Regional Futures: a conversation in art
Taking the conversation to Sydney
On 24 June, the Statewide Regional Futures exhibition, Regional Futures: Artists in a Volatile Landscape, opened at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. Works from each of the 15 Regional Arts Development Organisation regions has been represented in the project exhibition that has investigated what the future of the region holds. Representing the joint region partnership between Orana Arts and Arts Mid North Coast will be Allison Reynolds (Coonabarabran), Ronnie Grammatica (Crescent Head) and Kim V. Goldsmith (Dubbo).
Western Sydney artists were invited to look at the future of their region as part of the wider project. Riana Head-Toussaint and Idil Abdullahi, have been commissioned by Casula Powerhouse to provide their perspectives on what the future looks like. READ MORE HERE
Following an opening event for the exhibition at Casula Powerhouse on 21 July, the Regional Futures Symposium was held at the Arts Centre on 22 July, with a full-day, artist-led program of keynote speakers, panel discussions and conversations that put regional creatives at the heart of the conversation about the future of the regions.
READ ABOUT THE PROJECTS AND SYMPOSIUM IN MONA MAGAZINE
Regional Futures, the project: Sitting with the Discomfort
Symposium outcome: Leaning into Dangerous Conversations
An inland/ coastal conversation starts the conversation
Throughout 2022, Orana Arts and Arts Mid North Coast had a cross-region conversation exploring what the future holds for the regions. Dubbo Regional Council was also a partner in the project, commissioning one of the four artists. That conversation came together at the Manning Regional Art Gallery, where the public were been invited to join the conversation. the exhibition was held between 23 March to 13 May.
The Taree exhibition + events
The exhibition, Regional Futures: Box of Possibilities is about imagining a future post-carbon economy and a society powered by renewable energy. Through a series of accessible multi-media artworks, four regional artists — Kim V. Goldsmith (Dubbo), Ronnie Grammatica (Crescent Head), Kit Kelen (Bulahdelah), and Allison Reynolds (Coonabarabran) are extending the invitation to audiences to think, explore and contribute to discussions about the regional environments they wish to live in.
Opening photos
The artists
Kim V. Goldsmith lives and works on Wiradjuri Country. She has imagined what a post-carbon world might sound like from the perspective of more-than-human species living in a human-constructed landscape and through first person storytelling—giving voice to the voiceless in an immersive, sonic experience, as well as providing opportunity for individuals to be part of the conversation about shaping the future. MORE INFORMATION
Ronnie Grammatica is working on Birpai and Dunghutti country as a photo-media artist. He is using photo-media artist Ronnie Grammatica is using portraiture to explore the cultural identities and stories of individuals and places in the region. The works highlight the subject’s vision for the future and emphasise the importance and contributions each individual can make to our rapidly changing society. MORE INFORMATION
Kit Kelen lives and works on Worimi country. His 'Palimpspectre' is a multi-media 'ghost's eye' imagining of a post-carbon economy just in the place where he is. MORE INFORMATION
Allison Reynolds lives and works on Gamillaroi Country and in her work Solar Punked 1,2, and 3, represent slivers of time in the regional landscape, creating a multilayered meaning drawing from the materials the triptych is constructed from. MORE INFORMATION
WATCH THE STUDIO CO!LAB ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH OUR REGIONAL FUTURES ARTISTS — NOW ONLINE
Regional Futures: Box of Possibilities is proudly support by Orana Arts, Arts Mid North Coast, MidCoast Council, Manning Regional Art Gallery and NSW Government through Create NSW.
The project
Regional Futures is a state-wide program of creative development and conversations that places artists at the centre of a dialogue exploring a future vision for the place where they live and create. Artists from across regional NSW have been commissioned to develop creative responses to the prompt about the future. An exhibition and symposium program is currently being developed in partnership with Casula Powerhouse, for June to September 2023, which will showcase the work of those artists who have been involved in the project.
The artists in conversation at the end of Stage 1 (2022)
At the end of Stage One of the Regional Futures project, the artists from Orana Arts and Arts Mid North Coast spoke with Regional Futures Creative Director, Narelle Vogel, of the cross-region conversation they’ve been having in the process of working together as part of a Statewide conversation about the future of the regions.
Collectively and individually, they have been considering what a post-carbon world might mean for the regions. The artists are Kit Kelen (Arts Mid North Coast), Ronnie Grammatica (Arts Mid North Coast), Allison Reynolds (Orana Arts), Kim V. Goldsmith (Dubbo Regional Council/Orana Arts).
Stage One of Regional Futures was a concept development stage. It ended on 22 August.
This was a Studio Co!Lab Roundtable event on Zoom, on 24 August 2022.
