(CACD) STRATEGY

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Cultural Development Strategy Anne-Marie Wiles

Cultural Development Officer Hurstville City Council

21.5.2015

Front cover image: Tales From Dragonhurst Hurstville City Council and radio 2NBC 90.1fm partnership Winner – Community Broadcasting Association of Australia Awards:

Best Community involvement

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Hurstville City Council

(CACD) STRATEGY

1. Vision Statement

2. What is Community Arts and Cultural Development

3. Guiding Principles

4. Role of Local Government in CACD

5. Community Arts and Cultural Development in Community Services

Targeting disadvantage

Community Harmony

6. Getting projects off the ground

Funding for community cultural development activities

Hurstville City Council Community Grants Program

7. Future Directions

8 More Information

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1. Vision Statement The Hurstville City Council Community Arts and Cultural Development Strategy, provides a framework for Council’s commitment to the development of community wellbeing, social cohesion, and cultural vitality, using arts and cultural tools. It contributes to the vision contained in Council’s Community Strategic Plan: An evolving city which promotes a sustainable and safe community that connects people and places, and celebrates diversity.

2. What is Community Arts and Cultural Development

“Community Arts and Cultural Development encompasses collaborations between professional artists and communities based on a community’s desire to achieve artistic and social outcomes. It is distinct from other arts practice as it is the creative processes and relationships developed to make the art that defines it, not the art form or genre.”

- From: The Australia Council for the Arts website: http://2014.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/community-partnerships

Community arts and cultural development is a community-based arts practice and can engage any art form. There are many variations of how such works are made, developed and shared, and as such, there is no one model. What is at the core of this practice, however, is the collaboration between professional artists and communities to create art.

EXAMPLE 1: Community Theatre - THE FENCE

IMAGE: THE FENCE performance 2014

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Created by the award-winning Australian Macedonian Theatre of Sydney, THE FENCE was developed through a collaboration between the theatre group members, including writer, Dushan Ristevski, the many community development workers and residents he consulted in his research for the play and actor/director/writer, Stefo Nantsou. Performed by an immensely talented ensemble of community actors, it provided a proud and unique look at our multi-cultural society, delving deep into the heart of backyard Australia. Set in the southern Sydney suburb of Arncliffe, an old wooden fence separates three households; a Lebanese family, a Macedonian family and an elderly ‘true blue Aussie’. They have lived in harmony for many years, but recent current affairs alter their views of each other. Jokes turn nasty, arguments begin, trust gives way to suspicion and when ‘Dazza’ the dog goes missing, a chain of farcical events threatens to shatter their peaceful co-existence.

THE FENCE was initiated by the community through this community theatre vehicle. Though light-hearted and entertaining, it helped the community to air their growing concerns around issues arising from conflicts in the Middle-East and their impact on relationships ‘between neighbours’ closer to home. It was written and performed by them with professional writing and directorial assistance. It highlighted and reflected upon both local and more global contemporary issues surrounding community harmony, race relations and current affairs. Supported through grants from Hurstville and other local Councils, it also extended the groups’ usual way of working, in that: the production was primarily in English rather than Macedonian which the company usually creates; it also included people from the Lebanese and Vietnamese communities who were closely consulted during the research phase of the script writing. The quality of the production drew substantial audiences and further performances followed in nearby regions and interstate.

It was presented in partnership with Hurstville City Council as a feature of the Council’s 2014 Discovery Festival of Community Arts, a festival which has provided an annual showcase opportunity for local community arts and cultural development projects over the past decade. THE FENCE was a good example of community cultural development work which produced both artistic and social outcomes.

EXAMPLE 2: Community Writing - QUICK! COMEDY SCRIPT WRITING

IMAGE: QUICK! COMEDY SCRIPT WRITING Civic Theatre rehearsals

Demand for this project grew from an earlier award-winning project called DiscoverAbility, wherein a mixed group of writers, with and without disabilities, facilitated by professional writer and playwright, PP Cranney, shared a comedy script-writing workshop program, leading to production of their short play readings, as a radio series, recorded and broadcast by local community radio station, 2NBC 90.1fm.

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QUICK! COMEDY SCRIPT WRITING was a chance for several people from the earlier project plus new participants to further develop their script writing skills, but this time in the genre of comedy. The project was designed to encourage involvement by people with physical disabilities, including several people dependent on wheelchairs for mobility.

