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Strategic Policy and Research Division

Strengthening local communities

Arts in Community SettingsThe Evaluation of Two Community Support Funded Arts Programs

Prepared byThis report was prepared by Jeanette Pope, Research Manager, Department for Victorian Communities and Sue Doyle, Project Manager, CSF Funding, Arts Victoria. It won a Department for Premier and Cabinet Achievement Award 2006.

December 2006

AcknowledgmentsThis report was funded by Arts Victoria and the Department for Victorian Communities. A number of people and organisations assisted in the research and preparation of this report. In particular and we would like to thank Meme McDonald and Genevieve Bishop for data collection and the artists, program participants and representatives from community organisations who participated in the focus groups.

ContactMore information about the programs or this report can be obtained from:Sue Doyle, Project ManagerCSF Funding, Arts VictoriaPhone (03) 9954 5058

PERFORMANCE BY PARTICIPANTS FROM SALE AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS, FOLLOWING COLLABORATION WITH KAGE PHYSICAL THEATRE

ForewordThe arts can be a powerful catalyst in building strong communities. Communities that embrace diversity, creative expression and cultural activity are richer, stronger and better able to deal with social challenges.

Communities can also provide fertile creative ground for artists. They are full of untold stories, collective memories and voices looking for expression.

When the two get together the results can be profound.

The Victorian Government’s arts policy, Creative Capacity +, aims to increase engagement with the arts for all Victorians, and improve access to diverse cultural experiences.

The Arts Residencies and Arts Development for Communities programs are two arts funding programs born out of Creative Capacity +, and in many ways gets to the heart of what this policy is about.

The projects provide diverse communities – from remote country towns to young people with disabilities – with the chance to get involved in a creative process, express their identity and create new work of relevance to their community.

They also provide artists with rich and diverse experiences that inspire their arts practice, as well as a range of networking and professional development opportunities.

The projects funded through Arts Development for Communities and Arts Residencies have reached out to a range of hard-to-reach populations, such as youth, ethnic and socio-economically disadvantaged communities.

This report evaluates the impact of these programs through the eyes of the participants, professional artists and community organisations.

It examines the role the arts can play in community strengthening, the factors that contribute to a successful collaboration and the significant benefits for those involved.

PFE Hutchinson Director, Arts Victoria

PARTICIPANT FROM SUDANESE AUSTRALIAN INTEGRATED LEARNING AS PART OF ‘FLOW’ PROJECT

Contents 2 Introduction 3 The programs 3 The Arts Residencies program 4 The Arts Development for Communities program 5 The evaluation

5 The benefits of community arts programs 5 Benefits for participants 5 Enjoyment, confidence and pride 6 New skills, networks and opportunities 8 Benefits for artists 8 Inspiration for the development of their art 9 Networks and future opportunities for work10 Benefits for communities10 Expressing a sense of community and exploring issues of significance11 Tolerance of diversity and sense of belonging12 Other benefits

13 Arts and community strengthening13 Community engagement15 Networks and partnerships17 Capacity building18 Case study: Another funding source for capacity building

20 Conclusion

The Arts Residencies program and Arts Development for Communities program are managed by Arts Victoria, and funded through the Department for Victorian Communities Community Support Fund.The programs involve diverse communities, such as regional, outer-metropolitan, Indigenous, migrant and disadvantaged communities, which may otherwise have limited access to arts and cultural activities. Projects funded by the programs have created a wide range of arts experiences from theatre, circus, exhibitions and installations to dance and orchestral performances. Only works of artistic merit are funded. Artistic merit is determined by the track record of the artist, clearly articulated creative processes and the relevance of the project to the community. The projects are also expected to deliver positive community outcomes.

This report presents the results of focus groups undertaken to evaluate the impacts of the programs for the participants, communities and artists. The results show that community-based arts activities generate significant benefits for artists, participants and communities. For example, they can create new career pathways and opportunities for both artists and participants, and can combat social exclusion by building tolerance within communities and by giving participants a sense of belonging.

The results demonstrate that programs that use community strengthening practices are effective tools for engaging hard-to-reach populations, particularly youth, ethnic and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. They provide a means of expressing issues of importance and visions for the future. They can also create networks and partnerships that make arts and cultural activities more sustainable.

