Featured community artists
Get to know some of Western Australia's amazing community artists who featured in CAN WA's Around the campfire : Chinwag - the interview section of our e-news.
All artists featured are listed in our free Community Artist Listing.
Amber Onat Gregory
Tell us about yourself I am a community arts practitioner who moved to Perth in August from the UK. After graduating with a Masters in Applied Performance (applying performance to community groups) I set up Tell Me A Tale Theatre Company in the UK where I ran drama workshops in numerous diverse communities. This gave me the opportunity to work in: Schools; Prisons; Immigration Detention Centre’s (IDC’s); Hospitals; Care Homes and Community Centres.
What inspires you? Knowing that you can have a positive affect on people’s lives by providing inspiration, opportunity and cultural awareness through the arts.
How do you describe your artistic style? I have two very different styles. One is issue-based theatre where I use drama games and exercises to explore issues that participants are experiencing. The other is Sensory Storytelling where I perform stories for people with Special Needs. By using song, repetition, props and signing, participants are able to interact in the performance in their own unique way. Both styles I use have the same aim: to create innovative positive experiences for participants.
What would be your dream project? I would love the opportunity to run a project at Christmas Island Detention Centre. Due to the isolation and travel cost it is a challenging place to organise a project. Having previously worked in IDC’s I have seen first hand how drama can be a great way for detainees to have the opportunity to express themselves while having fun!
How do you work with and/or for communities? I tailor make performances/drama workshops for diverse community groups based on their needs. I adapt all of my work for different groups and the individuals within them. This way I am able to ensure that every participant will receive a fulfilling artistic experience through the work that I offer.
What are you most proud of professionally? I am very excited that having only moved to Perth in August I have been able to continue doing the work that I love. I was in Bunbury Prison last week; I will be in Albany Prison the week after next and have an ongoing arts role at Perth Immigration Detention Centre. To have achieved getting work in these different institutions that are barred not only physically but in oodles of ‘red tape’ makes me very proud!
Email: tellmeatale@iinet.net.au
Gina Knight
Tell us about yourself I am a member of the City of Fremantle Cultural Development Team and currently work three days per week coordinating the Village Art Market. When I'm not doing that, I run workshops with a large cross-section of the community on many and varied art / music projects and can also can be seen running around at festivals and events in a large cockroach outfit! I love to sing and do so at every given opportunity. I have previously worked with groups such as Sambanistas, Junkadelic and the Chameleon Brass Band and collaborate with other artists in the running of my own arts business Flea Circus Productions.
What inspires you? Swatches of colour, textural spleandour, shiny things, verge-side pickups, machines that go bing, good tunes, gaffer tape, cable ties, and of course, many hands.
How do you describe your artistic style? Free-ranging. I enjoy working with many elements and seek the interrelatedness between things and people. My style varies from project to project and is often based on exploration and moon-walking. I work across various media: 3D sculpture and mobile artworks, textiles, sound, design, performance, music, costuming and wearable art.
What would be your dream project? Working with a talented team of artists, a big bunch of excited kids, making floats, giant dragons and playing funk music in a large abandoned roller-skating rink in Kalamunda... Oh! that wasn't a dream....
How do you work with and/or for communities? I love to capture the imaginations of participants, harnessing thoughts and concepts to translate into tangible forms of expression, speaking through creative process.
What are you most proud of professionally? Always one to ride the energy of whatever presents itself, I am very open to learning new ways of being and also new techniques and ideas. My aim is to be present and responsive to my surroundings and others. If I see something that piques my interest, I do not limit myself to simply looking at it. I pick it up, I turn it over. I feel its texture and raise it to my nostrils to take in its aroma. I hold it overhead and converse with its shadow. I encourage others to relate to the world experientially.
website: http://www.fleacircus.com.au/
credit: King and Queen from Murdoch production, Gina Knight.
