We have wrapped up the Making Change Creative Industries Strategy — a two-year journey supporting and celebrating the creative communities of Barwon and the Surf Coast. While the funded program has come to a close, our commitment to nurturing regional creativity is as strong as ever. We’re delighted that Stacie Bobele will continue working with us and remain locally based, staying connected with the vibrant community she’s been part of.
👉 Read more about the program’s impact and what’s ahead: rav.net.au/changes-to-making-change
Image: Stacie Bobele with participants at the Colac CAMP in a Can event, presented in collaboration with Back to Back Theatre. Photograph: Timothy Marriage
THIRD SPACE GATHERING IS COMING UP FOR OCTOBER!!
Save the date for next Thursday 30 October starting at 5.30pm. We'll be in Anglesea at the studio of local creative Pattie Beerens @pattiebeerens .
We're planning a pot luck style and would love to see all of you to gather and reflect on the past year with old, new and soon-to-be-new friends and creative colleagues.
Bring a piece you've been working on, an idea you're hatching or just your best dahl.
Address is 1/15 Inverlochy Street Anglesea.
The intention behind these informal gatherings is to provide a space to incubate and progress ideas, develop projects or even partnerships. Get advice on your next project from your Regional Arts Victoria Regional Manager, catch up with friends or make some new ones.
@regionalartsvic
#CreativeMentorship #Changemakers #RegionalArts #ArtistSupport #Collaborationinthearts
APOLLO BAY WE ARE COMING TO YOU!!
Creative minds from Apollo Bay, deep Surf Coast, Colac and Otway hinterland (and beyond) are invited to join us next Thursday 25th September at the Apollo Bay Hotel for our next Third Space Gathering. Look for us out front under the heaters from 5.30pm. And rug up!
The intention behind these informal gatherings is to provide a space to incubate and progress ideas, develop projects or even partnerships. Get advice on your next project from your Regional Arts Victoria Regional Manager, catch up with friends or make some new ones.
At our last gathering, we talked about collective approaches that are sustainable and effective BUT don't take away from the focus on your practice. There are ways of working together that don't involve mountains of paperwork or annual meetings. Come along to Apollo Bay next Thursday to find out more.
#CreativeMentorship #Changemakers #RegionalArts #ArtistSupport #Collaborationinthearts
@regionalartsvic@makers_space_colacartspace@studio92colac@studioforrestart@sparkdeansmarsh@lozzzgreen@amytinderbox@terri_pollock_art@ziibo_interiors_art_life
A small but vibrant gathering for Third Space at The Petrel last night. We discussed ‘essential’ versus ‘suggested’ reading lists, anti-fragile systems and ways of doing things differently to thrive not just survive, microsolidarity and plans for upcoming projects. We bought way too many raffle tickets and didn’t win the 28 slabs. There was a lot of laughing.
Our next gathering will be in Apollo Bay on the 25th September venue TBC. Come along and see what’s been happening and what’s planned down the coast, meet some new friends, catch up with old ones.
@regionalartsvic
Our friends at ACRE (Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship) are partnering with RMIT to offer a FREE, online regional business growth program for small to medium businesses and sole traders operating in the creative industries, tourism or events and are based in, serve customers in, or source supplies from the vibrant region stretching from Warrnambool to Ballarat, Geelong, and along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
RMIT and ACRE will be hosting an online info session to provide you with all the details you need. To register for the info session, go to the link in our bio.
Over the course of 10 weeks you can connect with expert advisors, grow your network, and pitch your idea for a chance to win a share of the $10,000 cash grant pool.
The program is for looking for innovative applicants who have demonstrated commercial potential, with early customers or pilot agreements in place to test your idea in the real world. You may not be ready for a big expansion yet, but this is a great opportunity to team up with the right partners who can help turn your idea into something bigger.
AUGUST THIRD SPACE GATHERING IN GEELONG!!
Our July gathering in Jan Juc was a great night of creative exchange, laughs, inspiration and motivation for future projects and collabs.
August's gathering will be held at the Petrel Hotel in West Geelong, starting at 5.30pm this Thursday 28 August.
Come early so we can grab a table!
The intention behind these gatherings is to provide a space to incubate and progress ideas, develop projects or even partnerships. Get advice on your next project from your Regional Arts Victoria Regional Manager, catch up with friends or make some new ones.
Next month (September), we'll be heading to Apollo Bay. So if you can't make the drive to Geelong and AB is a little closer to you, put the last Thursday of the month in your diary now.
#CreativeMentorship #Changemakers #RegionalArts #ArtistSupport #Collaborationinthearts
third space (noun)
/THərd spās/
A neutral, informal environment beyond home or work where individuals gather to connect, collaborate, and build community, often fostering creativity and shared purpose.