The first section of this report briefly describes the aims and objectives of Arts Residencies and Arts Development for Communities. The second examines the impacts and benefits to artists, participants and communities. The final section examines the community strengthening practices utilised in the projects, focusing on: how the programs used arts as a tool for engaging communities; the importance of networks and partnerships in making arts activities happen; and the importance of building capacity (skills, networks, etc.) to make arts activities sustainable. The report also presents outcomes of the Community Liaison Officers/Professionals in Residence program, which is another Arts Victoria program focused on supporting cultural activity in diverse communities.

It is hoped this report will add to debates about the role of arts projects in community strengthening and will inspire local organisations, such as councils, to consider incorporating these types of projects into their activities.

This report examines the impact of two Arts Victoria programs designed to provide access to arts and cultural experiences for Victorian communities.

Introduction

Arts in Community Settings 2


Orchestra Victoria

Orchestra Victoria, which supports opera and ballet performances in Melbourne’s Art Centre, has been travelling around regional Victoria and Melbourne’s western suburbs for three years offering free workshops and concerts.

In the workshops, secondary students enhance their ensemble playing and instrumental techniques by rehearsing alongside professional musicians under the baton of the professional conductor. The workshops culminate in a free performance for friends and family. Music teachers can also take part in professional development sessions with the conductor. Many students who participate in the Education Program stay in contact with the orchestra members afterwards.

Orchestra Victoria also presents free concerts, which are lively community events fi lled with past students, their families, Orchestra Victoria musicians and members of the wider community.

The concerts are run in partnership with local councils, charities and community-based organisations to ensure access to community members who may otherwise not have the opportunity to attend an orchestral concert. This has included health and welfare agencies promoting the concerts to, and facilitating transport for, disadvantaged groups to attend.

The ProgramsThis report examines two programs designed to facilitate collaborations between professional artists and diverse communities, in order to create opportunities for communities to experience innovative and contemporary art practice. The primary focus is on communities with limited access to the arts. Communities are defi ned broadly, and include communities in geographic places, population groups (such as Indigenous) and groups of people with a common interest (such as the environment).

The programs are managed by Arts Victoria and funded through the Department for Victorian Communities Community Support Fund.

The Arts Residencies program

The Arts Residencies program supports established arts companies to undertake residencies, in partnership with a community host, in outer-metropolitan or regional Victoria. This allows the companies to extend the reach of their programming into communities that may otherwise have limited access to quality artistic experiences. For example, Orchestra Victoria works with regional and disadvantaged metropolitan communities through its regional education program (see Box Orchestra Victoria).

ORCHESTRA VICTORIA WORKSHOP IN BENDIGO WITH MUSIC STUDENTS FROM SCHOOLS IN BENDIGO, KILMORE, CASTLEMAINE


Flow

Flow brought people together in the western region of Melbourne to create artworks about “the river”. The works explored themes about the river as a place of contemplation and refl ection, as an environmental issue, and as a metaphor for journeys, history, connectedness, family and relationship.

Participants worked with facilitating artists to determine the stories they would explore, the art form they would use and the skills they would need to develop to create their work. The fi nal works included text, spoken word, video, image, soundscape, music, zine, hand-made books and installations.

Project participants came from a wide variety of community organisations such as the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program, Gilmore Girls College, the East Timorese Conversation Club, the Australian Vietnamese Youth Media, Stretch Theatre, Spanish Speaking Poets of the Maribyrnong, the Chilean Cultural group and Indigenous organisations (Moondani Balluk and The Gathering Place). Flow intersected with many other projects and organisations within the locality, always aiming to share resources, build sustainable connections within the local communities and to create and share vibrant and relevant contemporary art. Flow was supported by the Footscray Community Arts Centre, the Living Museum of the West and Big West Festival.

The Arts Development for Communities program

The Arts Development for Communities program supports collaborations between professional artists and community groups and organisations to create a new artistic works. The program provides communities with the opportunity to work closely with professional artists on projects of local signifi cance. For example, community organisations in the western region of Melbourne organised facilitating artists to work with a range of cultural groups and schools to create artworks about the Maribyrnong River (see Box Flow).

