stefrob

The Journey begins

or maybe a better tittle is “This Journey Begins”

but this journey is a bit different…somehow.

In a moment of panic about not seeing any work sitting in the near future i started to write applications.

And one was successful…..

and i am now sitting in Rotterdam, after 23 hours in transit, staring out the window at a part of the Maritime Museum, struggling with a touch of jet lag…..

The application was to ARNA in Sweden were for the month of April I will be in residence in the Village of Harlösa.

and as the International Community Arts Conference was on in Rotterdam the week before I was due to start this residency I thought i may as well drop into that……

Both of these are extremely exciting opportunities…… WOW

so at very short notice or planning I find my self here, feeling blessed to have both these opportunities arise and the ability to accept them and get on a plane and fly to the other side of the world……

One of my favourite pieces of street art in Fitzroy….

time to reflect

It’s ‘Community Arts Day’
and I’m sitting in my studio reflecting on the last 3 months,

As I dither about, flicking through other web sites I find that on this day
Neil Cameron has published a book “The Cultural Development Handbook. An A to Z guide to designing successful arts events in the community “

Neil was the man who introduced me to the world of fire, lanterns and large outdoor community events. I worked with him for 7 years at the Woodford Folk Festival and in a few other places.

That time was wild, adventurous massive, exhausting, exhilarating and the foundation of so much of what I have done since.

In fact, I returned to Woodford this year to create the opening ceremony (with Jyllie Jackson and Kate McDonald). The ceremony was built from tools and philosophies I have learnt from Neil (and others who i meet through Neil and worked with on other projects) I felt that the opportunity I was given this year was a result of the work and time that has been layered into the festival by Neil and all the fabulous artists that worked with him, and those that followed….. over the last 25 years often with limited resources. I thank Neil and everyone else who has been a part of that journey for their time, wisdom, blood, sweat and tears!!

Also here is the video i have finally finished for last years INTO THE LIGHT event.

INTO THE LIGHT: Between and Sky

This was the 3rd INTO THE LIGHT, a community arts event working with the bush fire affected community in Whittlesea and surrounding areas.

A lantern parade was again the spine to the event. Workshops were run in 12 schools in the area plus a number of community workshops. We created a finale with Ian Hunter, the indigenous elder for the area, based on Bungil the eagle and how he became a star.

The core local artist group that we worked with to create the event built a beautiful bird puppet, that became Bungilina, a cross between a Phoenix, rising from the ashes, and Bungil the creator spirit.

We stared with an afternoon of games and activities, including a showing of the Blacksmith tree (this is a very special project that grew out of the fires… blacksmiths from all around the world sent leaves to the fire affected communities after the 2009 fires… and now it is a tree

Black Saturday – The Tree Project Facebook Page

the treeproject

Our own lantern tree, revamped from the year before was dressed in leaves holding the hopes, dreams wishes of the community. We ran out of leaves. There was a strong desire/need to connect with this process. Some of the leaves were heartbreaking, and showed us that there is still a need in the community for this work,that the burn’s are still hurting, many below the surface, and many people still trying to rebond with themselves, their families, their partners and searching for peaceful place to exist.

This series of projects have been very powerful for me, seeing and feeling the great importance of community art. It does have a place, it is a gentle and inclusive, non threatening process that is more than a nice activity, but actually essential in unlocking trapped memories/pain and creating new pathways, and so so so important.

a new home

last Thursday

tsunami 2 was presented to

the new principal of the school in Minami Sanruki that i visited 2 years ago.

This school no longer has a school.
The buildings have gone…
although the GPS in the hire car says it is still there

as it does with many locations

ghosts hovering in a virtual landscape

Instead this school shares the buildings with another school.
next year the school itself will be merged with other schools.

What makes a school? Its buildings or its teachers and students?

anyway….

i presented tsunami 2 to the new principal…

explaining that it had been made by rope that i had found on my last visit, and the meaning behind the use of the gold-colored/copper wire etc…
(see earlier posts for more detail)

he said

he understood my thinking

(how reassuring as i was wondering if it was a crazy weird thing to be doing…)

and he hoped his school would be reborn

and thank you for thinking of us for the past 2 years……

no photos
just words
mind pictures
special moments
strange to wonder how and where and if this little nest hangs
now

Tsunami 1 and 2

Three years ago i went to Minima Sanruki, a small village on the east coast of Japan, with Polyglot Theatre.
This village had stood in the way of a giant wave.

