Fellow in Community Dance. Petra is also Associate Professor of Performance Studies, Bryant University USA, and Artistic Director of The Olimpias Performance Research Projects, through which she runs community arts and disability culture workshops. Petra is the author of Disability and Contemporary Performance: Bodies on Edge (2003) and Bodily Fantasies: Medical Visions/Medical Performances, (in press) and is currently writing Community Performance: An Introduction

The Arts and Community in the 21st Century

February 27 2006, Melbourne Town Hall

The Cultural Development Network, in partnership with City of Melbourne’s Community Cultural Development Program, collaborated on two events featuring Bill Cleveland, Director of the Center for the Study of Art and Community in the USA; an Artists Talk in the form of a workshop, 'Common sense survival skills for working in community and institutional settings: a workshop for artists, artsworkers and arts organisations' and public forum on 'The Arts and Community in the 21st Century: what is best practice?'

Bill’s presentation was followed by panel reflection and group discussions about best practice in community-based arts programs in Australia and overseas. Discussion outcomes contributed to the Cultural Development Network’s ongoing work in the development of a Charter for Lead Practice in Community Cultural Development.

Panellists were:
Maud Clark, founder and Director of Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company,
Maria-Lourdes Doronila, Filipina-Australian playwright, community activist and recent Asialink fellow.
Lisa Arnott, Scottish community artist and activist currently working in Melbourne on the Interlock project.
Carey Lai, artsworker and Australia Council Fellow
Kim Kruger, audience access project manager, Ilbijerri Theatre Company

Forum: The international context: community based arts initiatives in Europe, USA & the UK

December 9 2005, North Melbouurne Town Hall

This informal afternoon featured four speakers who had recently travelled overseas to develop their skills and understanding of arts practice in diverse communities; Eulea Kiraly, theatre director and Community Cultural Development Officer at Tuggeranong Arts Centre in the ACT, Jane Crawley, Team Leader of the City of Melbourne's Cultural Development Program; Ruth Whittingham, Artistic Program Manager, Arts Access Victoria, and Angela Bailey, photographic artist. The presenters gave very interesting and quite different presentations about their experiences in England, Scotland, Ireland, USA, Canada and Germany. The event was well attended by a diverse group of artists and artsworkers, from disability, local government and community settings, academics and health workers. Audience comments were very favourable and those attending enjoyed some Christmas cheer with drinks and nibbles after the talk.

Just Culture: Arts and social change

25 October 25 2005, Hilton on the Park

Symposium hosted by CDN & Community and Social Planners Network as part of the ‘Just Communities’ Conference. This recent symposium was a sell-out success. More than 90 people attended, including local government arts and culture workers, community and social planners and managers, councillors, community artists and artsworkers and academics who all participated in active discussion, as audience members and participants in art-making.

Deborah Mills, author of 'Art and Wellbeing' (2004) chaired the day which was designed to stimulate discussion among participants about scope for a deeper relationship between the arts and social change, focussing especially (but not exclusively) on local government's community planning and community development roles. Discussion was directed towards exploring ideas to improve policy and practice, and also to identifying barriers currently preventing a deeper engagement with the arts in social transformation.

Roundtable discussions on Arts, Local Government & Community Strengthening

August, 2005

Over August 2005, the Cultural Development Network ran a series of small roundtable discussions to address issues affecting artists and communities involved in arts-led community development in Victoria. These sessions were facilitated by Mandy Press, unitl recently Manager of Community Planning at Port Phillip Council. Topics of focus included community cultural development, councils and cultural vitality, community engagement in the arts.

These sessions brought together arts and cultural programs officers and managers in Victorian local government, community artists and workers in community agencies that have arts and culture as part of their brief. These discussions were prompted in part by changes to Australia Council support for community cultural development and under a new Community Partnerships and Market Development Division. A scoping study will soon be commissioned by the Australia Council to inform its future plans and is expected to be concluded by the end of this year. We want to ensure that the views of all stakeholders are heard. Also, there is increasing focus at state and local government level on strengthening communities and in actively engaging communities in community planning. Properly integrated arts and cultural development approaches have potential to deliver results for communities.

These sessions will continue to inform our policy advocacy work and discussions from them fed into the symposium chaired by Deborah Mills that we hosted on October 25 at the national 'Just Communities Conference'.