PERFORMANCE BY SPANISH SPEAKING POETS AS PART OF ‘FLOW’ PROJECT IN MELBOURNE’S WESTERN SUBURBS (Photographer: John Sones)


The evaluation The programs have been evaluated

through a series of focus groups that explored the impact of the projects including the benefits of participation and issues related to community strengthening. The focus group discussions also examined the complexities in running arts projects in community settings and how they might be further supported.

While artists, participants and community organisations work collaboratively on projects, there are distinct aims and outcomes for each group. The evaluation was therefore structured to explore the experiences of each group separately and included:

– two artists focus groups, involving fourteen visual artists, writers, dancers, multimedia practitioners, musicians and artistic/ theatre directors;

– two participants focus groups, involving 10 participants from a range of backgrounds and age groups; and

– two community organisations focus groups, including 12 representatives from disability organisations, the prison sector, local government, a community arts centre and three arts organisations (Orchestra Victoria, Ausdance and Westside Circus).

Benefits for participantsParticipants described a range of benefits from their involvement in the programs. These included the enjoyment, confidence and pride they felt from creating a work, and the skills, networks and opportunities they developed.

Enjoyment, confidence and pride

The participants, artists and community organisations all noted that involvement gave participants confidence and a sense of pride in their achievements.

When the (young people with disabilities) saw the quality of the work they had produced... they were justifiably proud. It enhanced their self-esteem and raised the possibilities of what else can be achieved. COMMUNITY ORGANISATION

The projects were an immense source of enjoyment.

One of the young guys involved (in performance workshops) was in (an) institution... He was just having such a great time that at the end of the first day... He was like, “can I stay here till next week, I don’t want to go back”... He was having such a good time, he actually didn’t want to physically leave the place. ARTIST

The benefits of community arts programs


Some participants described the experience as life changing.

Well it changed everything. It changed the way I look... the way I see people... it changed the way I feel about things... and yeah, it was good. PARTICIPANT,

THEATRE PROJECT IN PRISON

New skills, networks and opportunities

Participants reported they learnt an array of skills and developed networks and contacts through the projects and these created new opportunities.

(One of our participants) struggled a bit with the repertoire, but his enthusiasm was even noted from the audience. (A local business owner) took him aside after the concert and promised him a new cello... it’s made such a difference, and the family were just so excited. ARTIST

For others, their involvement in the projects provided a greater sense of possibility about work and career choices.

Often they would come in, say they’ve never had a job, never had any idea of what they ever wanted to do and so they’d think, “Oh well, I’m destined for the factory or fruit picking.” (But after the project) they went ... “Maybe I could get a job in the arts. Maybe I could be roadie”, or “Maybe I could...” It opened up their vision to actually look, even

if they didn’t ever go in that area. They started going, “Well, I can do this. There’s other things I can do.” ARTIST

Some participants discovered pathways into working in the arts.

I’ve been involved in a couple of movies because of the project. I had a part in a movie last year... and there was another 15-minute short movie that we just filmed. That’s going to be put into... one of those short movie festival things and I was a crime boss in that one. I’m sort of typecast at the moment.PARTICIPANT, THEATRE PROJECT IN PRISON

Mentoring deserves a special mention as the opportunity to be mentored by artists with a high level of skill was agreed to be one of the most important benefits of the projects.

This experience made her realise she could make a professional (orchestral) career a reality. She described the tutors as role models, people she could imagine becoming. ARTIST

Participants reported they learnt an array of skills and developed networks and contacts through the projects and these created new opportunities.


Plan B Theatre

Theatre group Plan B offered men who had been recently released from prison the opportunity to affect change in their own life through the experience of creating a new theatre work.

Through a series of workshops over several months, the men worked with the director to develop ideas for a performance based on their own stories, write a script and produce a show. The two performances presented, ‘Til hell freezes and Rock ‘n’ a hard place, have vividly captured the emotional landscape of being in prison for a broad audience of friends, family, justice-related professionals and the general public.

Taking the time to build trust amongst the men and the Plan B artists is essential to developing theatre that refl ects a shared vision. The most important fi rst steps have been to foster a strong sense of collaboration and to address the fears of the men as they adjust to the outside world. The reward is the growth in confi dence among the men as they make new connections and develop new skills.

