Four weeks after my mentor and friend, Katherine Knight died I was having more success putting tears to paper than ink. She had insisted that I keep writing; that I stay vulnerable and courageous. I made the promise. Read More
Innovation is broadly defined as new ideas, methods or products. This is true in the arts, where it can also refer to new ways of seeing society, or methods of engaging with ideas and knowledge. Read More
When she settled into her assigned seat last month, artist Shivanjani Lal knew she wouldn’t be returning to the family home in Lidcombe for at least another 12 months. She is off to India to pursue her Post Graduate Diploma and a project she has been working towards for the past three years. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shivanjani before she left to talk about what the year ahead holds. Read More
A provocateur – that’s how I have been described. As someone who asks the questions that don’t necessarily have a straight answer. I am more than okay with this. Just because there aren’t straight answers doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be having the conversations. In fact, all the more reason to make sure we keep talking. Don’t stop there!
For as long as I can remember I have been reminded that I will never be considered successful until I do something notably significant outside of Western Sydney. Growing up I saw local papers slathered with cliché “local kids done good” stories. More recently some of my colleagues suggested that if I kept developing my established projects I would be considered static. To me the only thing that is being rendered static is the cultural development of Sydney’s greater suburbs.
Don’t stop there!
It was quite unexpected. After completing my groceries at Minto Marketplace one October afternoon (2015), an exhibition of photo media students from the local high school, Sarah Redfern was on display. Time Won’t Stand Still was a pop up exhibition of year 9 student’s photography in a vacant shop from 22 October – 8 November. You’d think after setting up Stepping Up I would have expected something like this to occur, especially with the national trend of using disused commercial spaces for temporary cultural activations. But this exhibition, although ticking a number of social outcome boxes, did not sit well with me. Don’t stop there!
In the heart of Fairfield’s CBD there is a hive of activity around the heritage listed School of Arts Building. This building was purpose built in 1994 and underwent refurbishments between 2003 and 2006. Facility improvements responded to the community’s demand for increased access to creative development and exhibition opportunities. In 2015 the Powerhouse Youth Theatre, who occupy the building, presented a dynamic multi-arts program that critically engaged with the plurality of personal histories in Fairfield. Don’t stop there!