Hurstville City Council collaborated with Northcott (Disability support organisation), the local Hurstville Discovery Writers Group. And the facilitating artistic team including: writing facilitator, PP Cranney; Project Assistant, James Gallagher; Dramaturge, Ashley Walker; and theatre Directors, James Winter and Julia-Rose Lewis. Some of the artistic team also identified as having disabilities.

Both of these community writing projects received the prestigious Accessible Arts Award at the NSW Local Government Cultural Awards in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

It built the capacity and skills of participants who went on to do ,“SCRIPTS TO SCREEN”, producing 12 screenplays which were presented as rehearsed script-readings by a mixed cast of professional and community actors and directors, again featured in Council’s Discovery Festival of Community Arts, in 2014.

This series of writing projects illustrates the ongoing ‘development’ of the local community groups and participants involved through artistic endeavours including development of social wellbeing as participants became more integrated into community life. It was all about the writing and the performances rather than being about disability.

IMAGE: SCRIPTS TO SCREEN 2014 – follow-on project from Quick! Comedy Script Writing Pictured: local writer and actor, Kathryn Yuen and other scriptwriters

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The guiding principles of the Hurstville City Council Cultural Development Strategy are:

3.1 The activity is by, with, and for local communities

That the community initiate or are directly involved in the purpose, design, and evaluation of the project or program activity.

That the activity increases the capacity and skills of those involved, leading to community groups being better able to continue their artistic and cultural development after the completion of a given project.

3.2 Priority is directed to disadvantaged sectors

That CACD initiatives complement Hurstville City’s Community Strategic Plan and the

work of other specialist community services areas such as Multicultural and

Indigenous, Youth, Aged and Disability services.

3.3 Artists & arts workers are highly skilled facilitators

Artists, arts workers and producers should be able to demonstrate their excellence in artistic and cultural development practice.

3.4 Activities reflect the energy and qualities of the community

That activities embrace the uniqueness of character of a community, valuing its emotional and aesthetic elements and acknowledging the role of artistic activities in contributing to its vibrancy and wellbeing.

Major Australian arts institutions and artists may attract funding and other support from the Federal and State governments. For local community groups, often working for some of the more disadvantaged community sectors, working on smaller scale projects and programs, which relate to local concerns, it can be quite competitive to access those levels of arts funding and support. As a local government authority, it is appropriate that Council direct its limited resources to the support of local community and cultural groups to support their locally targeted community issues and aspirations.

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Hurstville City Council employs a Cultural Development Officer within the

Community Services Team in the Service Delivery Directorate of Council. The main

objective for this position is: “Local community cultural development, through

projects & programs for and with community groups, including partnerships. Priority

to be directed to disadvantaged sectors”.

Community Cultural Development goes hand in hand with community development. It’s about using the arts and artists to help to highlight, explore and address social issues and aspirations and to help to build bridges of understanding between diverse groups and interests.

5.1 Targeting Disadvantage

The Council’s Cultural Development Program, within the Community Services section, gives priority to the more disadvantaged sectors of the community. Disadvantaged sectors may include: those with language, new migrant or refugee status; the aged and those with physical or intellectual disabilities, people experiencing mental illness, financial hardship, underemployment, or isolation.

Using arts and cultural means, can offer a positive, creative, and enjoyable framework through which to address a community need or issue in a non-threatening, more accessible way. Arts and cultural activities can bring people together, to open some doors of communication, to help people to get to know and understand each other better. This can create valuable foundations from which to progress more challenging, complex or broader issues. EXAMPLE 3: Visual arts – JCS MHAD (MENTAL HEALTH ARTS DEVELOPMENT)

JCS MHAD aims to achieve greater access to and participation in quality arts and cultural development initiatives for adults who have direct or indirect experience of living with mental illness.

This collaboration between Hurstville City Council, Jubilee Community Services, local mental health service providers (St George Mental Health and NEAMI) and people living with mental illness, interested in developing their art skills, began in 2005, hosted by Hurstville City Council and was later adopted as a program of Jubilee Community Services in 2008.

Through its various programs, MHAD provides a social and creative environment that is outside of

the institutionalised mental health services that can seem to dominate the lives of people managing

mental illness. The focus is on the art not the illness.

