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Made in the West - Arts in the West - Short Film Commission
Western Sydney Creative commissioned Made in the West Film Festival to produce four short films by local film makers celebrating the dynamic and rich arts scene in Western Sydney.
The films:
Belonging, made in Parramatta by Afro Sistahs Collective
A short documentary that poetically explores the journey of creative producer Safia Amadou, from curating a thriving contemporary art scene in West Africa, to overcoming the hardship of settling in Australia and becoming an emerging film producer in Western Sydney. Along the way, Safia connects with colleagues to establish the Afro Sistahs film collective, a sisterhood and creative community of young Afro-Australian women. Being connected to this community nourishes Safia’s sense of purpose, to produce screen projects that celebrate her African heritage and identity.
When Worlds Collide, made in Blacktown by Esky Escandor and Victor Tran (Cineverse)
A snobby electronic-dance music producer, an ancient folk singer, and obnoxious 80’s rock guitarist compete for who is the loudest. The film is set in Blacktown, the home of many varying traditions and unique tastes. How will the dance music producer maintain his cool when being constantly interrupted by the proximity of his noisy neighbours?
No Film Sets in Bankstown, made in Bankstown by Alex Dona
A young Lebanese director is inspired by a local film festival to create his own short film in his home town of Bankstown. His ambition is surpassed only by his arrogance, and as he takes his venture into a city that has seen very few film sets, he learns very quickly how difficult it actually is to make a film.
A Bird's Eye View: The Art of Rhonda Sampson, made in Campbelltown by Bina Bhattacharya (Gemme De La Femme Pictures)
A vibrant and provocative snapshot of proud Kamilaroi artist and Campbelltown resident Rhonda Sampson, who runs arts organisation RS Creative Solutions. As Rhonda completes her latest commission for Western Sydney airport, she takes viewers on a tour of her works and reflects on her roots and community, the fast-changing profile of South-West Sydney and what the future holds for the region
Club Weld Lunchtime Concert Series
Club Weld flips the script in an ableist industry, helping neurodiverse artists network and build skills – while putting their music front and centre. - The Guardian
Through September and November musicians from the Club Weld music making and professional development program for talented neurodiverse musicians (with autism and other cognitive conditions) performed at five of WSU campuses. also showcased were a selection of Club Weld music video.
Club Weld music pop, new-folk, electronic and experimental, regularly features on FBi Radio, WFMU (USA), 2SER, & ABC’s Rage and prestigious music-podcast Waste The Alphabet. Singles, LPs and EPs are released through ABCMusic, available on Spotify and Bandcamp and tracks featured in Dylan Alcott’s film, Head over Wheels and Stan TVs Bump. The program and the musicians were the subject of stories on ABC’s 7:30, ABC Artworks and recently in The Guardian. The WSU line ups included Jerrah Patston, Jonathan Yung, Nina Gotsis, Patrick Li, Sienna Acquaro, Charbel Nehme, Kate Field & Adoni.
Arts & Cultural Exchange’s Club Weld program increases opportunity, access, social integration, and visibility of musicians with disability and is committed to experimentation in the development of dynamic training and professional development models that result in measurable outcomes. The project is ambitious, and practical in its push for demonstrative change, it upskills and facilitates ‘working musician’ pathways in the music industry, accelerates professional outcomes and social inclusion for vulnerable, isolated musicians who, on their own face insurmountable obstacles to participation in the music industry.
Queer Wanderings - Sydney World Pride Commission
To celebrate Sydney World Pride, Western Sydney University presented the site- specific artwork Queer Wanderings by local artist Nadia Odlum at PSQ1 – The Peter Shergold Building.
"Queer Wanderings expresses the intimacy and entanglement of queer urban lives. In her book 'Queer Phenomenology' philosopher Sara Ahmed describes the sense of disorientation that results from seeing the world differently. In response to this, queer people in urban space orient towards each other. Commonalities of experience and desire lead to interweaving paths, which create geographies of shared spaces and networked relations. As we emerged from Covid-19 lockdown, and came back to the city streets, I experienced a re-meeting of many queer kin and connections. In the return of urban social life, chance meetings resumed – at the coffee shop, on the dancefloor at the protest. I discovered and created new overlaps in lovers and friends.
The city was overlaid once more with swirling links of personal connection and care. The drawing series 'Queer Wanderings' emerged from this experience. Through links of overlapping arrows, these small works on paper mapped my personal experiences of queer spatiality."