Starting next Thursday 31 July from 5.30pm at Bird Rock Cafe Jan Juc, Making Change will host a monthly third space gathering. The venue will always be informal, but in a different locale across the Barwon-Surf Coast-Colac Otway region each month.
These monthly gatherings are a space to incubate and progress ideas, develop projects or even partnerships. Get advice on your next project from your Regional Arts Victoria Regional Manager, catch up with old friends or meet your next collaborator.
#RAVForum #CreativeMentorship #Changemakers #RegionalArts #ArtistSupport #CollaborationInTheArts
TWO YEARS OF MAKING CHANGE!!
Check out the impact we have made in Silverlining Strategy’s independent report. Available now in the link in our bio.
To date, we’ve had literally over 1,000 conversations, connected 400 creatives across the region to opportunity and each other, have fostered over 40 new initiatives and had a direct hand in the emergence of multiple region-altering projects.
The success of the project has been grounded in partnerships, starting with the amazing support of the original task force Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong Libraries Corporation, Back to Back Theatre, Geelong Gallery, Platform Arts, Deakin University and the G21.
The project has been built on listening. Through our Creatives Reference Group, at each of our Changemakers events and our initial meet and greets, your input continues to guide our priorities.
The focus for our next phase will be on enabling priority projects - the establishment of a cross-disciplinary innovation hub, a guided mentorship program, establishing a multicultural youth arts network, working towards self-determined First Nations creative development and leadership, building cross-sector partnerships and continuing to advocate for place-based opportunity for regionally-based artists.
Are you in?? Get in touch and get involved!
@geelongartscentre@platformartsgeelong@geelonggallery@geelonglibraries@g21_geelong_region@backtobacktheatre@creative_vic
Last week we participated in, and facilitated, just a couple of events hosted around our region and the country to celebrate National Reconciliation Week.
This year was the 25th anniversary of Corroboree 2000, and at Barwon Water's Leadership in Reconciliation event hosted by Platform Arts, First Nations leader and panel facilitator Marsha Uppill shared a very personal story of the hope and excitement that exuded from her late mother after walking alongside mob and non-indigenous Australians as thousands came together and the word 'SORRY' was scrawled across the sky all those years ago.
On Saturday, Wadawurrung Traditional Custodian Ashleigh Skinner shared stories and knowledge in an amazing walk on Country with 30 regional creatives between Point Impossible and Djarrak/Bells Beach.
With knowledge comes understanding. Let's walk together in peace.
More events this week:
@yoorrook Yoorook Justice Commission Walk for Truth Colac to Geelong sections 6-11 June
@platformartsgeelong Platform will be screening 'Our Warrior: the story of Robbie Thorpe' on 10 June at 6pm.
@copacc_colacotway COPACC will be hosting @nadjinang Na Djinang Circus this Friday 6 June, with a community event to coincide with Yoorook's Walk for Truth starting at 5.30pm.
Image 1: panel members at Barwon Water's Leadership in Reconciliation event hosted at Platform Arts. Photo courtesy Barwon Water.
Images 2 and 3: Walk on Country hosted by Wadawurrung at Karaaf Wetlands Breamlea and Point Impossible.
Regional Arts Victoria have partnered with community champions in Forrest and Aireys Inlet to help raise funds to bring arts experiences to young people in each of their communities.
The donations from this campaign will mean that young people in their regions will enjoy an immersive creative experience – from playful physical theatre workshops to a sketch comedy show with an environmentally friendly message, to creating live projection artworks with First Nations artists.
A total of $2000 will bring Creative Learning to each community’s local school or hall, along with teachers notes and a fully delivered experience.
Get behind this locally-driven initiative!
All donations are tax deductible. The link to donate is in our bio.
@regionalartsvic@studioforrestart@rebeccahoskingphotography
Calling all First Nations artists, creatives, leaders, makers and Knowledge holders in the broader Geelong region.
Join artist and facilitator Kiri Tawhai for this yarning circle to start an important conversation about arts programming, opportunities and self-determined creative futures for First Nations artists in the region.
Come to one or both yarns.
Thursday 22 May 12.30-3pm Platform Arts Geelong
Saturday 7 June 12.30-3pm Murran Hub Geelong
If you can’t make it, but would like to still have your say or want to find out more, reach out to Kiri via email [email protected].
@kiritawhaiart@regionalartsvic
SOLD!!! Thank you to @wearemakingchange for purchasing a gift voucher from Ziibo for a recent survey competition. Your winner contributed it to purchasing this Magritte inspired original painting by local Colac Artist @annette_smeeton_art 🕵️♀️