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IMAGE: JCS MHAD artwork and artists

In addition to Leading Artist Tutors, the role of Assistant Artist Tutor is attached to each program

with the Assistant being selected from interested past participants (who are managing a mental

illness). This has proved to be an excellent model for supporting professional and economic

development of participants, in addition to the social connections and arts skills being gained.

It has also opened up a range of local community arts groups to the increased integration of people

experiencing mental illness, as suitable venues are sought for each new program. Local

organisations that have participated include: Hurstville Seniors and Community Centre, Mortdale

Seniors and Superannuants Association, St George Creative Art and Craft Centre, St George Potters,

VA Art and Music School and TAFE NSW – Sydney Institute at Kogarah.

This integration of MHAD exhibitions and related activities into Council’s mainstream Discovery Festival of

Community Arts, has further broken down some of the stigma of mental illness in the broader community.

Many mental health clinicians, participants and family members have commented that the MHAD programme has proved to be one of the most effective programmes for developing the psycho-social well-being of participants that they have experienced in their careers within the mental health sector. The value of this program as a vehicle for producing artistic and social outcomes is also made clear in a speech given by a participant at the opening of the 2014 Hurstville Discovery Festival of Community Arts, which featured an exhibition opening by this group. In the speech, artist, Therese Nguyen, describes her journey to wellbeing, largely attributable to her engagement with the MHAD art program.

Therese Nguyen Speech with images by from the opening of the 2014 MHAD SHOW & ART SALE can

be seen at http://www.hurstville.nsw.gov.au/Cultural-Development.html

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5.2 Community Harmony

In addition to identifying and supporting the needs of specific community groups,

such as the example above, the Cultural Development Program also serves to help

build overall community wellbeing and harmony through cross-cultural project

activity and partnerships. This means facilitating the bringing together of people from

different backgrounds and walks of life to develop ideas and work together. There is

always a social side for a group working together on an arts or cultural project,

presenting such work to a public audience and celebrating the results. The

experience of sharing of creative production usually leads to development of social

networks, breaking down of stereotypes and enhanced social inclusion. It may also

spark new ideas and future collaborations.

Example 4: Large scale community theatre production – LEVIATHAN

IMAGE: Sydney Central Station scene – LEVIATHAN 2010 at Marana Theatre, Hurstville Entertainment Centre

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IMAGE: Cast and crew of LEVIATHAN 2010

In 2010’s a major community theatre project was undertaken , called LEVIATHAN. It was initiated through

Council’s Cultural Development Program and became a partnership between Sydney Theatre Company

Hurstville and Liverpool City Councils. Under the Artistic Direction of Sydney Theatre Company Resident

Director, Stefo Nantsou, this project involved a host of local community groups working together with

professional theatre workers and actors from STC. The production, about Sydney’s waves of migration and

how they have shaped this City, was loosely based on a book by author, John Birmingham, but imbued with

‘local flavours’. The cast of over 350 people included members of local groups such as Australian

Macedonian Theatre of Sydney, Abhinay Indian School of Performing Arts, Arkana College, Georges River

College – Penshurst Girls Campus, Kogarah Concert Band, Lucy (Chinese)Dance School and groups from

further afield including Bankstown Youth Development Service, Joseph Banks High School, The Liverpool

Brass Band, The Bosnian School and a number of Council staff members.

While LEVIATHAN was of itself a spectacular theatrical performance with a cast of over 350 people, what

was particularly significant was the lasting impact that it made on so many of the community participants. It

opened up new relationships between different groups which manifested in some joint projects and a

number of individuals worked again with the director in productions around Sydney. Stefo Nantsou has

continued to work closely with Australian Macedonian Theatre of Sydney and last year’s production, THE

FENCE, can be seen as a long term outcome of that early collaboration on LEVIATHAN.

Example 5: Music and singing - FIESTAVILLE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY CHOIR

FIESTAVILLE has evolved from earlier music and singing projects in Hurstville such as the 2008 WOMENS

INTERFAITH NETWORK (WIN) International Womens Day Singing project and the 2011 Harmonyville Choir

project. These earlier projects, catering largely to seniors and people not engaged in paid employment,

developed a demand for the establishment of a permanent local multicultural choir. This has been achieved.