Minaxi May
what inspires you? I am inspired especially by colour, creative use of everyday materials and Asian kitschy pop and the childlike and playful. Also many things 'pop' or popular cultured, the media and consumerism.
how do you describe your artistic style? Eclectic. Based initially on a rush of ideas. Two streams - conceptual - based on popular culture including new media and installation/sculpture and material culture or work based on exploring materials especially toys, plastics - brightly coloured materials. I have been known to use materials as far ranging from icing sugar, resin, plastic tubing, plastic toys/dolls to coloured paper, metal, vinyl stickers and records.
what would be your dream project? Difficult question to answer...To create work in Japan, New York and Europe. To use my style emblazened not only in the gallery space but also in other realms such as fashion, lifestyle and design. To collaborate with someone 'out there' like Bjork, Tara Donovan or Takashi Murakami (Hiropon Factory artists). To constantly play!
how do you work with and/or for communities? I have been doing community art for many years starting off mainly through City of Melville and DADAA WA for many years, to FAC, varied councils, schools and majorly with AWESOME Arts Australia. I tend to work with children mostly - which is a lot of fun and playful. Never ceases to surprise me how kids can stretch and idea, concept or material to the limit if given the chance.
what are you most proud of professionally? Steadfastness. 'Keeping it real'.
website: www.minaximay.com
blog: minaximay.blogspot.com
photo credits: Minaxi May
Bec Massey
tell us about yourself I am a Visual Artist and Facilitator who moved to beautiful Western Australia at the beginning of 2009. Since moving to WA I've worked with School of the Air kids, done a short residency with two other wonderful artists in Yalgoo and have recently become involved with The Song Room, amongst other things. I first laid eyes on Perth last year when I travelled here with Puppet Caravan as part of UNIMA 2008. Prior to this, I lived, worked and studied in sunny Lismore on the North Coast of New South Wales. Much of my experience as a facilitator has come through working with LightnUp, a Lismore based Arts Organisation who annually create Lismore Lantern Parade (www.lanternparade.com ), among many other endeavours. Oh, and I love bubbles :) Check out my website for further information (about me, not bubbles).
what inspires you? The knowledge that all over this country and indeed all over the world are many wonderful people making positive changes, no matter how small. People creating spaces for creative expression within communities. People keeping culture alive. People planting seeds.
how do you describe your artistic style? ummm ... kind of eclectic, i guess. I know lanterns best, but feel as though I need a break from the medium, or at least in it's traditional form. I'd like to explore new ways with light. I've just bought a projector, so perhaps this is the way to do it. I fluctuate ... I'm really wanting a sewing machine so i can play with that too. I love junk ... the verge is my favourite ... a scavenger and a hoarder, surely not a good combination. Found object sculpture ... using recycled materials in new ways ... wow, i just re-read that paragraph ... vague and disjointed, my specialty.
On the other hand sometimes i wonder about what my artistic style is, because i'm primarily a facilitator, and tend not to produce that much outside my community work ... so perhaps my artform is facilitation.
what would be your dream project? oooo, good question! It would have to be either working overseas, perhaps with Ilotopie (French company who take pontoons and performance to a whole new level) on something beautiful with inspiring people or working in the Central Desert of Australia on something beautiful with inspiring people. I guess it doesn't really matter where or with who or what it is as long as it's real heart-work. If i don't have passion for a project on some level, it doesn't really work for me and I tend to lose interest.
how do you work with and/or for communities? My role is mainly as a facilitator but also includes artist, organiser, community liaison, co ordinator, cleaner not to mention the myriad of strange things I sometimes find myself doing as part of a project! I run workshops (mainly in lantern making) over a period of a week to two weeks that culminates in a Lantern Parade. The parade can be a stand alone event or just one part of a larger event such as a festival. Lanterns are a fantastic medium as they have the ability to cross most social boundaries. They can also be tailored to a specific project or community. For example, if there is a particular bird/animal or natural feature to that area, this can be expressed in lantern form or incorporated into the project in another medium. This creative link helps grow a sense of pride and place for the people in the community. My work is really about celebrating people and place.
