emerging cultural leaders 2013 - footscray community arts...
TRANSCRIPT
EmErging Cultural lEadErs 2013
Jade lillie
WELCOMEFootscray Community arts Centre’s Emerging Cultural leaders (ECl) Program celebrates the next generation of community engaged practitioners in our industry. ECl is one of three core programs at FCAC.
as an arts and cultural sector and industry we have the responsibility and the honour of supporting and nurturing the next generation of Australian practitioners and cultural leaders. The only program of its kind in australia, i believe ECl provides this platform.
through ECl we connect participants with a mentor, a small project budget, access to FCAC staff and resources, ongoing connection to our programs and activities, guest speakers from the industry and immersive experiences through weekend intensives, project
development and delivery, and now, the industry showcase!
the Emerging Cultural leaders showcase is an opportunity to meet the 2013 ECl cohort and see an example of their individual project ideas and excellent work.
We are always keen to hear from people who are interested in being a mentor, an industry guest speaker or providing an immersive in-organisation experience for the group or an individual.
We are keen to develop national connections and partners for this initiative and have been working towards this during the year. Please be in touch if you are interested in being a part of the ECl experience or collaborating with us in some way.
i welcome and encourage you all to introduce yourselves to this exceptional group of emerging cultural leaders, artists and community practitioners.
Please join us in celebrating this fabulous, inspiring and creative group of practitioners - the ECL participants of 2013!
thank you for your support and encouragement.
Jade lillie
director & CEO
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INDUSTRY REFLECTIONSL-FRESH The Lion - Mentor the ECl program provides a safe and encouraging space for emerging practitioners to have their ideas challenged, questioned, nurtured and supported. These factors are key to a productive mentor/mentee relationship. This program is structured to ensure that there is honest feedback, valuable insight and ongoing conversations around support and development. This benefits both the mentor and mentee immensely. Such relationships are rarely seen in the music industry these days.
Bec Reid – Mentor and Tutorthe program is a wonderful initiative which very tangibly supports culturally diverse creative thinkers to realise their artistic potential. It’s a hothouse for these creative thinkers to bond, network, exchange, create and most importantly see themselves in new ways.
Paul Gurney– Tutor the Emerging Cultural leaders program is an important opportunity for Victoria’s richly diverse communities. the program helps the next generation of artists and arts workers develop strong networks, learn important skills and establish an approach to their particular artform or practice. Through this program Footscray Community arts Centre makes a strategic commitment to the future of community arts practice in Victoria.
Kate Larsen – Tutor ECL is a beacon of good practice within australia’s arts and cultural sector. Not only does it provide a meaningful leadership development opportunity for its participants, but it helps to address some of the inequalities that community-led practitioners face in their professional careers.
Emerging Cultural Leaders Weekend Intensive, September 2013
Richie Hallal – Mentor the ECl program provides a pivotal alternative pathway necessary to become a responsive, empowering CCd artist. Borne in the heart of gritty Footscray, a hub of melbourne’s CCd history, it is the perfect backdrop for emerging artists to develop genuine relationships with their community and to gain a real understanding of people and how art can invigorate transformation.
Chi Vu – Mentorthe best thing about ECl is that emerging practitioners get to meet with, and be exposed to, a range of different artists, producers and approaches to creating art! This means their minds and artistic practices will never be ghettoised. Armed with knowledge and networks, they can choose to lead, not to merely follow or imitate. This benefits the diverse communities they work with, the artistic outcomes and their own creativity over the long term.
Tom Cho – Tutor the Emerging Cultural leaders Program formalises and enhances what Footscray Community arts Centre has been successfully doing for so many years – nurturing the careers of promising artists and arts-workers. Every time I’ve presented at this program, i’ve wished that i could have done it myself, years ago. It condenses into five months what probably took me a couple of years to experience.
Rob Bundle – TutorWhen there are people of all ages participating and coming together to share their ideas and aspirations [it] means better community frameworks and insurmountable ideologies forming a collective of knowledge that trains and teaches, compassionate and understanding world citizens.
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Emerging Cultural Leaders workshop. rachel main
EMERGING CULTURAL LEADERS EMERGING CULTURAL LEADERS is a five-month skills development and mentoring program for emerging artists and cultural facilitators. Past graduates have gone on to forge their own careers in community cultural development as artists and practitioners.
through this program, participants gain skills and strategies to develop and produce community-led, contemporary and innovative arts based programs and projects. The program assists participants to develop knowledge and skills in contemporary arts and community cultural development practice so they
can go on to lead successful and sustainable community engaged arts careers.
this year, ECl ran from June to November. We had eleven individuals participating in the curated activities and receiving ongoing mentorship for their own activities.
the program for ECl participants consists of weekly
forums and workshop sessions with leading community-based arts practitioners and industry professionals across a range of topics, development, planning and delivery of their own projects, networking opportunities and mentoring to help them bring knowledge and skills back to their own communities.
