Kero and I worked together on two projects for the Song Room in term 4 of 2017 firstly at Kelmscott Primary School where worked with a wonderful group of parent and the art teacher to produce a wall mural depicting the schools values and programs.
https://vimeo.com/250551182
Our second term 4 project was at Challis Primary School in Armadale. Challis initially presented us with a number of challenges when it came to getting participation. We did, however end up with the largest number of participants over the six weeks of the project. Not only parents but staff and university students added their artistic skills to the final artworks, which gain reflect the school's values.
Kero O'Shea:
https://vimeo.com/253580004
Residencies for Awesome Arts with Kero O'Shea:
Kero and I again worked together on two projects for Awesome Arts. This year's theme for Awesome was 'I
Hear You' this offered and excellent opportunity for Kero to give the students a voice while constructing their respective artworks.
Our first residency was at Cassia Primary School in Port Hedland. We worked with two groups of students over our two week stay years PP-3 and years 4-6
We chose to have the kids create alien sculptures and tell the story of their alien: where does it come from, what does it eat, like to do etc.
The projects were designed as appropriate for each age group, the younger group made relief sculptures on boards which were then mounted for display in the school:
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Years PP-3 |
The older group made 3D sculptures from papier mache covered balloons these were then suspended from the ceiling.
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| Years 4-6 |
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| Years 4-6 |
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| Years 4-6 |
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| Years 4-6 |
The resulting artworks were innovative and colourful and resulted in many creative stories about their alien creations.
Our second Awesome residency was at Kulkarriya Community School at Noonkanbah Station in the Central Kimberley.
Noonkanbah is a remote Aboriginal cattle station. This project was jointly organised by Awesome ants and the State Library of Western Australia, The residency had two objectives:
- To observe and develop the use of the contents of an Ideas Box which had been sent to the school by the State Library
- To create a series of ten large artworks (2.4 m x 1.2m) which tell the history of Noonkanbah and the school
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| The old woolshed, which became the location of the first school after the station stopped running sheep. The school was established in 1978. |
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The Noonkunbah Protest 1978. The Noonkanbah People stood up against the State Government and Amax mining to prevent mining on their sacred land. In spite of the protest mining went ahead but no oil was found. This was a pivotal time in the station’s history.
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The War years: During WW2 an Army camp and airfield were established at Noonkanbah. This placed the Yungngora under the threat of attack from the Japanese and a Japanese war plane was indeed shot down over Noonkanbah. Although the Army had a field hospital at the camp there was no access to the hospital for the Yungngora people. When the Army eventually left the abandoned ordinance on the site and it still is deemed unsafe. We heard that a bomb had been found and blown up a number of years ago.
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Sandy Billabong: A beautiful and sacred place where the community go to camp, fish and hunt for goanna, kangaroo and other wildlife. Sandy Billabong is a beautiful place it is shaped like a dog and figures in dreamtime stories. |
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The Rodeo: this used to be an annual event in Yungngora, however the last rodeo was held in 2014 and sponsored by Buru energy who have a vested interest in the station. |
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The School: this board celebrates next year’s 40th anniversary of Kukurriya Community School. From its humble beginnings in the wool shed the school grown to house classrooms from pre-primary to year 12. The school has strong relationships with Lauriston Girl’s School in Melbourne and St. Patrick’s College in Brisbane (boys) Exchange visits feature annually. |
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Mustering: As a working cattle station mustering is a principal activity for the workforce of the community.
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The Ideas Box: we heard how the kids would run down to the Ideas Box room after school and not want to leave. The activities they enjoyed were watching movies, playing games colouring in and using the I-pads for gaming and music. |
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The Community housing: This board depicts the changes in housing in the Yungngora. From Tin sheds and bough shelters to modern airconditioned housing with running water etc. In the past there was only one tap servicing the whole community. |
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Kids Activities: The final board focussed on the kids favourite activities: footie, basketball and cricket. |