A new direction i'd like to explore is the use of projection to tell stories, whether that be in photo essay format or to incorporate shadow puppets and movement into the images.
what are you most proud of professionally? goodness, I'm not sure if that moment has happened yet! I have been involved for the last four years with a festival called Moorambilla (www.moorambilla.com) which happens in a small town called Coonamble in Far Western New South Wales. It's a fantastic festival that gives regional and remote children a chance to sing in a choir and experience music that they would otherwise not get a chance to.
The last three years I have carried out a two week residency in the lead up to the festival, the first two years under LightnUp (previously mentioned) and this year was my first year flying solo. Over two weeks, the community and I co created a beautiful lantern parade and a number of light installations that came together for the Saturday evening of the festival.
Aside from my involvement with Moorambilla, another moment that deserves mention is my decision to leave the east coast, all family and friends and fly to a new chapter in Western Australia. I arrived with no work lined up, no place to live and no more than a couple of bags (for those of you that don't know me, my ability to pack light does NOT exist). I look forward to exploring this side of the country, finding beautiful pockets of goodness and working with communities in new and creative spaces.
website: www.lanternparade.com
blog: littlecarrotproductions.wordpress.com
photo credit: Bec workin' on heart in Yalgoo
Sue Codee
tell us about yourself I am based in Albany and work across a wide spectrum including visual arts and Community Cultural Development, and in roles such as curator, arts consultant, designer, and project co-ordinator. Working collaboratively with communities and artists, I have worked nationally and internationally as a community arts worker and artist-in-residence, on a diverse range of projects which include: economically disadvantaged groups in the Philippines; the multicultural community of Christmas Island; numerous remote central desert Aboriginal communities including Balgo, Warburton, Looma, and Alpurrurulam community in the NT; the Hidden Valley Community in Alice Springs with InCite Arts, a remote Tibetan community in Qinghai Province, China, and various regional communities throughout WA.
how do you describe your artistic style? Graphic. At present I am working with paper as a medium, and multi-media, but have also worked with communities using mosaic and visual arts. Check out my website- as it has an example of the range of work I have done. I like challenges and as an artist you have the creative resources to be able to do pretty much anything you are faced with.
what would be your dream project? This would be a year spent travelling with my husband (who is a musician) and my daughter, going to selected countries on artist residencies - collaborating culturally on creative projects with communities - plus some time to work on my own visual arts practice. Yes please!
how do you work with and/or for communities? Based on community need I work on projects as an artist, mentor, co-ordinator, or consultant. I am also passionate about promoting the arts in regional areas, and as Secretary of the board of Country Arts WA, and Chair of the Regional Arts Fund, I am able to contribute to assisting communities from a community capacity building focus.
what are you most proud of professionally? Having initiated and co-ordinated Open Access in Albany, which is an art studio for young people who are experienceing hardship. The studio is inspired by the Artful Dodgers studio in Melbourne, and I was professionally mentored by Sally Marsden, the initiator of that program. Its become a thriving arts hub for young people in the region.
website: www.suecodee.com
blog: www.suecodee.blogspot.com
photo credit: Sue relaxing in Tibet
Charlotte O'Shea
tell us about yourself Hi my name is Charlotte O’Shea, I gave up my chosen career as a Radiographer over 2 years ago after 35 years of looking through people! I have been a hobby artist for as long as I can remember having explored many different painting and drawing mediums.