PERFORMER FOR ‘PLAN B’ PROJECT


Benefits for artistsThe artists described two main benefits to their participation in the programs. The first was that the diversity and richness of experiences within different communities was a source of inspiration for their art practice. The second was that the programs helped them build networks that assisted in creating further work opportunities.

Inspiration for the development of their art

The artists reported that community arts projects generated a great deal of “artistic excitement” for both the artist and the community. Some artists experienced the communities with which they worked as “frontiers” that provided them with new ideas.

It’s a real privilege for me to be working with other people’s stories because I work a lot with people that have come from really different backgrounds to my own. I’m always encountering these other worlds that are really fascinating... It is immensely rewarding. And that’s what sustains me. ARTIST

Some of the artists enjoyed the different ways of working required by community-based projects, in particular the “element of surprise” and unpredictability involved.

We went in with certain preconceptions (about) what might come out, but that’s not what came out at all. They have quite different issues and just watching some of them run with it was just fantastic. ARTIST

Others reported that they found the achievements rewarding. A common motivation for artists funded through these programs was to give voice to those who may struggle to be heard and whose stories could otherwise be forgotten or misunderstood, such as farmers, immigrants, prisoners, refugees and young people.

The moments of pleasure are when you get to really the heart of what people feel about things. And people will tell you stories that are quite personal and quite powerful stories, and they really kind of let down their guard in a way and trust you with something more - you know, put something out into the public space. And those moments are what make it all worthwhile. ARTIST

The artists reported that community arts projects generated a great deal of “artistic excitement” for both the artist and the community.


Networks and future opportunities for work

The artists also reported that involvement helped them build networks that were helpful for fi nding work on other projects. Networks between artists were also strengthened and this allowed them to share experiences, contacts and information about new opportunities.

(The two local primary schools) have come forward and said, “We want this project in our community.” So it’s actually created work for us. ARTIST

Inner Self Outer Images

Inner Self Outer Images was a project developed to give young people with disabilities, living in a regional town, the opportunity to learn new skills in the arts to tell their stories.

The young people learned basic movie making, music and photography skills in a series of workshops run by Start Community Arts (stART) with support from the Colac and Warrnambool City Councils. Working on their individual pieces, they created works of art for an exhibition which they also planned and produced.

The success of the exhibition and the experience of telling their stories to an audience was empowering for participants. The community as a whole has also seen the young people in a new light - as people who are capable of producing engaging art work and who have something important to share.

For many of the young people involved, the project opened their eyes not only to the power of the arts to communicate a message, but also their own artistic talents and abilities.

ARTIST AND PARTICIPANT WORK WITH A CAMERA, AS PART OF THE INNER SELF, OUTER IMAGES MIXED MEDIA ART PROJECT IN WARRNAMBOOL AND COLAC


Benefi ts for communities

The strongest theme to emerge from the focus group discussion was that the arts projects were a powerful means for communities to express themselves, particularly the issues that affect them and their aspirations for the future. Involvement in the projects also promoted tolerance between diverse groups and helped participants develop a sense of belonging.

Expressing a sense of community and exploring issues of signifi cance

All focus groups reported that involvement in the arts projects enabled communities to explore the issues that impact on their lives and provided the skills and media needed to present their stories in ways that were engaging for a wider audience.

In some cases the stories had not been told before and the telling was very powerful.

(By) putting on a play (about life in our small town) and speaking of our experience ... they see our strength and they can see our hope as well, and I think it works like a bandaid on the community. I really do. PARTICIPANT, RURAL THEATRE PROJECT

A signifi cant theme in the telling of stories was dealing with the confl ict of being an outsider or being new to a community.

PHOTOGRAPH: BILL HICKEY TRENTHAM FROM THE SHED PROJECT UNDERTAKEN IN BENDIGO, CENTRAL VICTORIA AND MELBOURNE (Photographer: Julie Millowick)


It provided a way of reflecting on experiences of exclusion, such as racism, and of dealing with a number of competing cultural norms.

