A TPA Climate Commission
Home Art is a collaboration between artists and households who accepted the invitation to have a work of art made for them and performed by them in their own homes. By being local in its creation and presentation and with support from the City of Melbourne’s sustainability team to measure and reduce the emissions of some of the participants houses and work places, the project models a new way of making low impact art that offers a chance for neighbours to see each other in a new light.
Eight demographically-different households presented new low carbon art works -- whether song, dance or spoken word -- each work was created and presented in their homes through collaborations with some of Australia's leading contemporary artists.
Home Art was about getting locals involved in art, from development to presentation, and the artists and performers creating artworks in an environmentally-friendly way, using only the resources and equipment already in their homes and travelling only by foot or bike in the lead-up to their presentations. In keeping with the environmentally-friendly theme, local North Melbournians took a 1-hour walking experience on 1 and 2 December to witness the artworks, while guided by local identities to draw on urban myths and histories.
Home Art 2012 Participants talk about their experience.
David Bridie and Munaf
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Munaf
I am an aerospace engineer/musician. I draw great strength from music as I believe it can help us express our emotions without saying a word. The collaboration with David Bridie was such a great experience to learn and explore different styles of rhythms. It was such a pleasure to be a part of such an awesome project.
Alison Croggon and Lorna
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Lorna
I have lived in North Melbourne for nearly fifty years and although many other parts of the world are convivial, it’s here that I have sampled what it is like to belong to a place and to come to understand in my own way the spirit of a place. The home art project has contrived, perhaps coincidentally, to catch and show this spirit, the sense locals have that where they live sits firmly and obviously within the history of the city and their families and also somewhere significant in their dreams. And I found that presenting a piece of home art heightened my sense of place, of family and of community. The house we live in is part of our family dream and trying to give voice to that was most satisfying.
Michelle Dabrowski, Brielle and Chelsea
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As a mother I felt Home Art was a great opportunity for my girls to show their personalities. It’s really important they can express themselves beyond the deaf community.
Brielle
My name is Brielle. I am deaf. I wanted to do this project to prove to myself that I can do it. No one can make me look bad.
Chelsea
My name is Chelsea. I wanted to do this project to show who I am to the people. I want us to be the first deaf sisters who can perform poetry and more!!!
Rose Turtle Ertler and Paul and Jean
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Paul and Jean
I could share my story of a wandering heart from the Yangtze River to Melbourne. We are happy to share our story of being settled in a new land and work with Rose to make Home Art come to life.
Mary
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Mary
When asked by a fellow home art participant “how had the Home Art visits changed my feeling about my home” I stared rather blankly and wondered how or why this would be. It all felt so high country New Zealand with unlocked houses, neighbours and friends popping in, endless cold drinks, fruitcake and good will abounding. It was wonderful to have shared my feelings of delight in my new extension with so many, however the success of the day was not only in the artworks created but in the sense of community such events engender. Like the Ashburton Gorge of my childhood, North Melbourne retains that sense of belonging; long may this continue.
Becky Hilton and Charles
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Charles
Home Art was an interesting reflection on myself. I found the community experience very compelling.
Stephanie Lake and Brendan
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Brendan
I had an absolute blast. It was a pretty surreal few weeks from the initial phone call to the first performance because I didn’t know exactly how to explain it to people. But myself and Steph had worked out that the performance needed to be completely ethereal and explosive at the same time. I’m guessing people left my house kind’ve confused and surprised but super excited at the same time. I sure know that’s how it felt to me. Fun like thunder!
Gideon Obazanek and Georgia, Paul and Rachel
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Georgia
Participating in Home Art has been a unique opportunity and a great deal of fun. Hope you all enjoy watching as much as we enjoyed making it!
Rachel
I chose to take part in Home Art because I had never done anything like it before. It’s been thoroughly enjoyable working with and meeting some amazing people. I hope you enjoy watching us and having a laugh; I know we have!
Paul
People often say to me that they have always wondered what my house looks like on the inside. It is a big, funny looking deco house amongst a row of Victorian terraces. Hearing from the audiences that came to Home Art 2012 proved to me not only that people love having a peek into other people’s homes, but also into their lives. Home Art provided a forum for an intimate exchange on a domestic level, which people are often very protective of. For me, the best part of Home Art was the opportunity to be publicly silly. Having Gideon rehearse with us, throwing around funny ideas was a real treat. I hope we left as much of an impression on him as he did on us.
Home Art 2012 Credits
Concept / Creative Producer – TippingPoint Australia: Angharad Wynne-Jones
Program Manager – Arts and Participation, City of Melbourne: Vicky Guglielmo
Project Coordinator – Arts and Participation, City of Melbourne: Bec Reid
Production Manager: Bindi Green
Filmmaker: Rhian Hinkley
Photographer: Carla Gottgens
Artists: David Bridie; Alison Croggon; Michelle Dabrowski; Rose Turtle Ertler; Michael Gurr; Becky Hilton; Stephanie Lake; Gideon Obarzanek
Household Participants: Munaf; Lorna; Chelsea and Brielle; Paul and Jean; Mary; Charles; Brendan; Georgia, Rachael and Paul
Guides: Dr. Berhan Ahmed; Mary Kehoe; Bill Liddy; Cathy Oke; Kay Oke
Stage Managers: Jess Devereux; Bobbie Hodge; Rita Khayat; Tristan Meecham; Jayson Patterson; Dave Nguyen; Jo Trevathan; Gary Ward.