Since giving up my ‘day job’ two years ago, I have concentrated on following and developing my artistic pursuits. I had my first solo exhibition in May 2008 consisting of paintings and digital art. I currently have an exhibition of Digital Art at Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle running until the 27 September. I was also fortunate to be selected to exhibit at Paperartzi 2009 in Albany in February this year and at Castaways 2009 City of Rockingham in May.
what inspires you? This is a difficult one, many things, nature and architecture, working with other people and sharing ideas. Being a visual artist I like detail and tend to examine things very closely, particularly plants and flowers. I also love faces. I also believe that as an artist I have a responsibility to reuse and recycle where possible this is a practice I adopt in my 3D works.
how do you describe your artistic style? My work tends to be highly detailed and takes a considerable amount of time to complete. I work in various media: acrylic paint, digital art and 3D pieces made from reusable and recycled items. My work is generally non-representational and offers the viewer the opportunity to make up his/her own interpretation.
what would be your dream project? I would love to do a large community arts project which involved the use of only reusable and recycled materials in its construction. This would present some interesting challenges which would offer the participants involved the opportunity to use and develop many skills from sourcing materials to design and construction of the final piece.
how do you work with and/or for communities? My first foray into community arts was as a participant in the Town of Victoria Park’s Harmony Week Project in 2008.
I was fortunate to be contracted as the community artist for the ‘Harmony Week Banner Project’ for the Town of Victoria Park in January this year. This project involved my working with 10 individuals from different ethnic and racial backgrounds to produce five banners to reflect aspects of life, culture and customs of this diverse group. The five banners produced represented sport, landmarks, food and food harvesting, costumes and customs.
what are you most proud of professionally? The 2009 Harmony Week Project. This project was a voyage of discovery! A huge and rapid learning curve for me with a successful outcome, it taught me the great value of community arts projects. Such projects offer a non -threatening and inclusive environment for the sharing of ideas and the building of relationships across members of our diverse ethnic and racial society. The wonderful thing I learned form this project is that we all have much more in common than we have differences; the people involved treated each other with respect and empathy. I felt privileged to be responsible for this project.
website: http://www.digitallydifferent.com/
photo credit: Charlotte and 'Big Bluey' getting ready for Castaways 2009
Sylvia Stonehouse
spill. tell us about yourself. As a self taught Artist, I am creative in any medium I can get my hands on, willing to experiment and try anything new, always ready to learn from anyone else I meet, or to teach skills to anyone who is interested.
I am passionate about community art as I see it as a means to build community by creating interaction and dialogue between every generation, ehtnicity, culture, and level of society.
what inspires you? I am inspired by the beauty of nature, a dying leaf curled up on the ground, a small weed flowering as it struggles for life in the harsh environment of a city pavement, the faces of the people I pass in the street, a sunset, the wide red space of the Murchison area.
All these things, and many more observations of life, inspire me to try to capture the essence of the moment, like a Haiku poem.
how do you describe your artistic style? I dont think I have any particular style, as I dabble in everything from poetry to sculpture, recycled unk Art, Theatre Scenery, Mosaics, Murals, whatever I am in the mood for, or someone needs me to create.
what would be your dream project? My dream project would be to work in collaboration with a Community to create a themed community artwork inspired by the local people's input, environment and culture, that could help their town to be "put on the map" for tourism and boost their local economy as well as their self esteem.
I love to find out what people would like to do, and develop a way of making that a reality by sourcing whatever materials and skills are available within the local environment that can be recycled for artwork to keep costs down and make a project economically possible ... for a mural, street banner or similar, brainstorming with the group enables a compilation of ideas and then through a process of elimination the best composition can be arrived at for the project to present a strong image, or message.
Then I teach the 'process' or method, of creating the artwork, so that every participant is empowered to take part in the creation of the artwork.
This works successfully with every age from preschoolers to adults, and achieves fantastic results.
For junk workshops I just take whatever is available and create activities appropriate for the time, place, and age group by using my ability to think 3D.
how do you work with or for communities? The most important factor is to treat all people with respect and encouragement regardless of age or ability, and enjoy teaching them to be creative. Art should be FUN for all participants, and that is what I aim for.