David Cuong Nguyen speaking at an Emerging Cultural Leaders workshop. rachel main
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The program of activities included:
• Forums and workshops by arts industry practitioners on topics such as risk and meaning-making, arts and Community Cultural development in Context, diversifying audiences, Community Engagement, Financing and Funding, Event management, Marketing, Networking and Partnerships
• Individual arts practice mentoring by professional practitioners
• Social events for participants, mentors, tutors, ECl alumni, FCaC staff and board members
• Individual mentoring with planning, managing and delivering arts events/projects within your own communities.
the ECl program provided participants with a unique and engaging opportunity to establish new skills and networks, work on and connect with exciting arts projects, develop a sustainable career, be part of a supportive, safe, nurturing and creative environment and to support each person to expand their arts practice and be confident to be the leaders they are recognised to be.
Dr Lachlan MacDowell and Dr Marnie Badham speak to the Emerging Cultural Leaders. rachel main
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BIOGRAPHYChristie Widiarto is a freelance artist and animator based in Melbourne. Her work has focused on storytelling through the exploration of the themes of cultural identity, family and nature. Her work involves experimenting with combining traditional art techniques and digital technology. She also enjoys collaborating with other artists to create engaging multimedia content. Two years ago, she started working in community arts with various youth groups and found that she loved it. She has continued to work with communities to this day.
Her experience with communities has been primarily through animation workshops incorporating photography, video and new media. This year she is also undertaking the Talking Difference Fellowship with the Immigration Museum.
Christie was mentored by Simon De Lacy-Leacey.
THE PROJECTChristie’s ECL project is her first self-initiated community project. It combines street art with stop motion animation to create animated wall murals around Footscray. These animations will be designed and developed with emerging artists and youth from the western suburbs and is in response to vandalism in Footscray.
What i learned from ECl is that with each arts project i undertake, to just enjoy the ride and to learn, evaluate and grow from each experience.
CHRISTIE WIDIARTO
www.christiew.com [email protected]
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DANIELA RODRIGUEz
www.danielarodriguez.com.au
BIOGRAPHYDaniela Rodriguez is a Melbourne based photographer whose family migrated to Australia from Chile in 1978 during the Pinochet dictatorship. She returned to live in Chile from 2001 to 2005 where she studied alternative photographic practices, worked with theatre productions and exhibited her photographs.
Her personal connection with migration and identity has influenced her cultural awareness, which is evident in the sensitivity of her work.
Daniela’s sensitive manner and critical eye allows her to create thought provoking images that challenge the viewer to think about issues they may not have been exposed to before.
Daniela was mentored by Huong Tran Nguyen.
PROJECTSilent Memories is a project consisting of images and video interviews reflecting the lives of non-English speaking dementia patients in nursing homes. Through portraiture and documentary storytelling it aims to speak to the social concerns affecting an aging multicultural society, and focus on topics such as cultural isolation, memory and migration. The project explores the stories of a sector of society that is typically under-represented in the arts and in the media.
Being involved with the Emerging Cultural Leaders program has been a great experience. I have discovered a lot I want to say and I want to explore this through my photography. If I can quote Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei “If you don’t speak out and you don’t clear your mind…then who are you?”
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DEMEYSA AHMED
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BIOGRAPHYdemeysa has been living in australia for almost eight years having previously lived in new Zealand for seven. He feels both countries have contributed to his self-development and he is enjoying living in a country where you can dream the impossible and make it possible. In 2014, demeysa plans to study youth work, where he can use his music to engage young people to be able to express themselves through music to create positive change in their lives.
Demeysa is a creative and music is the source of his creative outlet. Through his music he expresses parts of his life, experience and perceptions, which he feels he wouldn’t be able to in other ways. Everyone has their own sanctuary where they find it easy to interact with people or express themselves in the best way possible and have a sense of contentment in doing so. Demeysa’s sanctuary, where he feels the most comfortable and at ease, is while creating music.
In 2013, Demeysa will be releasing his debut EP.
Demeysa was mentored by Bec Reid.
THE PROJECTTo compose a track for the industry showcase.
‘it’s going to be a feel good track, to celebrate our new formed friendship with our peers and also with the Footscray Community Art Centre. The ECL program wouldn’t have been made accessible to us if it wasn’t for the lovely people at Footscray Community Art Centre. The experience, the insight, the diversity of arts and community based work, are the pillars which hold the community together, and from these pillars you have an abundance of creative work.’
the ECl program helped me to understand the key elements which make up the community, and that those key elements are you and me.
