Regional Arts Australia Conference, SA Goolwa Oct 2012
CHALLENGE:
The Change Media team traveled to Goolwa for the 2012 ‘Kumuwuki/ Big Wave’ Regional Arts Australia conference to produce a series of short, collaborative documentaries during a four day workshop with the Ngarrindjeri Media Team.
The Change Media crew worked together with the Ngarrindjeri Media Team to produce three distinct keynote videos, each presenting a slightly different angle on respect, resilience and reconciliation, with a challenge for the audience to re-frame the colonial mindset. For each of the four days the team had to shoot, edit and screen a new 5 minute mini-doco, presented in front of over 500 conference participants every morning. The high octane and very creative production was a great experience, with everyone really learning the true meaning of deadline pressure!
PARTNERS: Indigenous Cultural Support, Office for the Arts, Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport; Australia Council for the Arts; Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority; Kumwuki conference – Regional Arts Australia; Tallstoreez Productionz.
Reframing Culture
‘Reframing Culture’
If your device can’t play the clip, click here to watch it on Vimeo.
‘Reframing Culture – Trailer’
If your device can’t play the clip, click here to watch it on Vimeo.
OUTCOMES:
The Kumuwuki conference was held over four days in Goolwa to showcase various presentations from artists across Australia. Change Media’s presentations focused on indigenous media literacy and the power of storytelling in a modern and increasingly digitized world. For the workshops, titled ‘Surfing on Country – Surfing on Culture’ [which was a nod to the Kumuwuki/ Big Wave theme of the conference], our Artistic Director, Jennifer, came up with the concept of using a colonial frame.
The team used this storytelling device to invite Ngarrindjeri Elders and conference participants to come up with ideas and creative visions to re-frame Australia’s colonial mindset. A great prop to get people thinking and talking, and to engage in an artistic and political discussion about how we can best re-frame the argument together, as part of a push for reconciliation…
SCREENINGS & AWARDS: Stay tuned for updates!
As many conference participants requested copies of the documentaries, please contact us for details.
We will arrange for a community screening in the Coorong in early December and present the film to festivals and conferences.
On Nov 8th we showed the 2min trailer to over 150 delegates at the Co-Creative Media Forum at the Australian Centre for Moving Image ACMI – lots of people commented and referred it the clip later in their presentations!
IMPACT & FEEDBACK:
The team received huge applause at each screening and lots of fabulous comments during the conference, often hollered across the streets in Goolwa – we believe our concept of feeding work straight back into the conference was a great success, even though at the cost of 3 sleepless nights, to have a 5min film ready for the conference key note each morning at 9am. The week after the conference, the completed three short films have now been combined into one 18-min documentary, ‘Reframing Culture’.
November 2011: Australia Council for the Arts publishes Tallstoreez’ opinion piece in digital media in CACD
Follow the link to our provocative article here or use http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/community_partnerships/opinion_piece
We would love to hear your thoughts and will publish feedback on our site. Find the full version, amendments and comments also on our director’s blog.
From the Australia Council for the Arts website:
A DIGITAL DIVIDE? DIGITAL TOOLS IN CACD PRACTICE
Using digital media is increasingly popular in Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) practice. But is the increasing use of digital media in itself an innovation? Where does the balance of technology skills and storytelling sit best for community? Is it different at all to long standing methods of collaboration in the CACD sector?
Whilst the proliferation of digital tools has in many ways democratised the means of making, has it changed the way the CACD artists engage and work with communities? Have emphases shifted? Is there a presumption of skills-building in using technology as a means to sharing stories, and how does this impact upon existing power relationships between community participants and facilitators? Have the central notions of ‘participation’, ‘engagement’ and ‘shared space’ been transformed through the use of these tools?
The Australia Council asked five artists/arts organisations to reflect on the use of digital media in their own practices.
May 2011: Australia Council grants Tallstoreez’ Change Media project triennial Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative funding
Change Media has been successful in Stage 2 of our CCPI funding proposal to the Australia Council for the Arts, to produce new and exciting works as part of our proposed Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative for three years, 2011-2014.
The Australia Council supports us to deliver new programs for marginalized and young people and their communities across Australia over the coming years, alongside our other partners such as the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet – Office for the Arts’ Indigenous Cultural Support Grant, Bell Shakespeare Company, the Australian Refugee Association; the Ngarrindjeri Land & Progress Association, OurCommunity and all our other partners.
Thanks to all our supporters for all your fantastic work over the last years – we are looking forward to establishing Change Media as a leading initiative for disruptive innovation in the CACD sector nationally and to continue the incredible success we had over the last 7 years in South Australia.