MCA Announces C3West Blacktown Native Institution Artist Camp #2

On March 21-22, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) will be collaborating with Blacktown Arts Centre and UrbanGrowth NSW in the second of a series of three artist camps on the Blacktown Native Institution site, shaping the future of one of Australia’s most important historical sites. 

Aboriginal artists and community will come together over two days of culture, healing and sharing to provide firm creative direction on future uses of the site through facilitated discussion and planning activities, involving Aboriginal experts such as Jason Glanville (CEO, National Centre for Indigenous Excellence). Local artists will have the opportunity to work closely with project artists Darren Bell, Karla Dickens, Steven Russell, Kristine Stewart and Leanne Tobin, through workshops and art-making.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders, artists and community members will also be invited to share stories and archival material. Old photos, clippings and documents will be scanned on the spot with a portable archiving station, for inclusion in the soon-to-be-launched Blacktown Native Institution website – a keeping place for personal stories and histories about the Blacktown Native Institution.  The Koori Radio team will be onsite broadcasting both days and collecting oral histories.

The general public are invited to celebrate culture with art-making and music on the afternoon of Sunday 22 March. At 3pm, artist Karla Dickens will present a talk about her work, followed by a drop-in weaving workshop with the Jungah Weavers, a BBQ and an all-ages event featuring MajikHoney (X Factor) and Soul Benefits.

The Blacktown Native Institution was a residential school for young Aboriginal and Maori children that operated from 1823 – 1829. Originally located at Parramatta and later moved to Blacktown, it is among the first known sites where Aboriginal children were removed from their parents and institutionalised – a practice that continued until the 1970s. In 2013, the site was activated through a series of on-site artworks and an exhibition at Blacktown Arts Centre.

The Blacktown Native Institution Artist Camps are an iterative and interlinked series of discussions, workshops, and storytelling sessions. Over three camps on the site (November 2014, March and June 2015), artists Darren Bell, Karla Dickens, Steven Russell, Kristine Stewart, and Leanne Tobin will come together with the community, local artists, academics and historians towards three intended outcomes: the creation of a website as a keeping place for personal stories and histories about the site, creative direction and innovative solutions for future permanent usage of the site, and the creation of new temporary public artworks to be unveiled at the third camp in June 2015.

LOCATION: Blacktown Native Institution, corner Rooty Hill Rd North and Richmond Rd, Oakhurst. Parking available on site. Bus 757 stops on Rooty Hill Rd North. Free shuttle on Sun 22 March from Mount Druitt and Blacktown stations (5-7pm)

PUBLIC ACTIVITIES

Artist Talk with Karla Dickens: ‘The Power of Art in Place’
Sun 22 March, 3–4pm (RSVP essential)
Hear from acclaimed artist Karla Dickens as she discusses how history, gender and Aboriginal culture have inspired her work.

Learn to weave with the Jungah Weavers
Sun 22 March, 4–6pm
Learn traditional Aboriginal weaving with artists and master weavers Kristine Stewart and Steven Russell. Materials provided. Drop-in session. All experience levels welcome.

Genext: Madang Gurrung Ngurra
Sun 22 March, 5–7pm (free event, all ages, BBQ provided)
Featuring MajikHoney (X-Factor) and Soul Benefits. An evening of music and art-making led by MCA’s Genext team, giving young creatives the freedom to discuss, explore and make art.

BOOKING / ENQUIRIES: 

Blacktown Arts Centre – Ph 02 9839 6558 – E: artscentre@blacktown.nsw.gov.au

About C3West:
C3West (for Community, Contemporary Art and Commerce) creates situations for artists to work strategically with business and non-arts government organisations, with a focus on Western Sydney. 

Project Partners:
This specific project is a collaboration between Blacktown Arts Centre on behalf of Blacktown City Council, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and UrbanGrowth NSW. Our media partners are Gadigal Information Service & Koori Radio.