To make this work specific to World Pride I have used the eleven colours present in the Progress Pride Flag. Developed in 2018 by American graphic designer Daniel Quasar, this flag incorporates the iconic six-coloured rainbow flag, with chevrons of colour added on the left hand side. White, pink and blue represent transgender and non-binary communities, and black and brown represent marginalised LGBTQ+ communities of colour." Nadia Odlum, 2023
Nadia Odlum is a multidisciplinary artist from Sydney, Australia. Driven by a fascination with urban environments, they create playful and immersive works that explore personal and collective experiences of space and urban architecture. Often working site-specifically, their output spans, sculpture, painting, installation, artist-led workshops and performance collaborations. They are a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney.
This commission was a joint project by Western Sydney Creative and the Division of Infrastructure and Commercial
Women (seen) Exhibition
Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Whitlam Institute, Building EZ, Western Sydney University, Parramatta South Campus
23 November 2023 - 26 April 2024
Drawn from Western Sydney University’s Art Collection and loans from artists or their estate, Women (seen) celebrates 20 women artists connected to Western Sydney through work, study, family, or home.
With 10 percent of the nation’s population calling Western Sydney home, Western Sydney is Australia’s most culturally diverse region, providing fertile ground for creativity, rich with authentic storytelling, experimentation, and expression.
From 1986 – 2009 Western Sydney University, or as it was then known as the University Western Sydney played a critical role in the advancement of visual arts literacy and training in the region through the art school on the Nepean campus.
The legacy of the art school still resonates widely throughout the art sector today with an impressive list of student and staff alumnae working as professional artists, lecturers, and curators. 15 of the exhibiting artists in Women (seen) are part of the cohort of Western Sydney University’s alumnae across the study areas of visual arts, electronic arts, visual communications, and education.
As with legacy, lineage also features strongly within the exhibition. Ideas and processes connect artists to each other, with their influences and antecedents, permeating the artworks on display.
Women (seen) speaks of identity, community, and belonging. It celebrates what once was, and what is now.
Exhibiting artists:
Marian Abboud, Eddie Abd, Janice Bruny, Fiona Davies Helen Grace, Cassandra Hard-Lawrie, Kirtika Kain, Debra Keenahan, Margo Lewers, Audrey Newton, Mylyn Nguyen, Raquel Ormella, Debra Porch, Leanne Tobin, Catherine Rogers, Robyn Stacey, Justene Williams, Vicki Van Hout, Savanhdary Vongpoothorn and Anastasia Zaravinos aka Adonis
Curators:
This exhibition was developed by a curatorium: Dr Christine Dean, Hannah Donnelly, Julie Ewington, Margaret Hancock and Shivanjani Lal.
Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection
Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
24 July - 6 October 2023
Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Whitlam Institute, Building EZ, Western Sydney University, Parramatta South Campus
Showcasing six moving image artworks by Australian artists, this exhibition celebrates ACMI’s vibrant collecting and commissioning program.
Working in video offers artists the opportunity to use editing as their primary technique; mixing and matching elements from other films or their own work to tell new stories. By remixing or rearranging footage they build different rhythms and moods, create hilarious juxtapositions or shed new light on cultural cliches and presumed histories. The works in this exhibition all demonstrate an irrepressible desire to bring deep themes to the surface with humour and an incredible attention to detail.
ACMI’s collection has a rich, 75-year history from its inception as the State Film Centre in 1946. Since its incarnation as ACMI in the early 2000s, the collection has expanded to include artworks and experimental film. ACMI now holds a significant archive of complex, time-based media works and videogames, as well as an ever-expanding repository of digitised content and born-digital material.
Exhibiting artists: Deborah Kelly, Jason Phu, David Rosetzky, Dr Christian Thompson AO, Kaylene Whiskey
The Beehive - Guest Lecture by Zanny Begg
Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
5 October 2023
Zanny Begg is a video installation artist who works across drawing, film, social and spatial practice to explore questions of feminism, migration, and ecological and intergenerational responsibility. Often creating intricate worlds through drawing costumes and backdrops, Zanny is interested in the loops and twists of time that reveal previously submerged or hidden histories.
This talk was presented by Western Sydney Creative in partnership with the School of Humanities and Communication Arts. It coincided with the exhibition Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection.
Cultivating creative connections through STORYBOX Places - Lunchtime talk with Dr. Sarah Barns and Michael Killalea
Building EG.G.19, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
3 October 2023
Dr. Sarah Barns and Michael Killalea (Esem Projects) work with communities and place custodians across Australia to lead and inspire new forms of public art and digital storytelling in public precincts and cultural destinations. Having launched STORYBOX Parramatta in 2020 in partnership with the ABC and WSU, the two have expanded STORYBOX as an innovative model for cultural curation, engagement and storytelling using hybrid digital engagement models on behalf of over 20 cultural agencies and institutions. In this talk they reflect in the opportunities and challenges they face in expanding the potentials of public space models of creative storytelling, and why they are passionate about the future of place-based media arts for resilient and creative communities.