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GABRIEL COLLIE
BIOGRAPHYGabriel is a musician and performs regularly with MASSIVE Hip Hop Choir and other local independent and diverse artists. He runs a number of workshops in Melbourne’s west and uses his music as a tool for working with young people to create positive change. Currently, he teaches music and facilitates workshops in song-writing in schools in the West through Barkly Arts Centre and a cultural outreach program in Footscray. Gabriel has found great satisfaction through this work and believes it is a platform for his future career.
gabriel learned classical theory, piano and guitar from a young age but has expanded his influences to include country, jazz, soul and hip-hop. In 2013 he will release his debut album Free 4 All. He is also a participant in the Melbourne Arts Centre’s Dig Deep Program, which allows young artists and producers to collaborate with each other.
In 2013, Gabriel has been involved in two collaborative productions with Western Edge Youth Arts and OuterUrban Projects with outcomes as part of Melbourne Festival.
Gabriel was mentored by Bo Svoronos.
THE PROJECTI am a committee member and music director for the art exhibition Freedom, a fundraiser for the James Marcon Youth Health Foundation. I am also collaborating with the Massive Family and local musicians Pataphysics and Project nrt performing the song Freedom for the Showcase, which is soon to be recorded.
What i discovered about myself was [that] being involved in many projects and other music performance events at the same time does get a bit overwhelming. Very good organisation, regular contact with peers, looking after your health and speaking up when you’re not 100% is what I’m implementing in my lifestyle at the moment.
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ISABELLA CAPEzIO
www.isabellacapezio.com
BIOGRAPHYIsabella has completed a Bachelor of Arts – Photography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She has exhibited in group exhibitions through the university and with interstate and international curators. Her work has also published in independent and alternative online publications.
Isabella’s personal work is often inspired by her awareness of society’s incongruities, and is permeated by an understanding and appreciation of the differences she experiences through daily life. She addresses themes of community, degradation and the morality of culture, religion and mysticism. Isabella is heavily influenced by her encounters with new people and environments, and is working towards engaging broader communities.
Currently Isabella is collaborating with the Footscray community establishing the artist run initiative, Ruffian Gallery, and through teaching and workshops.
Isabella is also involved with the Asia Pacific Photobook Archive that promotes the photobook medium and its importance as a relevant and tangible form of visual art. She will travel to Cambodia to facilitate a photobook competition through APPA and Angkor Photo Festival.
Isabella was mentored by Richie Hallal.
THE PROJECTA workshop that teaches practical, technical analogue photography skills while engaging in conversations about portraiture, respect and our community.
I discovered that [the] Footscray community is made up of many smaller communities that are constantly changing and intermingling and that there is not one approach or method for working with them. I have become aware of how important it is for your project to be able to be personalised and made relevant to the participants and their individual situations. I now recognise how important teaching and sharing knowledge is, and how visual art can provide people with the skills and confidence to show a different perspective.
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JENNIFER TRAN
BIOGRAPHYJennifer tran is a theatre set designer; interior designer; furniture designer; events designer; graphic designer; a community cultural worker; an administrator; a daughter; a grand-daughter; an annoying sister; a computer teacher to grandpa; a problem solver; a chocolate lover; a lover of learning; a lover of cultural experiences, people and interactions. She is enthusiastic and passionate about bringing people together; dreams of her mum and dad eating African and Indian food with love; dreams of her African friends having a feast at the most popular Vietnamese pho restaurant in Footscray; and finally, she loves all this because she loves seeing change!
Jennifer was mentored by Dave Cuong Nguyen.
THE PROJECTAs part of the 2014 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, The Foodscray Race is a fun and interactive race through Footscray in search for the key ingredients that makes up the flavours of a tasty Vietnamese, African and Indian soup.
Mama Stirs the Pot is a performance-led dialogue between audience and performer using theatre as a framework to discuss the underlying issues.
I use design as a way of creating an immersive space, a safe space, where connections and interactions are enabled and positive experiences are created.
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BIOGRAPHYMazna is a performing artist experienced in theatre and music, a co-founding member, vocalist and emcee of MASSIVE Hip Hop Choir. She has been performing as part of the ensemble, mentoring and teaching music performance and song writing in community and school based workshops, festivals and events since 2010.
Mazna is also an active member of the Flemington Theatre Group (FTG), a group of young African artists who create and perform in theatre and interactive forum theatre and is an emerging artist and facilitator with Western Edge Youth Arts. Studying a Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion at Deakin University, Mazna has growing knowledge of Health Promotion, and is determined to combine her studies in Public Health with the Arts to create a platform to showcase the benefits of art in society for promoting individual and community wellbeing.
