ANU School of Art Creative Project
In 2013 we were able to add an exciting creative extension to the Sunken Stories project. Through collaboration with ANU School of Art lecturers Dr Kirsty Darlaston and John Reid, twelve students from the ANU School of Art textiles workshop and one from the glass workshop engaged with us over three months, spending time with the images, oral histories, videos, and people of Old Acton.
Key highlights included a boat tour of old Acton with past residents, and a follow up group session at the School of Art studio, where the students were able to interact in more detail about the history of the area, individual memories, and show their creative expressions in progress.
This students presented their final art works in SUBMERGED, a two-day exhibition in NewActon's Nishi Gallery on the 16th-17th November 2013. A great success, the artists were joined by close to 300 community members - both young and old - to share memories and reflections of Acton's past.
Thank you to the following for making this creative project possible: Dr Kirsty Darlaston, John Reid, Jemima Parker, and ANU School of Art students - Ruby Berry, Estelle Briedis, Kinto Diriwachter, Fiona Duell, Rosie Goonan, Peter Kongmalavong, Sophia Mobbs, Grace Moylan, Elyssa Norris, Vy Phan, Bodine Saari, Frances Spargin, and Hannah Veikkanen; The community members who met and shared their stories with the students - Frank & Kevin Dunshea, Jene Baker, Sheilah Barrie, Jean & Bruce Barrie, Lyn Macoustra, Frank McTaggart, Alastair Bond, Adrienne & Paul Bradley, Barbara Roberts, and Lynn West; Jim Paterson and Garnett Znidaric from Lake Burley Griffin Cruises; and to ACT Heritage, NewActon, A. Baker, and Hotel Hotel for supporting the exhibition.
