Community engagement
Art and performance projects
We collaborate with you and your community to develop art and performance projects.
We offer a great variety of options for community engagement through the production, performance or other presentation of local stories. Our process involves genuine community collaboration as we explore local issues through art and performance projects.
Community cultural development opportunities
We listen and learn from local people, then explore creative possibilities for presentation or performance. Where this leads depends on a number of factors including the aims of the project, the interests of the community and the breadth of our shared resources. Recent projects include sculptures, costumes, songs, parades, site specific performances, ‘Sewing stories‘ exhibition and game shows.
Addressing community issues
Get Connected is a game show created in collaboration with Housing NSW. We were commissioned to create project a which would provide a fun and informative way to connect community service organisations with public housing tenants in Warrawong.
It‘s just one example of our capacity to address community issues through arts and performance. Other projects have explored road safety, health and well being, place and identity, environment and more.
Performance and storytelling
If developing a performance from the stories we hear, we initially find inspiration from a word, an image or a thought and draft a script accordingly. We draw on the talents and interests of local participants. Would the light opera company like to sing? Perhaps the youth group could carry the puppets? The result may be an outdoor performance, with and for the community - a local story expressed with larger than life characters, puppets, sound, costume and carnivalesque imagery.
Community performance highlights
Ship of Fools for Gladstone Festival, Spirit of the Lagoon for Southside Festival, Illuminati Finale for Viva La Gong, Katoomba Amusements’ Company Healing Machine for Wintermagic and; Pemulwuy in early 2010. The latter project involved collaborations with local Indigenous artists to create a dramatic retelling of the legend of Pemulwuy - the great warrior of the Bidgigal clan. Incorporating community performers working alongside professional artists, the performance was held outdoors in Parramatta’s Bicentennial Park on the eve of Australia Day. funded by the NSW Premiers Department.
Community engagement in your community
Generous funding from Festivals Australia, local councils and corporate sponsors has helped to make such projects possible. We welcome your proposals and look forward to discovering the stories, talents and skills in your community.
See also