Gwen Knox
spill. tell us about yourself. Being born in Broome WA, has had a lot to do with who I am and how I work. I tried to deny my true calling and tried to pursue other careers often ending in abysmal failures but the arts kept breaking through. I discovered teaching and community arts around the same time as circus and puppetry and realised that there was a connection and a real value in them that offered huge rewards. It also learned to respect where I came from and the real value to be had in belonging to a supportive, creative, community - on the small scale the community of my family and all its interesting branches, the slightly larger – Broome and the arts community of WA. People congratulate me on the good work I do and how it makes the community feel good. I say to them 'Look I am a really selfish person, I do this stuff because it entertains me and makes me feel good. Any community high spirits is a bonus.'
what inspires you? 1. That moment when music, visuals and actions all come together and magic unfolds before your eyes. It has nothing to do with a greater, supernatural power, but the power of the individual to overcome adversity and deliver the performance of their lives for that point in time. I call it the goose bump moment. 2. Chris. 3. The desert, the ocean and the stars.
how do you describe your artistic style? Organised bordering on the chaotic - physical theatre incorporating dance, visual arts and puppets and anything else that is appropriate.
what would be your dream project? A series of projects that included: puppetry, circus, hip hop (perhaps with a touch of Bungarra and Tap), the desert, the ocean and the stars.
how do you work with or for communities? I am invited by a community who has an idea. We talk about that idea and how best to realise it, the people, materials needed and the budget. Reassess the idea based on the above and begin at an appropriate moment. Find the money. As the project progresses I always check and recheck if the project is progressing in the way that the community want. We usually have a celebratory style of show at the end of each project. Sometimes I am the only artist, sometimes I coordinate a team of artists.
what are you most proud of professionally? Most of my projects are favourites otherwise I wouldn’t have done them. There are three that stand out and I can’t choose between them:
- I am the artistic director of Worn Art which has been running for 12 years. We have always maintained its CCD principles despite a huge push to make it more corporate. It manages to walk the middle road between crass spectacle and a highly professional, hugely loved, creative, community celebration. There are stand out years such as 2004 and 2008.
- The 'Jabby Don’t Smoke' project where I made puppets with Wulungarra, a desert community out of Fitzroy Crossing and developed a story that was designed to encourage children to not take up smoking or chewing tobacco. The whole community were involved in the making of the puppets. Creating the story and the video by David Batty (of Bush Mechanics fame). I wrote a jingle in the time it took to walk from the school room to the teachers donger it 'could have gone gold' despite being recorded on a dodgy school cassette player and I played it on warped necked nylon stringed guitar. The out of tune kids voices just added to the charm, I guess. It became the most requested song on the Goolarri Radio children’s hour that year. The school pack including video, teachers hand book went all over Australia. We toured an interactive puppet play to every one of the 42 or so schools in the Kimberley.
- 'Kids of Yesterday' a musical play I developed with the whole of Broome Primary School (my old primary school), performed at Sun Pictures (the local outdoor cinema). All of the 400 children had a part to play in the event. I worked with old primary school mates, famous Indigenous musicians Loray Coffin and Mick Manolas as musical directors. We utilised old footage of Broome that was projected on the screen behind the stage. The play told the 100 year history of the school. Each child researched some aspect of the school’s history to be incorporated into the two hour spellbinding play. I have since worked with the school on a number of great productions but nothing as big and wonderful as Kids of Yesterday.
Gwen's has most recently been funded through Catalyst Community Arts Fund under Develop our professional development category.
Photo credit: Worn Art performer, 2004
Carmen Cilliers
spill. tell us about yourself. My background is in fashion design, but I ‘fell’ into the corporate world when I immigrated to Australia. Last year I completed a Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy which afforded me in depth self-discovery and creative break throughs. Subsequently, I quit the corporate world to pursue my passion for the arts as well as empower others through the discovery of their own creativity. In spite of what anyone says, I believe when given the opportunity, everyone will discover their creative side and this ultimately leads to a deeper level of self understanding and fulfilment.
what inspires you? My inspiration comes in all shapes and forms, ranging from the beauty of nature, the avant garde, animals and what the unconscious chooses to reveal when one can abandon conscious decision making and outcomes in the creative process.
how do you describe your artistic style? My artistic style is bold & bright. There is a sense of Fauve and Cubism influences – but I’m not sure where they came from!