Event Marshalls: Sarah Aitken; Bree Anastasi; Kieran Daniels; Jim Dunlop; Joseph Lewis; Bronwen Kamasz; Sam McGilp.
Production Staff: Geoff Kennedy; Efren Pamilican; Steve Walsh
Sustainability consultancy: City of Melbourne Sustainability Team
Special thanks to: Liz Dunn, Michelle Isles, Principal Sally Karlovic, Ptolemy, Charlie, Claudio, Rose, Juliet and North Melbourne Primary School.
Home Art 2012 Creative Biogs.
David Bridie
David Bridie is a seven time ARIA award winning songwriter and composer who has enjoyed a distinguished career as one of Australia’s most innovative musicians. With his repertoire as a recording artist, soundtrack composer, producer, lyricist, uniquely Australian songwriter and singer, as well as a specialist in the music of Melanesia, Bridie has certainly stamped his mark. A founding member and songwriter of critically acclaimed musical groups Not Drowning Waving and My Friend The Chocolate Cake. Bridie has forged his reputation as one of Australia’s best with tracks such as This Year Is Better Than Last Year (DB), The Kiap Song (NDW) I’ve Got A Plan (MFTCC) The Koran, The Ghan and A Yarn (DB) and The Last Great Magician (MFTCC), all confirming his individual style in painting a mural of the modern world, its geography, its political mores and its dwellers identities.
Alison Croggon
Alison Croggon is one of a generation of Australian poets which emerged in the 1990s. She writes in many genres, including criticism, theatre and prose. Her poetry has been published widely in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas. Her most recent poetry publication is Theatre, (Salt Publishing 2008). Alison Croggon is also the author of the acclaimed young adult fantasy quartet, The Books of Pellinor, which has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her new novel Black Spring will be released in October 2012 in Australia, and through 2013 in the US, Britain and Germany. In 2000 she was the Australia Council Writer in Residence at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (UK). Alison has written several works for theatre. Most recently, she completed the libretto for Mayakovsky, an opera by Michael Smetanin, commissioned by Victorian Opera; Flood, a short opera by Gerardo Dirie, commissioned by the Queensland Conservatorium of Griffith University; and Night Songs, co-written with Daniel Keene, with score by Andree Greenwell, commissioned by Bell Shakespeare’s Mind’s Eye. She was Melbourne theatre critic for the national daily newspaper, The Australian, until 2010, and kept an influential blog of theatre criticism, Theatre Notes that concluded in 2012. She currently reviews poetry and writes a regular column for Overland.
Michelle Dabrowski
Michelle Dabrowski is a multi slam champion, poet, event curator and arts practitioner working in communities. A verbal connoisseur, Michelle has performed, taught and produced internationally for the past ten years. Passionate about inter-arts collaboration and grounded in the word, performance is the means by which she builds understanding with diverse audiences on a vulnerable, human level. Michelle is the founder and curator of the highly attended Melbourne poetry slam series Slamalamadingdong! She has recently returned from the Soles of Australia tour in which she featured alongside Melbourne Poet Joel McKerrow in over forty guest appearances across Canada. Her latest collection of poetry Curb Side Angel Spit was released in April 2012. She has been known to spontaneously break into Polish or Jamaican accents mid-conversation and has been likened to a meerkat, stretching out her white blonde fur to the sun, always found in community.
Rose Turtle Ertler
Rose Turtle Ertler is a musician/composer and community arts facilitator. She performs her original ‘wonky folk’ songs solo (on ukulele, banjo, piano, tenor horn) as well as regular collaborations with other musicians from many different musical genres. Rose often tours nationally focusing on regional areas and has also played in USA (New York Ukulele Festival), Auckland (NZ Ukulele Festival) and European tours. She has released five solo CDs and two cook books “What Do Ukulele Players Eat?” featuring recipes and songs from international ukulele players. Rose likes to bring different community groups together. Last year, she facilitated a storytelling/songwriting/theatre project with nursing home residents and primary school students (Natimuk Frinj Festival) and in Hobart, she brought the Hobart Ukulele Group together with the Choir of High Hopes and MADE (Mature Artists DanceExperience) 2010. Rose is president of the recently formed Thoughtful Song Society – a performance style event she has developed which involves writing and performing songs with lyrics contributed by the audience. Rose is currently employed part time at Wild@heART Community Arts in North Melbourne where she is manager for the Wild Divas (a pop band of four women with a disability) and project manager for an arts respite program for people with a disability.