Working with this group of Sudanese young people... we’d use a bit of mother tongue, but largely their thing was, “No, we want to do this in English.” This is about learning English and asserting an Australian identity... We were struck by (the) huge desire that these young people had to tell their stories, and needed to tell their stories. And a distinct social value, social significance they saw to these stories. They saw them as stories that (highlighted one) particular social function within their community and then a different one outside their community. ARTIST

The general public, people who work in the disability sector and the participants’ families have seen participants in a new light. They were seen as artists who can produce quality work and members of the community who have something to say. COMMUNITY ORGANISATION

The stories were engaging and thought provoking for others.

When we actually travelled around to these small towns and put the performance on, people came to see it who had in fact not been to a theatre before... (One resident) said straight after

the performance “I’m not sure I understood everything but I know I’m going to think about it”, and when I caught up with (him) some time later he said “It’s incredible, I’ve been thinking about that play every day.” COMMUNITY ORGANISATION

Well, I think it’s a very powerful tool for communication. It is about catalyst of change. It’s about empowering the community. It’s probably one of our most powerful communicative tools that we have as a society ... I think the arts is a (way) of stimulating debate and discourse. ARTIST

Tolerance of diversity and sense of belonging

Another recurring theme across the focus groups was that the projects fostered interaction between different groups within the community. For many of the participants this gave them a sense of belonging but also promoted tolerance for those who are different from them.

There’s more interaction now than what there was ... the older people getting on with the younger people and understanding where they were coming from. The kids learning respect for the older people, that was great ... It’s just a whole coming together of the generations. PARTICIPANT, RURAL THEATRE

The strongest theme to emerge from the focus group discussion was that the arts projects were a powerful means for communities to express themselves, particularly the issues that affect them and their aspirations for the future.


It brought Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together to share something special... A number of offi cers came up to me (after the performance) and said, “Isn’t this fantastic? Isn’t it good to see these guys getting so much out of this”, and I think it’s changed the whole attitude of prison offi cers to the Indigenous prisoners. COMMUNITY ORGANISATION

Other benefi ts

Other important benefi ts were reported by those involved in the projects, beyond the immediate aims of the programs. These included the opportunities created for businesses when audiences were bought in to local areas, the advantages for community organisations when new skills and vocational opportunities were developed, and the cultural development that occurred with the spread of invention and innovation. An organisation involved in educating prisoners also believed that its project resulted in the early parole of prisoners and had therefore provided cost savings.

It costs $40,000 to keep someone in prison. If they’re out for another six months or a year, hey, we’re ahead. I think they’re sort of obvious things, that if the community is happy and engaged, then there’s more chances, less violence. COMMUNITY ORGANISATION

School Community Regional Arts for Youth Program (SCRAYP)

When community centres in the western suburbs of Melbourne noticed young Sudanese men, some of them homeless, hanging around in the streets, some drinking and getting into fi ghts, it was decided they may benefi t from being invited to participate in an arts project.

The young people were engaged in a program run by the Footscray Community Arts Centre and wrote and performed their own performance, Streetlife, Hard to be Me. The piece explored the struggles they faced caught between the traditional culture of their immigrant parents and the freedoms of Australia.

When the show was performed, family, friends and the local community packed the Arts Centre. Parents were proud of what their children had done and other young people loved seeing their life stories performed. The actors were proud of what they had achieved and a real connection was made between the performers and their peers, family and wider community.

For some of the young people it sparked a real interest in the arts. Since the project, one young person has written a fi lm script and others have continued to perform. The theatre project gave these young people a strong sense of their own potential and the opportunity to fulfi l it.

TRACTOR SEQUENCE FOR ‘DAMS IN DRY CLIMATES’ PROJECT, WIMMERA REGION (MICHAEL KELM AND SAM LEITH, DIMBOOLA-PIMPINIO PRIMARY SCHOOL)


Arts projects in community settings differ from other arts projects because they incorporate practices of community strengthening. During the focus groups, artists and community organisations identified the most important of these processes as engaging the community, building networks and partnerships that enable projects to occur and building community capacity so that the opportunities and links created live beyond the life of the projects. The following section examines what the artists and community organisations said about the complexities and challenges of arts projects in community settings.

It is important to note that the focus on the collaborative creative process is closely linked to the artistic merit of the projects and this is a critical objective of the programs. The quality of the art will affect the benefits generated and will also affect a project’s community strengthening capacity. If the work is good, it is more likely the projects will build self-respect through positive feedback, there is more hope of connecting with a broader audience, and a greater chance of building sustainable arts activity in a community context.