Mazna was mentored by Marnie Badham.
THE PROJECTAn exhibition of stories, journeys and experiences of Sudanese Australians living in the West.An inter-generational collaborative project in the West, the project will allow the members of the sudanese community to work with emerging and professional writers, poets and musicians on personal stories of their experiences of migration and integration in the community.
i have discovered that i work extremely well in a team and community environment than on my own and that it may stem from the influences of being part of a big family, and such an inclusive community as Footscray … Being able to work with the diversity of people in the community makes me want to continue pursuing a career that always involves community.
Geskava- LOLA (Mazna) KOMBA
MICHAEL ADONAI HAILE
www.michaeladonai.com
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BIOGRAPHYMichael Adonai is one of Eritrea’s most celebrated contemporary artists and writers who is bringing forth a new cultural renaissance by blending his self-taught and classical artistic training in visual arts.
Michael began to develop a very unique symbolic art style in the 1980’s. The power of his traditional “Coptic Art” allegorical expressionism increased through the war years, reflecting his experience as a freedom fighter depicting the plights, hopes, aspirations and fortitude of the Eritrean people during difficult times. Having successfully exhibited his Master Works in the uK, usa, Japan, Johannesburg, dubai, sweden, Eritrea, singapore, sudan, Kuwait, Ethiopia, and Italy, Michael is now teaching fine art as well as working in his upcoming solo and group exhibitions here in Australia.
Michael has won awards and prizes including the Raimok Award, one of Eritrea’s highest national awards. He was also nominated by an international arts jury to represent Eritrea in the United Nations sponsored Global Art Exhibition, 2001. In addition, he was the participant of the 3rd International Arts Camp – ANDORRA. Michael was selected by UNESCO to be featured in Dictionary of African Biography (Oxford Press) in 2012.
Michael was mentored by Brian McKinnon
THE PROJECTI did not chose to be a refugee Solo Exhibition
I will be holding an exhibition of my work at Joel Gallery in Refugee week 2014. Dates of exhibition are Friday 13 June-Friday 27 June 2014.
As a refugee artist, [the] ECL program has given me the confidence that I can have a sustainable and successful career in the arts in Australia.
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RANI PRAMESTI
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BIOGRAPHYRani Pramesti is a Chinese-Indonesian actor and performance maker based in Melbourne. In 2013, she will be completing her Bachelor of Dramatic Arts training at the Victorian College of the Arts. She began her career in 2007 when she received a scholarship from the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists. Since then, she has co-created works featured in Carriageworks Underbelly Festival, This Is Not Art Festival and Sydney Fringe Festival. In addition, as a qualified social worker, Rani has worked in homeless shelters and with asylum seekers in Sydney. Throughout 2013-2014, Rani will be a Cultural Ambassador for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Multicultural Arts Victoria. As an Emerging Cultural Leader at FCAC, Rani has begun the creative development of a performance work with the broader Chinese-Indonesian community in Melbourne.
rani was mentored by Chi Vu
THE PROJECTrani is running monthly performance based workshops with Chinese-indonesian women of Melbourne to generate material towards a performance Chinese Whispers in 2014, that will rigorously investigate our experiences of migration, discrimination and difference. Participants will be given the option to be involved as performers, but more important than the performance outcome is the process we are engaging in together, in sharing our stories with one another and hopefully eventually, with the broader public.
I discovered that my skills as a social worker, which was my previous field of study and work, have come in handy in creating a safe space for Chinese-Indonesian women to engage in movement and voice activities to express themselves. They have said to me that they have felt truly free during the workshops, in a way that they are rarely able to be in their daily life.
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SAM KAWUMA
www.sksimeon.com
BIOGRAPHYSK Simeon has been actively performing in the Reggae Dancehall Community since 2012. He has graced Island Vibes Festival in Brisbane, Melbourne’s first Sound System and many more.
When performing, SK Simeon flings conscious and fun lyrics in English and Luganda in order to educate and entertain the crowd around him. SK Simeon usually uses a unique style of singing called the Waterhouse style while mixing this with toasting.
After releasing his EP on Scatter Music Label, he has been working closely with Barkly Arts Centre and through this, he has been putting his positive energy doing community work in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Workshop projects like Sisters and Brothers, Benchmark music workshop and FATE have helped the artist to gain more confidence and improve his skills.
This year SK Simeon joined MASSIVE Hip Hop Choir and together they will be part of the Mobile Radio Program which is part of the Big West Festival, Fate and Outer Urban Project which is part of Melbourne Festival
Sam was mentored by L-FRESH The LION.