At the time i picked up a piece of black rope,
a remnant of a place, a time, an event.
and bought it back with me.

On reflecting on my experience
I wove
what i called
Tsunami.

In 5 days i will be returning to Minami Sanruki
again with Polylgot

I was sitting in my studio starring at the piece of rope that was left
wondering what this visit will be, how will things have change, or will they have
and many more questions about the upcoming visit

and in these thoughts i picked up the rope, and some copper wire
and was reminded of the Japanese art of Kinsukuroi (or Kintsugi)

and i start to weave a nest mended with gold
The weave was tighter, stronger than the first,
the roof rebulit
a new life
still echoing with the history, the journey…….

If only rebuilding
a home
a community
a future

was as simple as twisting some found rope and reclaimed copper……..

a gardening day

yesterday

I pulled up some bricks
from the front of the studio i live in

to make room for more garden

In the process old tree roots were removed,
as was the min that had established itself through the small garden
that was there already.

and then
i wove them into this……..

a nest
a place where new things are given birth too

Weaving the mint was great
a minty smell released
as i twisted and pulled at the roots
adding a freshness
and a sensualness to the task

then i planted
some bulbs into the new garden…..
a touch too late but fingers crossed

and jumped around in a NIA class
to get some energy moving
through this wintry stiff body of mine…..

and it all feels just a bit better
than it did
with a touch of possibility
planted
ready for spring

June

June has been an exciting month.

Into the lIght – The Unfolding Story won a national Local Government award for active arts.

This was very exciting, a great acknowledgement for us and the community and for everyone that participated and helped to create this magical event…..

needless to say it will happen again this year.

Unfortunately i couldn’t join Mahony and Lee in Canberra to collect the award as i was once again wrangling 2300 people for the Lismore Lantern Parade. Which was amazing.

The shift to Oaks Oval was massive, and while there were a few teething problems, the show was magnificent. The weather was divine on the day and we all worked really hard to make it happen! (that goes without saying really!)

here are some beautiful photos of the show c/o natsky

and the parade

and more photos from the local papers!

I’m now back in Melbourne, attempting to restore the emptied energy glass and prepare for the next Into the Light which we are beginning to plan in Whittlesea Township……..

and so it continues……

On a personal exploration i am also learning pottery, and have a collection of reasonably ugly olive pip bowls…..
and some not so ugly pieces

i look forward to the first cup I can drink a coffee from

and the first bowl I actually eat breakfast out of.

Forest……..

Its been a month (or so)
since Forest was installed iIn the Little Red Train at Ceres Environment Park…..

All in all it was a success.

A friend suggested that the measure of success was… did you like it in the space?
Yes

and

Would you do it again…
Yes

below are a few of my favourite images
For more images and comments go to….. FOREST

Forest_068

Standing in the space and just… listening
beautiful Stef!
(Mischa)

A wonderful travelling journey
woven and dense
with memory and transience
I think of the train
clicketty clack
of my own journey’s and restlessness
and the constructions i have about settling in one place
so much movement woven into each empty nest
Extra ordinary
Thank you

Forest

is an installation of nests and Textured Paper Drops

that i am currently building in the Little Red Train at CERES Environment Part in
East Brunswick , Melbourne.

This installation has evolved out of 4 years of gentle development that started in the Solo Residency I undertook at Victoria University.

I thought it was going to be a dance piece
a textural poem that moved through the seasons telling a story of a tree and the bird woman who weaves nests…..

but it seems it is an installation.
the tree is woven through the space and will be echoed in the paper drops,
the bird woman it seems is me,

I still hope to make movement for it and create a performance in the Forest.

When i look back through my books, my ideas about fragility, weaving, nests, seasons, growth and death all have accumulated in this work

It’s exciting to see and feel this.
The art has taken me on its journey..
and .my first solo exhibition.

I am having so much fun at the moment weaving the roof of the train in cane.
The weaving started as a mechanism to hang the paper and nests from, but it has taken over and become a thing in its self, and slowly the train transforms….