What worked was people being involved with something that was really professional and great, and it was exciting that it was theatre that they’d never seen here before.PARTICIPANT, RURAL THEATRE PROJECT

This model of working with people with disabilities has also attracted interest from other sectors. People have seen the possibilities and how in the right environment people can create a quality exhibition. COMMUNITY ORGANISATION

Community engagementArts is one way a community can explore issues and aspirations. Arts can bring together a diversity of people within a community and can engage particularly hard-to-reach community groups. Importantly, arts can provide the skills and the media through which community issues and visions can be presented to others in an engaging way.

In the focus groups a number of things were identified as important for good community engagement.

Arts and community strengthening


The first was listening and considering the specific life circumstances, skills and interests of a community.

(Often artists) have this idea of starting off from the skills of the artist... and offering those skills to the community, and I really want to try and do it from the other way round and start with the skills and interests of a community of people who don’t see themselves as artists, then reframe what it was they were doing in those terms so that they could understand themselves as artists. ARTIST

I remember when I first got to the community I realised I knew nothing. Suddenly it was quite humbling to be in this... foreign environment where these people are dealing with a whole bunch of different levels that you just knew nothing about and the best thing to do was sit back and learn for a while. ARTIST

Some projects found innovative and resourceful ways to engage hard-to-reach groups such as those in dispersed rural communities.

Our (theatre) project would cover 200 kilometres ... So how you find these people? (We) established a contact in each of those towns, and that contact was called the Arts Relay and that person had contacts within the community... the towns became supportive and kind of behind the project, even though (the artist) was sitting over here 80 kilometres away. ARTIST

In many cases good community engagement required making the environment right for participants. This included finding ways of supporting participants and removing barriers to being involved.

There was a young mothers group who were in their 20s, had young kids, they were making a video. We had to organise child care with the council. You know there’s a lot of things to work out, not just the project, but actually making the situation right for them as well. ARTIST

Overall, the consensus among the artists was that flexibility was needed to deal with the complexities of working with communities and was the key to successful community engagement. This requires skilled artist facilitators.

We have to change plans, structures, ways of doing things. In response, we’re collaborating. So we are responding to the ways and needs. Different methods, different approaches, different needs, at a particular time. So again, it’s about changing, being flexible. ARTIST

Overall, the consensus among the artists was that flexibility was needed to deal with the complexities of working with communities and was the key to successful community engagement.


Networks and partnerships

The strongest and most sustainable projects not only fostered links between the artist and community members, but created links with local organisations, such as local councils, educational institutions and local non-government organisations. These broader partner-ships had three major benefi ts. They:

1 provided additional resources and assistance to projects

2 helped make projects sustainable, and in some cases, and

3 supported the change required to meet the community aspirations expressed in the artistic process (for example, creating a more supportive environment for people leaving prisons).

Many projects found additional resources through connections made with other local organisations. For example, one project approached a local university that agreed to allowing them to use their suites for video editing. Another created a network of local organisations in the community that could help with writing submissions. Others facilitated the donation of money and materials.

I didn’t actually have to fi nd the money, but I did a lot of cajoling (of) the bureaucrats and the arts offi cer to keep working on that... (they found) drought relief money, some local government money, some of the water authority’s own money and in the end, local governments actually loaned money to cover the print costs that they will recoup as the book gets sold. ARTIST

(The community was very competitive with their generosity)… Like the fi sh and chip shop did something on the night and then the police got involved and then the yacht club... ARTIST

Effective partnerships within communities made some projects sustainable over the long term.

The orchestra has reinvented itself to provide its community program (through) local councils and local business and philanthropic support. It’s such a successful program that it’s hard to imagine why it wasn’t already going, but it’s become a huge part of wherever we’re doing it and has become virtually untouchable and it just exists now in all of these places. ARTIST

AUDIENCE LISTENS TO STORIES WRITTEN BY ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF GORDON ST, HIGHRISE, FOOTSCRAY. GREAT WALL OF BOOKS, BIG WEST FESTIVAL, FOOTSCRAY 2005 (Photographer: Amanda De Simone)


Other projects brought about partnerships that initiated the changes needed by communities to achieve their long term goals.