THE PROJECTOne Love Block Party is an idea that came to life through the ECL program. The project will be combining talented artists from south eastern, northern and western suburbs to link up, share a stage with each other, exchange contacts and most of all enjoy and have fun on a sunny day.
i’ve learnt that working in community, i can always be open about ideas and that sharing those ideas with people will help for things to move forward and happen.
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VANESSA MACEDO
BIOGRAPHYVanessa Macedo was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey USA of a Colombian Mother and a Brazilian Father. She has been educated in Film Theory/Cinema Studies. She went on to work in Film and Television production in New York, Los Angeles, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Currently Vanessa is a Masters Candidate at the European Graduate School in Switzerland where she is getting her degree in Expressive Arts in Conflict Transformation and Peace building. Her interest in joining ECL was to learn more about Community Arts in Australia. Her practice is based on expressive arts-based peace building. Here she tells us about it: ‘it involves the use of digital storytelling (moving freely between video, photography, sound, found objects, dance/movement, drama, art, storytelling/creative writing) - all these expressive elements - to collaborate with marginalized or disengaged communities in using the arts as a tool of expression. We can then get inspired through creative ways to go about transforming conflicts within teams, communities and across cultures.’
Vanessa was mentored by Fotis Kapetopolous.
THE PROJECTI am interested in an ethnographic approach to filmmaking. My visual practice and technique is in the contexts of cultural and anthropological sectors as a form of engagement to my documentaries in which there ensues a collaborative community-based practice blurring the lines of filmmaker and community.
What I discovered about the arts sector/industry along the way is that it has legitimized docos as a community arts medium in CCD context. Because the social documentary genre is quite an unusual approach to CCd, i did not know if it was appropriate or even considered in community arts. I was able to build my confidence in its acceptance, which has been nurtured and developed.
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Ezeldin Dengactor and director
Ezeldin has gone on to study a Bachelor of Film at Swinburne University. He has been working on his own film projects including music clips and short films, has worked on two feature films and has been acting in theatre and film. He is planning to travel to africa in 2014 to film a documentary on his journey from australia back to Sudan.
Tania Canastheatre and community development
since ECl, tania became the arts director at risE Refugee. She is also currently a research student at the VCa and has published in academic journals. Earlier this year she was awarded
mode of knowing people and places. He brings creative communities together and shifts perceived boundaries of scenes, styles and artforms. He enjoys building automated sonic contraptions, radically modifying other instruments, and leading audiences on unique outdoor listening experiences.
www.dalegorfinkel.com
www.outhear.com
Ryan BuhagiarWriter and arts marketer
ryan is studying a master in arts and Cultural management and has just finished coordinating the communications of MUDFest, australia’s largest student arts festival. He also volunteers in other capacities at a number of arts events, with his next involvement being Big West Festival.
Efren Pamilacan Jr dancer, event organiser and director
at the moment Efren is organising the event City Sessions for 2014, directing at Freestyle academy and always repping in his dance crew Jigsaw Sneakers.
http://www.freestyleacademy.com.au
ECL ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS a position on the editorial board of the International Pedagogy and theatre of the Oppressed Journal.
She was offered her international residency in Belfast, working with an international team to do community theatre projects in operational prisons and youth groups. Most recently tania was nominated as Multicultural Ambassador 2014, a program in partnership with MAV and MTC.
Dale GorfinkelMulti-instrumental musician, improvisor, instrument builder, installation artist and educator
dale has been working as an independent artist. His work reflects an awareness of the dynamic nature of culture and the value of listening as
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Learn Local, Kim Sullivan (Lord Mayor’s charitable Foundation), Simon de Lacy-Leacey, Huong Tran Nguyen, Bec Reid, Bo Svoronos, Marnie Badham, Richie Hallal, Dave Nguyen, Brian McKinnon, Chi Vu, L-FRESH The LION, Fotis Kapetopolous, lachlan macdowell, Paul gurney, tom Cho, Jo Porter,Kate Larsen, Rob Bundle, Uncle Larry Walsh, Ebony Bott, Students from Australian International Academy, Jonathan Williams, Simon Raynor, Ryan Bughair, Tania Canas, Dale Gorfinkel, Ezeldin Deng, Efren Pamilacan Jr, Jenna Williams and Jade lillie
SUPPORTERSthe Emerging Cultural leaders program is supported by learn Local. Emerging Cultural Leaders participant projects were part funded through the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation – Youth in Philanthropy.
Emerging Cultural Leaders Weekend Intensive BBQ
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
