Newhampton Arts Centre

Being Artist in Residence at NAC for the Living Memory Commission means many things including having the opportunity to build new relationships with people, explore how everyday photography shapes people’s sense of identity, community and connection with one another and artistically how to create new work through stories and meaningful engagement.

With over a 20 residents on site, Newhampton Arts Centre is more than just an arts venue that programmes theatre and music, it’s a community space for organisations, a hub for learning and engaging, a space for families, young people and the rest of us too.  Filled with fascinating people and organisations providing services for local residents in Whitmore Reans my curiosity is already on level 10.

Over the next  6 months I’ll be spending my time here, working with groups of people exploring ideas and stories around community, identity and belonging. What are our existing tribes and how do we ‘fit in’ in such divisive times?  What does community really mean? And how do we truly find a sense of connection and belonging? What do our personal photography archives and family albums tell us about our sense of who we are and how we place ourselves in this world with one another?

There are many questions that serve as a springboard which will undoubtedly be answered by the people who I encounter through an artistic, playful and creative process.

At the heart of this project for me - it’s about trust, stories, sharing and collective engagement.