MEDIA RELEASE

New opportunities for artists in Western Sydney

Released 11 April 2006

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

Community arts and IT organisation Information & Cultural Exchange (ICE) will showcase the work of over 20 new Western Sydney arts workers and digital artists this Wednesday 12 April, from 6-7.30pm at Fairfield School of Arts as part of the ORIGINATE: multicultural + mentorship + multimedia Showcase.

A dynamic presentation of design, music, sound, installations and performances will showcase the work produced by Originate graduates.

Combining training in an area of digital arts (video, music/sound, radio, web/graphic design) with training in community arts project management, Originate aimed to develop the skills of new Western Sydney artsworkers, particularly those from culturally diverse communities, including people from small and emerging communities as well as Australian Indigenous and Pacific Islander backgrounds. The arts management component of the program was a partnership with South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, resulting in accreditation for the 25 graduates.

“Originate has been one of our most innovative programs to date. Its objective was to develop new arts workers who could manage community arts-based projects in an area of digital arts, such as video, music, graphic or web design. The outcomes of this program have been significant, with a new generation of Western Sydney arts workers being seeded,” said ICE Director Lena Nahlous. “We anticipate that this will lead to very real employment opportunities for the graduates,” she said.

“Often, when organisations such as ours seek to employ an arts worker we want them to have some understanding of the creative area they will be project managing because it is difficult to manage, for instance, a community video project if you don’t really understand what’s involved in creating video,” said Ms Nahlous.

Originate went beyond training, developing one-on-one mentorships and placements for participants, and at each stage of the project supporting participants to produce practical outcomes such as learning graphic design skills by producing postcards or learning about funding by submitting a funding application. The Museum of Contemporary Art, SBS Radio, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre are just some of the organisations in which the graduates have been placed, providing an additional opportunity for them to put their training into action and also to make links in the arts industry.

From copyright and legal issues, to how to develop a budget and timeline, the project offered a well-round and practical approach with skilled trainers such as experienced CCD Worker Paula Abood and industry professionals such as producer Nick Toth . Graduates reported that the program provided a stepping-stone for them that pulled together different pieces of knowledge they already had and that they can now build upon. They developed confidence in general and felt more motivated to pursue their independent projects as well as feeling better equipped to consult and work with communities.

“It was a wonderful opportunity coming my way. I learnt so many things. I am looking forward to working with my chosen community with confidence. I’m confident to be more organised and well equipped to handle conflict. Thank you for giving me such opportunity,” said Anita Barar, Originate participant and emerging filmmaker/CCD worker.

“Originate was terrific, great because it provided us with more skills, more development and allowed us to access valuable information and use wonderful and much needed resources, all which is needed for the Western Sydney community to be empowered,” said Bernard Makeny, who developed his skills in graphic design and community arts management through his participation in the program. Since settling in Australia, Bernard has been involved in filmmaking and other areas of digital arts. Like many of the participants, this program provided him with skills in arts project management, community cultural development alongside digital arts.

Originate received core funding through the Australia Council for the Arts and the NSW Ministry for the Arts, and was also supported by a grant from the James N Kirkby Foundation and TAFE NSW. The event sponsor is Powerhouse Youth Theatre. The showcase is a free event and open to the public.