Members are from many cultural backgrounds including Swedish, various Spanish speakers from eg Spain,

Columbia, Chile, Equador; Indian sub-continent (Including Hindi, Gujurati); Filipino, French Mauritian, Greek,

Canadian, Anglo Australian, Slovenian, Serbian, Pacific Islander and Chinese. It is challenging to learn songs

in other languages, but the spirit of this choir is :

to celebrate our multicultural community and to promote peace, harmony and understanding

through the universal language of music.

to create original new music and songs which reflect the Hurstville community’s multiculturalism and

the rich history and contemporary experience and aspirations of our culturally diverse members.

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to be a resource for the Council and various other local community organisations, providing group

singing performances for their diverse community events and celebrations.

Some comments from members asked why they liked being involved with the choir included:

“I joined the choir after the loss of my husband to cancer. Attending the choir on a regular basis in those early days of my grief was the thing that got me out of bed every Tuesday morning. Singing in different languages in a group where the emphasis was on sound rather than words allowed my senses, my brain to shift into a different gear and in doing so contributed to my overall gradual well-being. Singing is therapeutic… it heals. Singing gave me confidence… seeing it in others was infectious.”

“The choir is important to me because it allows me to meet new friends who have similar interests … helps me to relax and not feel inhibited in any way because of the casual and unpressured atmosphere.” “People have been singing their lives since time immemorial. In our modern and busy lives, too few opportunities present themselves to take part in music making. Community choirs are good outlets for singing your heart out, meeting like-minded people, learning new music and being part of a community. It has been medically proven that singing in harmony with other people is good for physical and mental well-being. And other than that, it’s just plain fun.”

The choir have set up a bank account and ABN after having begun as a project of Council and of the

Discovery Festival of Community Arts. They have established a management committee and membership

fees to offset professional conductors fees and rehearsal venue hire. They can also now apply for grants.

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Council works closely with local community cultural organisations to create opportunities for people to celebrate, explore and share Hurstville City's rich and diverse culture. The Cultural Development Officer is available to provide local community groups and organisations with advice and support in:

developing project ideas including identifying requirements sourcing and applying for cultural grants recruitment of appropriate artists and arts workers developing and presenting cultural activities managing and documenting cultural activities.

6.1 Funding for community cultural activity Through the Cultural Development Officer position, Council offers community groups advice and assistance in identifying sources of potential funding and in completing funding applications for community arts and cultural development projects. 6.2 Hurstville City Council Community Grants Program The Community Services Section of Council also facilitates the Hurstville City Council Community Grants Program, whereby local not-for-profit community groups and organisations can apply for small grants for community development projects, including arts and cultural projects.

Council will build upon past achievements of engaging with community groups and supporting their development of greater wellbeing, social inclusion, and cultural vitality, using arts and cultural tools.

Support and encourage cross-cultural community arts and cultural development projects which help to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between community groups of diverse social, cultural, language and religious backgrounds.

Continue to support the showcasing of local community arts and cultural production by means of local festivals and celebration and memorial events such as the Discovery Festival of Community Arts.

Conduct regular consultations with community arts and cultural development groups, artists and leaders to garner feedback, insights and

To maintain the role of Cultural Development Officer, within the Community Services section of Council to facilitate community arts and cultural development initiatives with a priority focus on disadvantaged community sectors.

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To develop and encourage community partnerships which build community networks, strengthen the impact of projects and maximise the sharing of resources, contacts, promotion and communication.

Promote and support the access to Councils Entertainment Centre and other venues for community arts and cultural development activities.

Continue to implement projects consistent with the social and cultural development objectives outlined in Council’s Community Strategic Plan 2021.

The Hurstville City Council Strategy is a valuable area of community development work which may form part of a broader all-of-Council Cultural Plan.

To find out more about past community cultural development projects and programs initiated by or developed in partnership with Council's Community Services Team, go to the Cultural Development webpage of the Hurstville City Council Website:

http://www.hurstville.nsw.gov.au/Cultural-Development.html

Further enquiries contact Council's Cultural Development Officer on 9330 6097.

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Geisha, After Klimt: by Paula Mason MHAD MIXED MEDIA MAGIC exhibition 2012

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IMAGE: Fiestaville Song & Dance Night , Discovery Festival finale event October 2014

(CACD) STRATEGY