Case Studies

Applicant: Beach Road Artworks Inc.
Category: New Media
Funding received: $2,240

Beach Road Artworks is an innovative and independent Community Arts Program unprecedented in its combination of public art and social inclusion. The workshop opened in October 2001 and is based on Beach Road at Christies Beach, South Australia.

At Beach Road Artworks artists work collaboratively with the community to create public artworks that provide a 'point of difference'. Artworks also create temporary artwork for local events and festivals.

The program is primarily, but not exclusively, youth focussed. The program encourages participation, communication and the building of community by creating public artworks that are showcased in community spaces. The program targets participation from members of the community who do not usually have a voice in the urban planning and design of their environment. And the program is offered at no cost to the participants. Members of the core group of Beach Road Artworks artists are generally young and unemployed. They arrive in the workshop through mutual obligation placements, community work placements, referrals and word-of-mouth.

The core group has strong ownership of the workshop. They are involved in project planning, steering group meetings, administration, design work, workshop maintenance, kiln firing, clay recycling, paint and glaze mixing, installation, and project documentation. The workshop provides help with creating a portfolio and information about opportunities in the arts field and further education. The routine of coming together each day and working towards a common goal has a very positive impact on the lives of the participants.

In 2004, the South Australian Youth Arts Board supported the development the Beach Road Artworks Website Project, designed to promote the various Public Art projects, independent artworks, and young artists who have participated in Beach Road Artworks Community based Public Art program.

As a result of this generous support, the Beach Road Artworks program now has an innovative and contemporary website from which they can promote, share and inspire.

You can visit this project by going to www.artworksinc.org.au

Applicant: Shalom Almond
Category: New Media
Funding received: $4,000

The Love Market: Street Girls of the Black Hmong is a 1 hour documentary about the Black Hmong street girls from Lao Chai village, Sepa, Vietnam. The film explores the impact of Sapa's rapidly growing tourism-based economy on the lives of four Hmong girls on the brink of womanhood.

From the artist:
"Reading back over my aims for the project in my original SAYAB application I feel I have achieved beyond my own expectations for the project and for myself. I have really developed my research skills and enveloped myself in the role of the observer. As a Writer, I have experimented with new narrative structures, and have been given the freedom to explore character development and the art of creative storytelling. As a Director, I have gained further experience in improvisational skills, interviewing techniques, and developed meaningful relationships and shared experiences with people who I will cherish for the rest of my life. Being given the opportunity to make this film has been the most amazing experience of my life to date. It truly would not have been possible without the support of the South Australian Youth Arts Board, who gave me the money to research the idea in the first stage and then followed it up with funding for my filming trip to Vietnam". - excerpt from Shalom's acquittal report, 2005.

[Shalom also received support from the Foundation For Young Australians. You can visit their website by going to: www.youngaustralians.org ]

Applicant: Marion Youth Theatre
Category: New Media
Funding received: $2,715

'Dare' was a 4 day short film making workshop for 15 young people aged 12-16 years from the Marion council area of South Australia. Using a pre-scripted film text, Film Maker, Ashley Starkey and Marion Youth Theatre Project Director, Julie d'Lima produced a 8-minute short film entitled 'Dare'.

The film script used the theme of 'daring to do' with the film's narrative discussing courage and risk taking. Film making sessions were run over 4 days x 4 hours each day during the July school holidays.

The workshops offered a great introduction to collaborative drama and community teamwork. Many new friendships were formed and some newcomers to the 'Dare' workshops went on to join our regular ensemble drama workshops.

"a dare can go two ways - it can take me up or down, but what I dare for myself - can only take me up"