Author Archive

Posted on April 11, 2011 - by Cecily

Painting on the Finke River

Big hART’s new Community Producer Shannon Huber decribes her first On Country watercolour expedition with the Namatjira family painters.

Following on from the sell out critical success of Namatjira at Belvoir in Sydney 2010, Big hART’s Namatijra Project is already in full swing for another stellar year. As well as a nine week interstate tour kicking off in August, Big hART continues to work in Alice Springs and Ntaria (Hermannsburg) N.T., with the Namatjira family, as they continue to paint and tell more of their story.

Leading up to theatre show and full watercolour exhibitions in August, the Namatjira family watercolour artists have been engaging in On Country watercolour workshops, which sees them travel out to the scenic and rugged landscapes of their Western Arrarnta country in the Central Australian Desert. Often painting from memory, the artists relish the opportunity to paint ‘On Country’, where they can paint surrounded by the sights and sounds of their subject.

This year Big hART welcomes their new Alice Springs based Community Producer Shannon Huber, who went out with the artists last week for the first On Country watercolour workshop for 2011. They started off from Ntaria (Hermannsburg), with family of the iconic watercolour artist Albert Namatjira taking Big hART out to Finke River to paint in the tradition of their grandfather.  The workshops are an opportunity for the artists to spend time in the places the great Albert would paint and, as he did, capture the stunning beauty of the MacDonnell ranges in the their unique watercolour style.  With the heavy rain that has soaked Central Australia recently the Finke River was teeming with fish and the desert was bursting with green.

Ivy Pareroultja, kinship granddaughter of Albert Namatjira and a skilled watercolour artist in her own right, said “It always feels like we are coming home when we come out here.”  Ivy toured with the award winning play Namatjira to Sydney last year and took part on stage.  Her and cousin Lenie Namatjira, a senior family member and granddaughter of Albert, both regularly paint at the Ngurratjuta Many Hands Art Centre in Alice Springs where they live. They plan to tour again with the show this year and take part in the telling of their grandfather’s story.

On Country workshops are part of Big hART’s ongoing work with the Namatjira family and Ntaria (Hermannsburg) community, encouraging and supporting community members to develop their skills as artists and own the rich cultural history of their area. The workshops will be happening every four weeks throughout 2011 and are a chance for those with a connection to Albert Namatjira and his country to come, sit down, learn from each other and paint the peaceful beauty of the Western Arrarnta country.

Posted on April 11, 2011 - by Cecily

Ripping it up in ROTTERDAM at the International Community Arts Festival 2011

This week Trevor Jamieson had the honour of performing Big hART’s Ngapartji Ngapartji – One to officially open the 2011 International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam. He is joined by performer Derek Lynch, Creative Director Scott Rankin, Creative Producers Sophia Marinos, Deb Myers and Chris Saunders, as well as others in the Big hART team who are there showcasing 4 of Big hART’s projects; Namtajira, The Pilbara Project, Northcott Narratives and Ngapartji Ngapartji.  Watch this video below, see Trevor and Derek, and  other activities from the festival, or for more details why not pay them a visit at the ICAF website. Below this you can find a film and info about the Namatjira Project.

Artwork by Jen Allison

Posted on April 3, 2011 - by Cecily

FIRST STOP… THE PILBARA!  Then ROTTERDAM or bust!

It’s a happy time for Big hARTers… recently collaborators from 4 different Big hART projects came together in the Pilbara, in preparation for the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam, Holland, this month. Big hART creatives including the Namatjira team and creatives from the Northcott Narratives project and Ngapartji Ngapartji are gathered at the home base of our newest initiative – the Pilbara Project, for a meeting of the minds. A rich communal flow of creative juices was cultivated as they prepared for the festival opening performance of Ngapartji Ngapartji – One performed by Trevor Jamieson. This will be preceeded by a message from Lord Mayor Clover Moore, beemed all the way from Sydney Town Hall! Following the festival opening, Big hART will present 3 other projects including Namatjira for the ICAF program. For more details on the festival visit the ICAF website. Check out our festival flyer!

Artwork by Jen Allison

Posted on February 3, 2011 - by Cecily

Busy times behind the scenes

Namatjira may not be on stage at the moment but it is a busy time for all of us in Sydney, Alice Springs, Melbourne and Tassie.  Currently we are building towards our 2011 Australian tour and our presence in Rotterdam at the International Community Arts Festival from 30th of March to 4th April 2011. Here is a bit from the ICAF team on their theme for 2011:

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY ARTS

In this fifth edition of our community arts festival, we want to place the POWER of community centre stage. Many people already know about the great things can be achieved with community art: art made for, by and with people who otherwise have very little to do with art, in places with almost no artistic or cultural infrastructure.

What is that special power, and is it affected by the medium, whether it’s music, dance, theatre, fine art or video? What is the difference between an Indigenous storyteller appearing on a stage in Sydney or surrounded by his own community in the outback of Australia, or in a South African township, or in the Bulgarian countryside?

How can we take that special power generated by a whole range of remarkable Dutch community arts projects and communicate it to foreign community artists and the people they work with?

How can we, for instance, use powerful dance work from other parts of the world as an example to inspire Dutch dancers and choreographers. They may want to go into the communities but not know where to start with people who have no formal dance training. Is it possible to work with them and create powerful art?

For more info about ICAF and the 2011 programme visit  www.icafrotterdam.com

Big hART will be presenting Namatjira in workshop presentation including a participant audience of festival delegates, both Trevor Jamieson and Derek Lynch will be travelling to Rotterdam to perform scenes from the show for this format. Big hART will be showcasing 3 other project in addition to Namatjira at the festival. These projects are at various stages of development.

Northcott Narratives lead by Creative Producer Christopher Saunders, is a completed project  and will be realised through panel style presentation to explore the findings of the project.

Based in the City of Sydney, this project ran for 3 years, working with tenants at Northcott housing estate. The project produced a documentary (900 Neighbours), a theatrical work within the grounds of the estate for Sydney Festival, 2007 Stickybricks, (supported by Company B Belvoir), a photographic exhibition (Tenant by Tenant) and a resource kit. The project won a World Health Organisation Safer Communities award, and has the rare advantage of having been comprehensively and independently evaluated on the measurable effects it had on the community it engaged.

The Pilbara project at its inception. Based in the Pilbara, Big hART will be travelling young people from there to Rotterdam to engage in mentorships and partake in workshops based on the creative development process of the project.

Ngapartji Ngapartji – One performed by Trevor Jamieson will open the festival. Here is a excerpt from Director Scott Rankin’s notes:

“Few opportunities come along where the process of making the theatre piece and the end result are both full of meaning. Ngapartji Ngapartji, however, with its’ ongoing work in community, and its evolving language and culture website continues to be deeply rewarding. In turn, each season of the work has seen a different aspect of the narrative brought to the foreground. The possibility that this project may continue to evolve, and contribute to change, makes it a deeply satisfying experience.”

Ngapartji Ngapartji One has been made a featured highlight of the festival. For more info about its presence there take a look at the ICAF Ngapartji page.