The past fortnight’s gone by so fast I can’t believe it’s news time again. So what’s been happening? After having Trevor and Scott here the week before last and myriad meetings about the triumphs, trials and tribulations of the project, last week really launched us back into the day-to-day operations of the work on the ground, forcing us to test the theories we’d discussed against the realities of running a project with such extensive vision from week to week.  

What we’ve tried to do between being away on tours and out bush and planning and organising these trips, as well as producing and managing the website and short community films, is to continue to offer a workshop program in town, aimed at young people and their families, especially Pitjantjatjara people living in town camps. This program has attracted and engaged many inspiring artsworkers and participants over time and has established a creative and dynamic space for all of us to work in.

The community involved in the project who live in town however is made up of people for whom regular programs (including school) has not worked for one reason or another. Factors such as cultural and family obligations, sickness, sorry business (grieving after the passing of family or friends), and high levels of transience between town and bush communities, are all at play to limit consistent participation. While we passionately believe in the value of what we are doing in terms of seeking alternative points of engagement through the arts (and have seen many many inspiring results over the project’s duration) it can be challenging sustaining the energy for a regular program in town.

So rather than continue striving to offer a regular two-day program of activities each week as a discreet activity we’re shifting our focus a little around here to find points of community engagement in what’s already happening. When we mapped out the next 18 months of the project we were excited and overwhelmed at how much we have on our communal plate, including the production of a documentary, upcoming filmmaking workshops in Ernabella in July and the SA/NT tour in September/October. We have also received funding through the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) to develop a mobile gallery to house and share the images and text produced by project participants throughout the project.

One of the sites for this is Abbott’s camp where many of the project’s participants live. After ongoing discussions with people down at Abbott’s camp in the last couple of weeks Beth, our arts worker, and Jane (literacy and learning) started the first of a series of Wednesday workshops in the newly renovated community building. They spent a lovely afternoon sitting on the veranda in the sun with the women talking in both English and Pitjantjatjara about what they would like to do in the workshops. The ladies expressed an interest in creating a newsletter or magazine for Abbott’s camp, where they could share the stories of young and old residents, talk about their experiences of the establishment of the camp, publish some pictures and express their views about the positive aspects of the camp and the values that they hope visitors will respect. Two stories were recorded collaboratively on that first day.

Meanwhile, young people, both living in town and visiting from out bush, continue to drop in to look at photos and films, listen to music, work on collage inspired by Beth, or create photo comics on the computer programs with which most are now familiar and competent. The focus of work in the upcoming months will be on reflecting on and creating artwork from the wealth of material we have about Ngapartji Ngapartji activity for inclusion in the mobile gallery which can travel with us to events throughout the year.