Michael Gurr
Michael Gurr is a playwright, author and speechwriter. His plays have been performed Australia-wide and in the UK, the USA and on ABC and BBC radio. Michael has worked extensively as a political speechwriter in both Opposition and Government. He was principal speechwriter for Steve Bracks in the 1999 and 2002 elections. He brings the experience of constructing a speech and then bringing it to life through the performance. “What I’m always looking for in a speech is authenticity. That the speaker is being true to themselves,” he said. Michael has won four State Literary Awards for Drama and his memoir Days Like These was shortlisted for the 2007 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. He appears regularly on ABC radio and has taught acting, directing and speech writing master classes in a range of settings – including youth and adult theatre, at writers’ festivals and for peak professional organisations.
Becky Hilton
Becky Hilton is a Melbourne based performer, teacher, choreographer and director. She has performed in and contributed to the work of a range of artists including Russell Dumas, Stephen Petronio, Mathew Barney, Michael Clark, Tere O’Connor, Jennifer Monson, John Jasperse, Margie Medlin and Lucy Guerin among others. Becky generates work in a variety of contexts including collaborative community events, choreographies for tertiary institutions and commissioned work for companies. She teaches in training institutions, for festivals and for dance companies locally, nationally and internationally. Some current activities include: generating HELLO a series of simultaneous solos for the Hermosillo based dance company La Lagrima (Mexico), directing several legs of Back to Back Theatre’s Australia wide tour of The Democratic Set, working with Xavier Leroy on 12 Rooms and pursuing a writing project about dance, dancers and dancing. She is the 2010/11 recipient of a Fellowship from the Dance Board of the Australia Council and currently serves on the boards of Dancehouse and Stompin.
Rhian Hinkley
Rhian Hinckley (Home Art 2012 and 2011) is a filmmaker and new media artist based in Melbourne. In 2009 he formed Encyclopaedia of Animals with Christopher Brown and in 2010 they co-directed Urchin at The Arts Centre, Melbourne. Rhian has a longstanding relationship with Back to Back theatre, filming the Democratic Set, creating the animated component of Ganesh Versus The Third Reich 2011, Food Court 2008 and Soft 2002. He has produced a diverse body of solo and collaborative work that includes public art installations, web based artificial intelligence, theatre, computer software and short film. His film credits include Pornstar 2002, Buckstop 1997, Face of the West 2000 and Boz’n’Hok vs Theatre of Speed 2005 . Dance Credits include I could pretend the sky is water by Trevor Patrick 2011, Origami by BalletLab 2006 and Out of Light by Sandra Parker Dance 2009.
Stephanie Lake
Stephanie Lake is a dancer, choreographer and teacher based in Melbourne. She has featured in the works of Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin and BalletLab for over ten years, touring extensively internationally. She is also an award-winning choreographer, having created over 20 works for companies including Sydney Dance Company and Chunky Move. Stephanie has made several large-scale public dance works involving nearly one thousand participants.
Gideon Obarzanek
Gideon Obarzanek first became interested in dance towards the end of high school and after graduating deferred science at university to study at the Australian Ballet School. He later danced with the Queensland Ballet and the Sydney Dance Company before working as an independent performer and choreographer with various dance companies including the Netherlands Dance Theatre and independent projects within Australia and abroad. Gideon founded Chunky Move in 1995 and has led the company as Artistic Director until June 2012. More recently, Obarzanek has created a new work, There’s Definitely a Prince involved, for the Australian Ballet’s fiftieth anniversary season and is currently Resident Artist at the Sydney Theatre Company. Obarzanek’s works are diverse in form and content and include stage productions, installations, site-specific works and film. His works have been performed in many festivals and theatres around the world in the U.K, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Angharad Wynne-Jones
Angharad Wynne-Jones ( Home Art 2012 and 2011) studied theatre at Dartington in the UK. In 1994 she became Director of the Performance Space in Sydney. In 1998 she (as Executive Producer) and Gideon Obarzanek established Chunky Move in Melbourne. Angharad joined Peter Sellars as Associate Director in the 2002 Adelaide Festival, and established an international independent production house, risingtideproductions in 2004. She was appointed Director of LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) 2005 – 2008 and completed a post grad diploma in cultural leadership at City University, London. She returned to Melbourne directing and curating the first Australian Theatre Forum in 2009. She has been on a number of Boards and Panels: Australia Council Hybrid, New Media and Dance Boards, Lucy Guerin Inc, Real Time, Snuff Puppets and Total Theatre (UK). Angharad is Director of TippingPoint Australia (www.tippingpointaustralia.com) and The Climate Commissions (www.homeartproject.org) energizing the cultural response to climate change. She is Creative Producer at Arts House, a contemporary performance centre (www.artshouse.com.au) – a City of Melbourne contemporary arts initiative.
Home Art 2012 and Home Art 2011 are presented by the City of Melbourne Arts and Participation Program, supported by the City of Melbourne Sustainability team and in co-production with TippingPoint Australia as part of the Climate Commissions 2010 -- 2012.
Home Art 2012 – North Melbourne
Eight artists – David Bridie, Alison Croggon, Michelle Dabrowski, Rose Turtle Ertler, Michael Gurr, Becky Hilton, Stephanie Lake and Gideon Obarzanek – collaborate with eight households.