Artist in Residence Program

Community Creative Involvement Information

2008 marks the beginning of a new era for the annual Community Festival. Now in its 11th year, we are looking to the future of the festival and our community. Under the theme 'Together… Our Future' we have designed a festival program that explores, reflects on and showcases the personal and shared stories of those in our community and any emergent issues, themes or community concerns.

We hope to involve as many local community groups and organisations as possible, and you are invited to participate!

Listed below are creative opportunities offered in our Artist in Residence program for the 2008 Community Festival. The program offers opportunities for participants and support workers to generate new ideas, learn new skills, collaborate with artists and express their ideas in art work and performances to be displayed at the festival for the community to appreciate.

1 – Creative Brainstorm Sessions

Participating groups and interested support workers are invited to engage in a creative process and effectively design their own projects. This will enable people to create a program that can: reflect their personal artistic interests, respond to the participants' needs, expand their own or the participants' current skill sets and/or build on existing or planned group activities.

Interested groups and support workers can invite us to meet with a group of interested support workers from your group. If a meeting is not possible, please fill in and return the attached questionnaire and we will contact you regarding the next steps. We appreciate your time on this process. Your responses will inform the 2008 program (within the limitations of available timeframe and resources) and the content and delivery of the programs to be delivered in the following years.

2 - Train the Trainer program

The 2008 Artist in Residence program will involve a 'train the trainer' program to allow local workers to work directly with professional artists to develop new skills, ideas and projects for delivery and/or display at the 2008 Festival.

Once an area of interest is identified via the process above, the practical and creative skills needed will be shared directly by professional artists with support workers, who can then deliver their project to participants, within their programs as they choose. Within the bounds of our resources we still plan to supply materials or offer assistance with costs.

3 - Other Artistic Activities Available

There are many ways in which participants from your group or organisation can become involved in the festival. An overview of additional opportunities is enclosed. Details of these activities and how your participants can become involved, will be mailed to you.

Storytelling – Telling Stories -  members of the community are invited to tell us stories from their lives. Community participants will then work with an artist who will interview them and generate a number of possible projects. These may include an installation, a multimedia project or an artwork documenting the stories of our community.

Rapping – talk it up – young people use their own language to talk about the issues that matter to them. A series of workshops throughout February and March will focus on creative writing for spoken and improvised performance.

Stencil Art – cut it out - groups are invited to collaboratively create simple stencil images that reflect or represent their thoughts on the environment (personal, local or global). Stencilled onto large flags they will decorate the festival

Community Choir – a high note - individuals and groups interested in singing together are invited to join existing choirs and singing groups to form a mass choir and perform an original song at the opening ceremony of the festival.

Multimedia – what's the story – young people are invited to submit existing or new audio and/or visual digital work (2 – 7mins long) to be screened at the festival. See enclosed information in regards to this opportunity.

Several information sheets and a questionnaire may be download from the RELATED DOWNLOADS box.

For more information about any of the above programs please contact the Arts and Cultural Development department on 92172172 or email events@whittlesea.vic.gov.au.