Artist residency program in the Wimmera
Piloting new models of creative exchange through digital exploration in regional communities
Monash University Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (MADA), Working Heritage, and Yarriambiack Shire Council
Wimmera Mallee Region, Wotjobaluk Country
In 2022, Artbox was engaged by the Afterlives of Cities Research team at Monash University Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (MADA) to curate, and deliver a new pilot artist-in-residence program within the Wimmera Mallee region.
The program formed part of a larger redevelopment project probing the possibilities for creative exchange as a driver of creative tourism and future thinking within regional towns. The recent transformation of the Warracknebeal Courthouse into arts hub was a collaborative project led by MADA, Creative Victoria, Working Heritage and Yarriambiack Shire Council. The pilot's objective was to ensure the AiR program meets the needs of the local Wimmera Mallee Community by providing cultural, economic and environmental benefits for future creative exchanges in the regions.
The primary challenge for us was to test the functionality of the newly developed heritage buildings as AiR spaces at the new Warracknabeal Courthouse and Powerhouse in Hopetoun.
The residency program offered opportunities to three artists working at the intersection of art and technology, in mediums across Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and digital media. Artbox curated and engaged artists: Brett Leavy, Kim Munro, and Archie Barry. We worked with each artist to create individual AiR plans, ensuring they had the necessary equipment, resources, and financial support to produce their work.
The program involved a two-week on-site residency for the artists, followed by remote development of the work and a return trip to present a community-wide town event. Artists met with local community members and groups, presented workshops, spent time on Wotjobaluk Country hearing stories from Uncle Ron Marks, and got out on the road with their cameras filming and documenting the unique landscape and environment of the Wimmera Mallee region.
Development of the artworks was informed by community, with more than 50 participants taking part in artist conversations and workshops.
The program saw the creation of two new artworks;
Kim Munro’s The Futorical Society (and the woman who killed the weeds), a digital short film that brought together 3D scans of treasured and curious objects supplied by community members and overlaid with audio interviews.
Brett Leavy’s Virtual Songlines: Horsham, Hopetoun and Warracknabeal, a new VR experience developed with the knowledge shared by locals, which allows viewers to experience a pre-colonial Wimmeria, where Aboriginal custom and lore was the way of life.
The pilot program culminated in an open community showcase, Future Histories, at the Warracknebeal Town Hall. For locals, the AiR program presented an opportunity to meet artists and experiment with creative technologies to explore the histories, and futures, of the town they live in.
The coming together of artists and communities shows the creative potential of the region to shape the histories and stories we tell about place.
Services
Program Design and Curation
Stakeholder Engagement
Artist Engagement
Artistic Production Support
Residency Delivery
Public Event Coordination
Project Oversight
Program Analysis & Reporting
Outcomes
Artist-in-residence spaces – validation of Warracknabeal Courthouse and Hopetoun Powerhouse as effective artist residency venues
Creative skills building – introducing regional communities to new creative technologies and storytelling methods
Community engagement – cultural exchange with local participants through artist workshops, discussions, and conversations
Model for future residencies – a foundation for future iterations of the AiR program with a scalable and responsive approach
Public showcase – presented final works at a well-attended community event, Future Histories, in Warracknabeal