Forum: David Diamond on - Theatre for Living: why should communities speak?

Friday 17 June, Horti Hall, Melbourne

Poster: Practicing DemocracyPresented in partnership with Borderlands Coop and Xris Reardon’s 'Taking Up Space Project'.Our recent forum addressed by internationally renowned theatre practitioner, David Diamond, was a sell-out success. More than 100 people including artists, community, disability and health workers, artsworkers, academics and researchers, students, teachers and therapists heard David talk about his work at Headlines Theatre, Canada, to help living communities tell their stories.'

David Diamond, BFA D.Litt.
Artistic and Managing Director/Joker
Since 1981 David has directed over 300 community specific theatre projects on issues such as racism, gender roles, violence, addiction, self-esteem, First Nations' Residential Schools, globalization, language reclamation and many, many others. David has directed workshops throughout BC, Canada and the USA, as well as in Namibia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Italy, Singapore and Finland.

Forums

Community Arts Working and Thinking: 'Not Just for Arts Sake'
Presented in partnership witb Port Phillip Community Group, Borderlands Co-operative and Port Phillip Council.
Friday 4th March, 9-5, St Kilda Town Hall, Melbourne
In sharp contrast to our talkfest at the Fourth Pillar conference in November, this event was a very hands-on arts experience with lots of workshops, showings, exhibitions and opportunities to participate in the making of art. More than 120 artists, artsworkers, community and health workers attended this stimulating day held in the charming environment of the St Kilda Town Hall.

Some highlights: Arnold Zable’s story of his meeting in a remote Chinese mountain village with a hospitable old man who spoke no English, the parade of the giant-sized Weedy Sea Dragon led by Indonesian and Korean drummers, music from the BiPolar Bears, drinks and nibble and lots of lively conversation.

Articles based on presentations at that conference have been published in the Winter issue of the New Community Quarterly.

Forum: Building communities through engagement, art and urban design
Wednesday 23 February, presented by VicHealth and Cultural Development Network
Speakers: Jim Sinatra (Emeritus Professor Landscape Architecture, RMIT University) and Phin Murphy (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) from Sinatra.Murphy Pty.Ltd.
Sinatra.Murphy is a landscape studio with a design ethos formed through experiences of working in rural and remote Australia. Primary areas of interest include artistic expressions in landscape projects that celebrate the cultures of people and the spirit of nature, and community planning and development in rural and remote Indigenous communities.

The Art of Engagement: Arts, Culture and Social Capital
December 2004, Nauru House, Melbourne, presented in partnership with the Department for Victorian Communities.
A forum for state government policy makers and service deliverers.

Growing Resilience: Sowing Seeds of Hope and Empowerment
at the Community and Social Planners Conference August 2004
at the Hume Global Learning Centre in Broadmeadows, with the VLGA and the City of Hume

Just Talkin'
August 2004, an informal gathering of northern artsworkers with Murray Arts

Imagining New Partnerships – Artists, Schools and Communities
October 2003, Melbourne Town Hall, with the City of Melbourne’s Conversations Program

Community, Arts and Wellbeing Think Tank
September 2003, Melbourne Town Hall with the Community Cultural Development Board

Grass Roots: Communities, Collections and Councils
August 2003, with Museums Australia (Victoria) and the Public Galleries Association of Victoria at the Ian Potter Museum of Art

Building Communities: Arts, Culture and Public Housing
May 2003, Melbourne Town Hall, with the North Richmond Community Health Centre and Department of Human Services Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (check out: Public Art Public Housing )

Arts, Culture and Public Planning
January 2003, with VicHealth’s Arts and Environment Program

Community Cultural Development Through Dance
November 2002, with Ausdance at the North Melbourne Town Hall Arts House

Councils Cultures Communities
June 2002, with the Victorian Local Government Association

Cultural Action for Community Health
December 2001, with the Centre for Popular Education (UTS)

Creativity and the Future of our Cities
February 2001, North Melbourne Town Hall Arts House - Our first forum brought together urban planning gurus Charles Landry (UK) and Jan Gehl (Denmark) and a panel of Victorian public artists and council staff in a free public forum that attracted 250 people.

 

top

© copyright Cultural Development Network 2005
conditions of use of site