Creative Community Engagements
My approach to community engagement for public art, cultural projects, community engagement and related creative practices includes supporting project stakeholders, community participants and relevant cultural knowledge holders.
City People Arta and Cultural Strategy
My methodology as an Aboriginal creative Producer for City People includes 'Culture-led placemaking' to develop innovative public art and activation strategies. I engage with Indigenous communities and key stakeholders to ensure inclusive, cross-cultural co-design across all public artwork environments, and I advise on fabrication processes to create relational public spaces.
Selected Artist Cementa 24
As artist in residence and selected artist for Cementa 24, my residency and exhibition highlighted feelings about how to be visitor on-with-as Dabee Country (Kandos). I walked carefully to respect the processes of connectedness with Country. Likewise, I imagined ways to activate a muru (path) in a disused train carriage by creating a space for new footsteps and voices. During my exhibition installation many people visited and together we experienced my creative methodology named ngarra maan gubangali as a community.
This is Dharug language meaning thinking, collecting and feeling unique paths .
A high level of community participation showed that people of all ages who visited my installation loved making their own footprints along a 10-meter linen canvas. While stepping into my Dabee rainwater and bush dye buckets and then walking across the surface, or simply sitting along the sides of the carriage people were to experience the sensorial atmosphere. Some chose to stay longer and and watch other people enjoy their time. We talked about many cultural topics. I shared my art processes and the importance of connecting asCountry. I also provided an artist tour telling the story of my artwork as well as guiding visitors through many great exhibitions on display during the festival.
Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts
A Real Experience Artist Workshop
My Artist workshop titled Bangali Muru Ngurra Bayali (Making a Path of Country Speaking)
Following the success of my public engagement during Cementa24, I developed a similar artist workshop at Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Gallery to complement an exhibition titled A Real Experience, which celebrated senior-career female-identifying artists whose work has been shaped by their connection to the region. My contribution of Dharug Women’s stories was a valuable addition that increased visitor access to the gallery.
Casula/ Liverpool Powerhouse Creative Activation
Alongside a solo exhibition by Dharug Custodian Leann Tobin, titled Memories of Water (Badu) in 2023, I ran a series of weaving workshops to activate the gallery as a connection to Country. Dharug people are intrinsically linked to the site and surrounding lands where Casula Powerhouse stands. My contribution added relational stories of Murringong pathways across southwest Sydney. I found that community the participation in a series of associated weaving workshops enhanced collective memories for those who have ancestral links to this place, as well as inviting relationality towards broader non-Indigenous communities. We came together to h=share stories while making baskets and more and the workshops also increased exhibition visits to Tobin’s immersive and visually rich exhibition.