ant mckenna

2015 Museums & Galleries Queensland Conference #2015MGQcon

Co-Creation, Collaboration and Community

Ant McKennaTeam Leader, Cultural Programs, Sunshine Coast Council

Collaborating to Build the Profile of a Region

Sunshine Coast Creative IndustryBeau Deeley 2011 – Photo by Katherine Hagenbach

ART PRIZE 2014 PEOPLE’S CHOICE – TESSA MCCONIE - ALFRED UMBAGAI

2D FINALIST 2015 – ANDREW CLARKE THE HAIRDRESSING CEREMONY

• Intro me & team• Intro Sunshine Coast• Previous art award status in region

2D FINALIST 2015 – ANDREW CLARKE THE HAIRDRESSING CEREMONY

• What we set out to do• What has been achieved so far• Future possibilities• Implications for you

Cultural Program Team• Small team• Caloundra Regional Gallery• Sunshine Coast Art Prize

NEW MEDIA FINALIST 2015 - DASHA RILEY TERRA AUSTRALIS 1

Cultural Program Team• Public art• RADF• Cultural Grants


Cultural Program Team• Lead creative & cultural industry

development• Cultural programs across the region


Ant McKenna• Creative industry and music industry

development background• Q Music for eight years• BIGSOUND

2D FINALIST 2015 – THOM BUCHANAN ENCAPSULATE

Ant McKenna• Local government for almost ten years• Grant writer• JB Seed fund raiser


Ant McKenna• Phys Ed & drama teacher• Arts Queensland’s Local Government

Arts & Cultural Reference Group


My focus• Capacity building• Industry development• Inclusive & transparent• Collaborative

2D FINALIST 2014 – MERRY SPARKS – THE DINGO DID IT

Starting point• Restructure• Gallery – no director or curator• Limited support from leadership


Starting point• Creativity not included• Art Prize minimal support• Tiny team – working two roles


State of the Art - Prize• One 2D category only• Noosa retained budget & ownership of

3D

2D FINALIST 2015 – SHANNON DOYLE - CRITICAL ESCAPE (AFTER BORRELL)

State of the Art - Prize• Advocated successfully for New Media

– local & emerging only• < $20K prizes

2D FINALIST 2015 – SHANNON DOYLE - CRITICAL ESCAPE (AFTER BORRELL)

Regional engagement process• Meeting with arts groups across region• Gaining trust

EUMUNDI SCULPTURE PRIZE 2014 – FONG & NOONAN - SUSTAINABLE

Regional engagement process• Supporting in funding applications• Attending functions• Planted the seed of working together

EUMUNDI SCULPTURE PRIZE 2014 – FONG & NOONAN - SUSTAINABLE

Partnership development• Email agreement about offering• Real partnership• Sponsorship development support

2D FINALIST 2015 - EMMA HUTTON-THAMM - THE WOUNDED’S WIT

Partnership development• All sponsors of each project gain

benefits as sponsor of the art prize• Curatorial, installing & judging support• Funding development support


Partnership development• Administrative support (contracts, etc)• Partnership that builds each partner –

not diminishes• Internal & external


Partnership development• Key – ensure that partners finish

project being happy they were a partner

• Long term plan of region-wide multi-sector festival 2D FINALIST 2015 - EMMA HUTTON-THAMM - THE WOUNDED’S WIT

Slides of all partner websites

Engage council leadership• Councillors & leaders talking at

openings, etc• Regular updates & meetings

2D FINALIST 2015 - AMATA ITURRI - EMBRACE

Engage council leadership• Encouraging community to contact

councillors• Get them into the gallery!

2D FINALIST 2015 - AMATA ITURRI - EMBRACE

Engage community• Inclusive• Diverse & open • Collaborate across region

ART PRIZE WINNER 2013- CHANDLER, CELESTE - LOVESICK 7

Engage community• Get diverse groups into gallery• Programs across whole region• Invite to functions• In-kind sponsorship

ART PRIZE WINNER 2013- CHANDLER, CELESTE - LOVESICK 7

Early Outcomes• Fivefold increase in gallery attendance• Double gallery friends• Council leadership engaged & onside• Gallery Curator (2 days & counting…)

NEW MEDIA FINALIST 2015 – ANDY BATES - PLANETS

Early outcomes• Increase in applicants in all awards• All partners onside & backing• All exhibitions set to go!


Early outcomes• New Media $10K national award• Two new Council-led categories


Financial outcomes• $15K to $125K prize money• Council $45K• Partners $19K• Sponsors $61K

NEW MEDIA FINALIST 2015 – DANIEL MCKEWEN - ZARATHUSTRA’S CAVE

Financial outcomes - cash• $21K new from Council• $56K new from Sponsors• $0 new from partners

NEW MEDIA FINALIST 2015 – DANIEL MCKEWEN - ZARATHUSTRA’S CAVE

Not all smooth sailing!• Some confusion despite how clear we

were• Mistrust• Changes in leadership of groups

2D FINALIST 2015 – AHN DO – SALT WATER MAN

Not all smooth sailing!• Changes in key awards• Changes in wording without

communicating• Venue issues

2D FINALIST 2015 – AHN DO – SALT WATER MAN

Future• Festival – multi date / sector / venue –

report to council seeking major funding• Already have all visual art groups on

side and talking about the potential2D WINNER -2014 – MATTHEW DE MOISER - SERVO

Future• $15K for 3D from Council• Support for Street Art & Body Art

categories of Art Prize

2D WINNER -2014 – MATTHEW DE MOISER - SERVO

Future• Foundation• Financial support for activating cultural

precinct in Caloundra

2D WINNER -2014 – MATTHEW DE MOISER - SERVO

Why has it worked?• Open and transparent engagement• Providing benefit and doing what we

say we will do

SCULPTURE ON THE EDGE WINNER 2014 GREG WINDSOR – LIGHT BOAT

Why has it worked?• Bigger offering in the future• All fragile & seeking certainty• Working together

SCULPTURE ON THE EDGE WINNER 2014 GREG WINDSOR – LIGHT BOAT

Questions• What's outside the paradigm of gallery

as our territory?• Will engaging community lower the

quality?2D FINALIST 2015ROBYN HILLS - WAITING IN A KOMBI AT MOFFAT BEACH

Questions• Industry development? Cultural

excellence? Community focus?• What benefits are we bringing to

community?2D FINALIST 2015ROBYN HILLS - WAITING IN A KOMBI AT MOFFAT BEACH

Questions• Competition or collaboration?• Who is the audience?• What are we becoming and why?

2D FINALIST 2015ROBYN HILLS - WAITING IN A KOMBI AT MOFFAT BEACH


ART PRIZE 2014 PEOPLE’S CHOICE – TESSA MCCONIE - ALFRED UMBAGAI

ant mckenna

Presentations & Public Speaking

d finalist

art prize

d category

region new media finalist

art prize curatorial

katherine hagenbach

ant mckenna creative

sunshine coast council