... at (the prison)... they invited the people to come and see the show who they saw as possible employers because they were just about to be released... So we targeted those people and counsellors, and... (a) group of people decided that they wanted to form a group to improve relationships within the prison and the community that surrounded the prison... the local police sergeant and a councillor and the manager of Community Services and someone from Crime Prevention Victoria and the union representative... ARTIST

Like community engagement, successful partnership building requires expertise from community-based artists, including being able to communicate the vision for a project and effective negotiation.

PARTICIPANTS FROM SUDANESE AUSTRALIAN INTEGRATED LEARNING AS PART OF ‘FLOW’ PROJECT


Capacity buildingCommunity arts and cultural activities can become sustainable by building the skills and networks in communities that allow activities to continue and new activities to be generated. A number of activities were undertaken in the projects to build community capacity.

Some drew out existing skills in the communities. For example, a project running theatre workshops with school children found local people to support the visiting artists.

There are also artists in that community to draw on... we had five that were from (the) circus and then we employed a local artist and that worked fantastically. ARTIST

Others built skills through training programs. One project undertook grant writing workshops with community members so they were better equipped to initiate more projects. Another did a circus workshop with teachers at the local school so they could pass the skills on. Others ran artist’s apprenticeships and other forms of formal training such as mentoring.

The curator... found four local artists from Warrnambool... and they then were trained by some other artist coming from Melbourne in new media practices and those artists then worked with two groups in the local communities. ARTIST

We trained a number of people to be oral historians. So we trained up a dozen people from various groups of the community, and we also ran workshops in schools where we taught school kids how to interview other people. And those people largely developed material, and then people independently submitted material as well. ARTIST

Some projects were successful at building enough capacity to sustain activities beyond the life of the project and after the artists had left.

(They got) some well known names to choreograph a short work of five minutes to a song, like a pop song or rock or whatever and then teach it to (others to teach to others)... And there was this man... a shearer and a bridge engineer and builder... He constantly talks about dancing in the shearing shed... he’s so incredibly passionate... Anyway he approached the director of the festival towards the end and said look I really want to continue this on, and we encourage them (to) choreograph their own things and to perform them at any opportunity they have to the locals and start up their own thing, and he went right, I’m going to be the boss of it, and I’m going to get everyone’s email addresses and get it going. ARTIST

Some projects were successful at building enough capacity to sustain activities beyond the life of the project and after the artists had left.


Another funding source for capacity building

Case Study

PERFORMANCE BY PARTICIPANTS FROM SALE AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS, FOLLOWING COLLABORATION WITH KAGE PHYSICAL THEATRE


The community liaison officers and professionals in residence find ways to engage communities in arts and cultural activities. They identify barriers to participation, build networks and partnerships that can develop strategies for engagement, and build the capacity of communities so they can undertake arts and cultural activities.

For example, the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne employed a local Indigenous elder to strengthen access to and participation by the Indigenous community in the remnant bushland at the gardens. They developed ongoing partnerships between the Gardens, the Inter-Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee, the Ancestral Custodian Group (the traditional custodians of the land) and the local council. This network has produced several projects to engage the Indigenous community and develop community capacity, including:

– a cultural tourism program to help visitors interpret the landscape from the perspective of the traditional owners through stories sourced from elders, bush tucker tastings, string making, etc.;

– the training of an Indigenous apprentice in sustainable production of wetlands rushes for use in weaving workshops for the local Indigenous community and others; and

– opportunities in the Gardens shop for Indigenous artists and artisans to display and sell their work.

The Latrobe City Council (Gippsland) has employed a professional in residence to increase participation of young people in the local arts venues and programs. The professional identified barriers to participation, built relationships between the education and arts sectors (including an art teacher’s network) and implemented strategies to engage young people. These have included an annual Regional Gallery program that trains five young people each year in all aspects of gallery operation, including directing, curating and customer service. This program was brought about through collaboration between local youth services and the council.