what would be your dream project? My dream is to organise and participate in an exhibition that celebrates women, their freedom and their rights. I would like to work at ground level with women from the many cultures in our community to firstly explore and express their creativity, and then culminate this into an event where the work can be auctioned off to raise funds for Amnesty International or a similar charity. I would love to do this in collaboration with the charity and the community artists involved and the goal is for this to eventually become a much anticipated and prestigious annual event.
how do you work with or for communities? Till very recently I worked as the Creative Development Assistant at the Victoria Park Centre For The Arts with residents from Nulsen Haven. I’ve also been involved in workshops at youth festivals and childcare centres. I tend to have a casual approach and once I have demonstrated or prepared the workshop I try to not over direct, analyse or influence the participants work unless invited. I believe in encouragement and facilitation!
what are you most proud of professionally? I’m most proud of myself for taking the leap from an unrewarding job into a profession that is very rewarding. I've broadened my horizons into the field of community arts and working with people from various community groups that I otherwise would not have met. It’s early days yet, but I’m hoping that if I dream big it will all happen!
Carmen's blog: http://www.carmencillierstheartist.blogspot.com/
Anahita Haghi
spill. tell us about yourself. I am a self taught Henna artist specialising in Indian and Arabic designs. I have worked with several city councils and clubs, and for weddings, hen’s nights, parties, haflas and fairs. My products are totally herbal.
what inspires you? the intricacy of the designs, the unlimited creativity in this art form and the constant appreciation of my clients inspires me.
how do you describe your artistic style? my artistic style is Indian and Arabic.
what would be your dream project? applying henna for royalty or a VIP and getting praise and appreciation for it.
how do you work with or for communities? I have taken part in several multicultural events organised by various councils and health organisations that showcase the art of henna to various cultures and disadvantaged groups.
examples of Anahita's work:
www.annabella.net/bellydance/henna.html
www.omi.wa.gov.au/hw/events/cockburn_library.pdf
Photo credit: Anahita Haghi, Henna artist.
Ali J
spill. tell us about yourself. I’m a 26 year old girl who lives in a house near the beach
surrounded by my menagerie of pets. I spend my days drawing, dreaming, thinking and painting.
what inspires you? fashion, celebrities, shopping, dreams, the imagination and childhood naivety give me my main ‘light bulb’ moments.
how do you describe your artistic style? my focus is on creating illustrated portraits of contemporary figures with a fashion edge. The illustrations are primarily 2D and combine mediums such as acrylics, inks and collaged elements of vintage book pages to create a contemporary image. The figures always have luscious hair, bold outlines, bright colours, strong eyes and an emotional connection that can be made with the viewer.
what would be your dream project? painting a mural of characters on a wall or illustrating a book.
where will you be in five years? still working just as hard as I am now I hope! In five years I hope to have a studio space away from the home and a gallery/shop front.
Photo credit: He Had Me at Hello. Ali J
Lesley King 
Tell us about yourself I'm Lesley King, I have been working in the Community Cultural Development areas of collaborative art projects for the past 15 years in regional, remote and rural areas.
My areas of speciality are placemaking theory, cultural mapping/planning, project managment and facilitation, large scale murals, mosaics, ceramics and sculptures. I recently completed a large public art piece in the Mandurah Ocean Marina and a large community work piece for City of Armadale.
what inspires you? the creative energy when people from different walks of life cross boundaries to come together with passion for an event or project. The difference people can make to a 'place/space' by claiming it and making it their own.
do you have a career highlight/lowlight? playing music in Ireland with world class musicians...I'm looking forward to some more of that soon.
how do you describe your artistic style? fun, colourful, whimsicle and diversity in materials.
what would be your dream project? more, more and more public art; there is way to much grey concrete and boring brickwork in WA. So to mosaic a large sculptural piece, a building or a water tower with elements of texture patterned concrete with bright colour, metallic mosaics and ceramic inlays in the styles of Gaudi, HunderWasser and Niki De Saint Phalle.