This talk was presented by Western Sydney Creative in partnership with the School of Humanities and Communication Arts. It coincides with the exhibition Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection.
Bayi - Gardiya (Singing Desert) - Guest Lecture by Dr Christian Thompson AO
Building EG.G.19, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
19 September 2023
"If I sing even one word of our language, which is considered an extinct or lost language, then it can’t be described as such, because it is being presented as a living language within the art context." – Christian Thompson
Dr Christian Thompson AO is a Bidjara Chinese Australian-born contemporary artist whose work explores notions of identity, cultural hybridity and history. Formally trained as a sculptor, Thompson’s multidisciplinary practice engages mediums such as photography, video, sculpture, performance and sound. In 2010 Thompson made history when he became the first Aboriginal Australian to be admitted into the University of Oxford in its 900-year history. His work is held in both national and international collections and his exciting VR artwork Bayi Gardiya (Singing Desert) is currently on display at the Margaret Whitlam Galleries.
This talk was presented by Western Sydney Creative in partnership with Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor Indigenous Leadership and the School of Humanities and Communication Arts. It coincides with the exhibition Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection
Surreal cyber dreamscapes and heavenly wastelands - Lunchtime talk with Serwah Attafuah
Building EG.G.19, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
5 September 2023
"A lot of futuristic or cyberpunk artwork I grew up watching, like The Matrix or Blade Runner, left minorities out of the picture. And these movies and this literature painted the world ahead of us as this barren 'scorched earth', scary dystopia—that, personally, I don’t want to live in."
Serwah Attafuah is an is an artist, designer and musician. She creates surreal cyber dreamscapes and heavenly wastelands, populated by afro-futuristic abstractions of self with strong ancestral and contemporary themes. Serwah has collaborated and been commissioned by clients including Mercedes Benz, Nike, Maison Valentino, Bacardi, Adobe, Paris Hilton and Charli XCX. Recent notable achievements include her participation in Sotheby's 'Natively Digital': A Curated NFT auction and 'Apotheosis': a live motion capture experience with Soft Centre at The Sydney Opera House and winning Best Artist in the FBI Radio SMAC 2021 awards.
This series of lunchtime talks are presented by Western Sydney Creative in partnership with the School of Humanities and Communication Arts and coincided with the exhibition Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection.
In Conversation - Dolla Merrillees Director Western Sydney Creative with Dr Gus Casely-Hayford
Penrith Regional Gallery, Penrith Performing and Visual Arts
31 August 2023
In Conversation event at Penrith Regional Gallery with international guest Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford OBE, inaugural Director of V&A East Museum (UK) and Dolla Merrillees, Director from Western Sydney Creative at Western Sydney University. The evening was an intimate gathering for members of the Western Sydney Arts Alliance and the Fibonacci Cultural Wellbeing Forums to enjoy thought-provoking ideas and insights from Gus as he recalls his experience of growing up in South London through the leading a world class museum precinct and the challenges and insights he has learned along the way. It was a rare opportunity for the Western Sydney community to talk to Dr. Casely-Hayford directly about his vision for an inclusive arts sector and his career as a cultural historian, curator, and broadcaster.
Creative citizenship and why is it important for the cultural wellbeing of communities - Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE
Whitlam Institute Conference Room, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
30 August
Western Sydney University hosted the inaugural director of the V&A East. Dr Casley-Hayford has been working with Dr Karin Louise from the School of Education to develop ground-breaking research and curriculum on creative living and cultural wellbeing encompassing the vital role of arts in creating liveable communities. His keynote explored the need for us to foster Creative Citizenship and Cultural Wellbeing in communities through envisioning cultural institutions as vital places of creativity, learning and social action. This was followed by a lively panel discussion with highly engaged cultural practitioners who embody the concept of Creative Citizenship and drew upon the insights from the Cultural Wellbeing Framework (Louise, 2021).