Museums Australia (Victoria) has employed a professional in residence to strengthen networks between local cultural heritage organisations (such as community museums) with schools and adult learning facilities (such as Neighbourhood Houses) in the Buloke and Yarra Ranges Shires. The project aims to increase interaction between cultural heritage organisations and the community, particularly young people. The project has linked the museums collections to school curriculum and has developed a training package to teach the cultural heritage sector how to run educational sessions for students using objects and stories from their collections.

Another funding source for capacity building

Another Arts Victoria Community Support Funded program that can be used to build arts and cultural capacity is the Community Liaison Officers/Professionals in Residence program. This program enables local organisations to employ a professional, for up to two years, to improve access to arts and culture in outer-metropolitan and regional communities.


Conclusion

This report demonstrates that arts projects in community settings generate signifi cant benefi ts for artists, participants and communities. In addition to the creation of new artistic works, they develop confi dence, pride and a sense of belonging in participants, and give both artists and participants new career pathways and opportunities. For communities, they generate a range of outcomes related to their ability to involve populations and build connectedness.

A key fi nding of this evaluation is that these projects are an effective tool for engaging communities, and in particular, hard-to-reach populations, such as youth, ethnic and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. The artistic process provides a focus for communities to explore issues and aspirations and develop a negotiated creative vision. The art produced provides a medium for visions to be expressed, in an engaging form, to a wider audience. An important outcome in terms of community strengthening is that these visions can be used by a range of community organisations in planning. Other forms of community engagement used to explore the experience of different sectors of communities, such as surveys and committees, may not appeal to many community members and may not engage planners. Reliance on these methods may therefore have inherent limitations to understanding the viewpoints of different groups within communities.

RAPPING MY LIFE. FROM ‘STREET LIFE: ITS HARD BEING ME’, YOUTH ARTS WITH AN EDGE


I would really like to see a commitment beyond a year of funding. I just see that for everyone involved, the community members, the artists, everyone, it would be of such good benefit... To absolutely acknowledge all of the things that are required to make good work. ARTIST

This evaluation has shown that arts projects in community settings can be a powerful and inclusive way of strengthening communities. It is hoped that this report will add to discussions about the impact of the arts in community settings and will encourage further collaboration between stakeholders. It is also hoped it will inspire community organisations to consider incorporating arts projects – including innovative projects that build the capacity of an area to undertake ongoing arts and cultural activities – into their community strengthening initiatives.

The biggest thing for me is being part of a solution... that’s not about always doing the things the same... things must evolve and I find it inspiring and exciting to be part of the process. It’s more productive to be part of the solution than it is to create more of the problem. ARTIST

More information about these arts programs can be found at Arts Victoria’s website www.arts.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 9954 5000, TTY (03) 9682 4864 or free call 1800 134 894.

These programs have successfully facilitated networks and partnerships within communities. Links have been fostered among community members (such as those between teenagers and older people), between community members and community organisations (such as prisoners and prison officers) and between community organisations and other institutions (such as community museums and schools). These connections promote tolerance between different groups in communities and social inclusion. They foster a better understanding in community organisations about the needs of community members. They also create the kinds of partnerships that focus the energy, skills and resources of a range of parties on an issue and increase the capacity of communities to take action – including to make arts activities sustainable. All these linkages have increased the likelihood of longer-term impacts from these projects.

The focus groups have highlighted that arts projects in community settings are most successful when they involve highly skilled artist facilitators. It takes time to build the relationships and trust crucial to engaging populations that have may have had limited experience of the arts and in forging wider partnerships. This was a factor raised by all the artists and has implications for the resources needed to sustain projects.

AUDIENCE LISTENS TO STORIES WRITTEN BY ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF GORDON ST, HIGHRISE, FOOTSCRAY. GREAT WALL OF BOOKS, BIG WEST FESTIVAL, FOOTSCRAY 2005 (Photographer: Amanda De Simone)

Published by Strategic Policy and Research Division

Department for Victorian Communities 1 Spring Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

December 2006

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This document is also available in pdf format on the Internet at www.dvc.vic.gov.au and www.arts.vic.gov.au

Copyright & Disclaimer The materials presented in this report are for information purposes only. The information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessments of the matters discussed and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information and obtain independent advice before acting on any information contained in or in connection with this report.

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, the Department for Victorian Communities will not accept any liability for any loss or damage which may be incurred by any person acting in reliance upon the information.

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