IMAGinE Awards 2018 | Balik Bayan

Blacktown Arts received a High Commended recognition in the 2018 Museums & Galleries NSW IMAGinE Awards for our recent project, Balik Bayan. This project was recognised in the Exhibition Projects category that celebrates innovative design and approaches to significant permanent or temporary exhibition projects.

Our multi-artform and community activation project celebrated and uncovered contemporary Philippine arts and culture. Created around Blacktown’s large Filipino community, the project was part of the Bayanihan Philippine Art Project.

The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre was transformed into a gathering space of intersecting contemporary art forms, community activations, workshops and events. The vibrant program celebrated one of the largest communities in the region and featured Sydney and Manila based artists with Filipino ancestry whose works explore projected futures or look back towards their origin.

This community engaged program was supported by local Filipino community arts and cultural advocates, Sinta Group, feminist activists, local community groups, Asian Women at Work, and the Philippine Australian Community Services Inc.

The Bayanihan Philippine Art Project partnership also included the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Mosman Art Gallery, Auburn Peacock Gallery and Museums & Galleries NSW, in association with the Philippine Consulate. The consortium of partners shared resources and collaborated on a project-wide marketing strategy to reach new audiences across Sydney, and to deliver projects on multiple sites that shared artists and artworks. The intense collaboration enabled institutional partnerships to develop further and the artistically-led activities engaged audiences in new and unexpected ways.

Congratulations to all fellow nominees and winners!

About IMAGinE Awards

The IMAGinE awards recognise and celebrate all institutions and the people who work in museums and galleries across NSW and the contributions they make. These awards offer a unique opportunity for museums and galleries in NSW to promote their achievements and raise their profile within the sector and the broader community.