- Dolla Merrillees, Director Western Sydney Creative, Western Sydney University
- Karin Louise, Lecturer, School of Education Creative Cultural Wellbeing Cluster, Western Sydney University
- Brett Adlington, CEO Museums and Galleries NSW
- Sandra Phillips, Associate Professor Indigenous Australian Studies and Publishing Studies, Western Sydney University
- Karen Maber, PHIVE Dharug Keeping Place Officer, City of Parramatta
- Jen Dollin, Director of Sustainability and Partnerships, Western Sydney University
- Kiri Zakinthinos, CEO CuriousWorks and Emmanuel Asante , Artist -Utopia Project
- David Keegan, CEO and Kuwthar Aumarah, Host International -Youth Led Research
Making museums for an inclusive future - An industry talk by Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE
Sydney Opera House
28 August 2023
A wonderful evening at the Sydney Opera House to listen to Dr Gus Casley-Hayford discuss the establishment of a Creative research precinct at the V&AEast London. We heard from Dr Casely-Hayford about the many people who feel that museums are not inclusive or welcoming to them. He suggested that there was an argument that museums have marginalised, ignored or perhaps even been hostile to the things many communities care about. Similar to Western Sydney University, we share the aspiration with the V&A East to create an institution that can truly connect with both new and established audiences, to try to build an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and connected. We have the chance to negotiate a shift in how our collections are seen and used, and believe we have a profound responsibility to do so.
Painted River Project: Blue Mountains Rare Upland Swamps
Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
4 May – 14 July 2023
Painted River Project: Blue Mountains Rare Upland Swamps explores the swamps of Greater Blue Mountains UNESCO World Heritage Area in particular the Leura Swamp and Garguree (The Gully), Katoomba. Co-curated by Dr Leo Robba and Margaret Hancock, the exhibition is a joint project between Western Sydney University, University Gallery and Newcastle University.
The Painted River Project is an art, science and cultural initiative that creates space for diverse community members to share knowledge and build understanding of how we live with the natural world. It aims to nurture transformative thinking and collective action around one of Australia's most contested topics - water.
Given that Western Sydney is Australia’s third largest economy and one of the country’s fastest growing regions, water and the environment must be central to all future planning and development in the region. Water and our river systems are the foundation of healthy cities and human well-being. The Painted River Project highlights the importance healthy water catchments and rivers have for the future of the region and communicates this message through creative community interactions at selected sites.
The Painted River Project is a planetary health initiative devised by Dr Leo Robba, School of Humanities Communication Arts, Western Sydney University and Professor Tony Capon, Monash University, in partnership with Associate Professor Ian Wright, School of Science, Western Sydney University.
Exhibiting artists: Lucy Culliton, Chris O’Doherty (Reg Mombassa), Euan Macleod, Adrienne Richards, Leo Robba with Gundungurra artist Kelsie King.
Western Sydney University team: water scientist Associate Professor Ian Wright, School of Science, digital artists Dr Greg Hughes and Matthew Lahoud; and University photographer Sally Tsoutas.
Gundungurra traditional custodian: David King.
Curators: Dr Leo Robba and Margaret Hancock
The Painted River Project : Rare Upland Swamps exhibition toured to Watt Space Gallery – The University of Newcastle from 8 November - 16 December 2023
The Painted River Project will tour to BAMM – Bank Art Museum Moree in September 2024.
Throwing Darts at The Zeitgeist: leveraging platform and playfulness to carve inroads in new media - Lunchtime talk with Max Quinn
Building EG.G.19, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
22 August 2023
Max Quinn is a writer, a digital strategist, and the Product Manager for Music at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In his career, Max has hosted and produced radio for triple j, developed and consulted for television (ask him about the teen drama set during a zombie apocalypse), and has flirted often with viral notoriety. Max has been described as a "new-age marketing maverick" by GQ Magazine, as a "giant inflatable tube man" by Vogue Australia, and as "Men At Work, but in reverse" by ESPN. He lives at home with his two cats.
This series of lunchtime talks are presented by Western Sydney Creative in partnership with the School of Humanities and Communication Arts and coincides with the exhibition Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection on display at the Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Whitlam Institute, Building EZ, Parramatta South Campus until 6 October.
A day of art, science, music, food and fun on the Parramatta River foreshore
Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
8 July 2023
During the morning, the event featured an outside science lab run by well-known water scientist Associate Professor Ian Wright, and provided an opportunity to get creative, where budding artists of or skill levels had the opportunity to paint alongside well-known artists.
In the afternoon we headed indoors to hear from exhibiting artists Reg Mombassa, Adrienne Richardson and Leo Robba, before hitting the dance floor for Dog Trumpet, spearheaded by brothers Peter O'Doherty and Reg Mombassa. A great way to farewell this thoughtful exhibition.
