Tricia Cooney
Early experience in both costume and leather sculpture, combined with study of mythology, psychology and culture led me to working with Arnaldo Giordano in the early 1980’s as a professional artist in wearable art and masks,creating costumes and masks for exhibitions, for theatre/ dance groups and craft expos, including the World Expos in Barcelona and Brisbane, and exhibitions in Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, Seymour Theatre and the Crafts Council Gallery.
In 1982, I also began to work on community art projects, creating giant costumes and puppets for large outdoor theatre and dance projects, again dealing with mythological and archetypal themes.(Mattara Festival, Sydney Festival, Homage to the Elements, Terrigal)
1988 With other artists working in a similar way, a professional street theatre/ theatre of celebration troupe, CIRCUS SOLARUS, was formed. For the past 15 years we have specialised in large sculptural costume-based characters, stilt costumes, giant puppets and working with local communities to create parade images and performances, as well as giving workshops in masks, costumes and stilts to art and drama students at High School and University level. Many of our costumed characters have a base in pre-circus European Carnival.
In recognition of my work in the arts, especially costuming, festivals and community arts I was awarded a
2001 - CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP - Research and study tour to look at the carnival tradition in Europe (Italy, France and England).
The focus was to study the construction and decoration of large scale carnival costumes and community workshop organisation in European carnivals particularly in Viarreggio, Nice, Chalon Street Theatre festival, Notting Hill Carnival, Welfare State Lantern Festival and Urban Regeneration Projects,( Bolton and Liverpool.) visiting various artists from the different carnival traditions and returning by invitation in 2003 to work on parade costumes in 3 large UK community carnivals.
Currently on the board of Community Cultural Development NSW (formerly the Community Arts Association) and as an outcome of the 2001 Fellowship tour, worked with Parramatta City Council and the UTS’ Australian Centre for Event Management on a Conference:
Conference presentations allow time for writing and reflection on our work, such as at