Painted River Project: Blue Mountains Rare Upland Swamps Community Event
28 May 2023
This free community event encouraged the whole community to come and reimagine place through art making. Featuring an outdoor science lab run be well-known water scientist Associate Professor Ian Wright, it was an opportunity for young and old to examine real creatures and the wonders of water ecology.
The Painted River Project: Blue Mountains Rare Upland Swamps event was an opportunity for the community to come together after COVID and to start an ongoing conversation about resilience in response to the recent drought, fires and floods and how we can better value water and our natural systems.
Simon Marnie form ABC Sydney’s Weekend Mornings programme gave a live broadcast from this event.
Made in the West - Arts in the West - Short Film Commission Launch Event
Peter Shergold Building, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
15 May 2023
Late 2022, Western Sydney Creative commissioned Made in the West Film Festival to produce four short films by local film makers celebrating the dynamic and rich arts scene in Western Sydney. Made in the West- Arts in the West- Short Film Commission Launch Event celebrated the launch of these short films with a screening of the films alongside a Q&A with the directors.
Artists, writers, actors, and film makers are the storytellers of our region, they give voice to the diverse traditions and cultures that make up Western Sydney. These short films celebrate this diversity and they are deeply grounded by place and community. The films were shot in Bankstown, Blacktown, Bradfield/ Campbelltown and Parramatta and highlight an arts organisation located in each of these locations.
Water Sensitive Urban Design Symposium
Whitlam Institute Conference Room, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus
9 May 2023
Greater Western Sydney’s waterways are facing increasing pressures from urban development and climate change. This Symposium focuses on the need for strategic and coordinated approaches to water management to secure the health of our waterways, the quality and quantity of local water resources, and the liveability of our urban areas.
Guest Speakers included: Jamie Ewert, Water Sensitive Cities Australia, MSDI; Dr Rosemary Dillion, CEO, BMCC; Associate Professor Ian Wright, School of Science, WSU; Ben Newton, Manager Education and Corporate Social Responsibility, Sydney Water; Dr Amy-Marie Gilpin, Research Fellow Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, WSU; Professor Peter Poulet, Director, UNSW Cities Institute, UNSW and Professor Nicky Morrison, School of Social Sciences, WSU
Water Sensitive Urban Design Symposium was a The Painted River Project and Blue Mountains City Council’s Planetary Initiative
2023 Successful Recipients List
The Western Sydney Creative Collaborate Fund supports innovative new research partnerships between the University and the cultural and creative sector.
Dr Karin Louise, Senior Lecturer, School of Education
Project: Creative Cultural Wellbeing Research Cluster
A series of three forums days (gatherings conversation workshops, and associated arts-based activities) were held with the aim of forming a Creative Cultural Wellbeing cluster working group (CCWC) at Western Sydney University.
Dr Kate Fagan, Director, Writing and Society Research Centre, School of Humanities and Communication Arts
Project: Writers in Parramatta
Writers in Parramatta 2023 built upon the strong success (under Collaborate) of Writers in Parramatta 2022 – a series of literary-cultural events curated by the Writing and Society Research Centre in collaboration with local Western Sydney arts organisations.
Professor John Juriansz, Director of Whitlam Institute within Western Sydney University
Project: The Albert Street Residency
This collaborative small-scale pilot program will be presented by the Whitlam Institute and Varuna the National Writers' House, exploring the possibility of hosting regular professional creative residencies at the Whitlam family home in Cabramatta.
Over a fortnight, the Albert Street Residency will provide six writers with a unique one-week residency at the Whitlam family home in Cabramatta. Each writer will have their own room with writing space, all meals provided, mentoring and collaborative opportunities, and the companionship and support of fellow writers.
Professor Kate Stevens FRSN, Director, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour & Development
Project: EDEN Parramatta
Initiated and led by FORM Dance Projects Director, Agnés Michelet in 2023, EDEN–Parramatta brought visual artist Olga Kisseleva together with five leading choreographers and a plant ecologist to explore through movement and image, tree morphology, memory, and communication. Support from Western Sydney Creative saw EDEN–Parramatta as the inaugural artist-in-residence program hosted in the ArtScience Lab at MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour & Development, Westmead. Over three weeks, artists, environmental scientists, music scientists, and cognitive neuroscientists connected informally, through an academic seminar, culminating with an informal show of new movement material. Further development took place in December 2023.
Dr Alison Short, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Communication Arts
Project: Participatory music creation with Pasifika communities
Using music to collaboratively develop understandings of needs and resources to facilitate community and hospital connections to antenatal care within the Pasifika community of South Western Sydney.
