While in isolation, local artists in the Blacktown Arts Open studio group on Facebook have been preparing for a new exhibition titled View From Here, by creating an artwork of their experience or view in lockdown.
Over 50 artworks will be exhibited in the Open studio’s first exhibition.
Over coming years, Blacktown Arts is committed to increasing the opportunities for our communities to have access to a diverse range of creative activities.
We are interested in hearing from artists and creative workshop facilitators who would like to be considered as part of our public programming, to provide activities that engage with a diverse range of creative practice, for people with different levels of ability, of all ages and from diverse backgrounds.
A huge congratulations to the 8 artists who have been chosen for residencies with Blacktown Arts in 2020! Our artists-in-residence will explore their artistic practice, experiment with new forms and produce a range of new work in and around Blacktown.
The Blacktown Arts Residency Program offers both space and/or funding, including residencies at our Main Street Studios, where artists can create work, meet other artists and receive feedback and mentorship from the Blacktown Arts team.
Our 2020 artists-in-residence are:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Residency
James Eastwood
Local artist James will work on his project Then and Now Blacktown Native Institute (Stolen Generation – GENERATIONS).
The artist will develop a series of artworks based on stories from the community and the history of the Blacktown Native Institute.
Blacktown Arts Main Street Studios Residencies
Casey Sessions
Casey will create a series of new paintings and form connections within the local art community.
Imran Khalighi
Imran will write and produce a feature film script set in Western Sydney in collaboration with a number of artists.
Kelcie Bryant-Duguid
Kelcie will develop new ideas for her art practice. She will research and produce new weavings.
Kristone Capistrano
Kristone will build upon recent residencies and produce new work for upcoming projects and commissions to be exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, Manila and New York.
Luke Ciregna and Seth Ciregna
Luke and his son Seth will develop their art practice together.
Narjis Mirza
Narjis will produce a series of interactive light installations as part of her practice-led PhD research at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.
Image credit
Kelcie Bryant-Duguid, free machine embroidery on calico, 2019
Love Blacktown? Want to play a part in developing our vibrant arts and culture sector? We are looking for passionate people to join the Blacktown City Council Arts Advisory Committee.
We are celebrating the re-opening of The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre with Close Encounters, an exhibition of works chosen by you! There are more than 300 artworks in the Blacktown City Art Collection, and over the past month, we asked you to vote on some of your favourite pieces. The results are in, and we’re displaying your selection.
Tracks returns virtually in 2020 with a knowledge sharing program that highlights the incredible work happening in Western Sydney while providing support in accessing the music industry!
A street mural painted by school children, intimate musical performances, a play confronting domestic violence, creative art sessions for disadvantaged people with disability and Bollywood dance workshops are just some of the projects to benefit from $52,000 in grants from the Blacktown City Council 2020 Creative Arts Fund.
In announcing the 23 grants of up to $3,000 to local artists and community groups, Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM said, “The Creative Arts Fund is a wonderful, inclusive local initiative that supports opportunities for artists and creatives in our City. Culture and the arts have a profound role in spotlighting social issues and strengthening community outreach. I am proud that this is the fifth year that Council has run the Creative Arts Fund program and I congratulate the 23 organisations and individuals on their awards and look forward to enjoying the many projects that will be created.”
Alicia Talbot, Manager Arts and Cultural Development, congratulates all recipients, and looks forward to seeing the creative outcomes of the program.
“Blacktown City is an amazing place, full of inspiration. The Creative Arts Fund is one of the many programs that Council delivers to champion our artists, cultural workers and creative communities. Blacktown Arts is thrilled to support creativity throughout the city with these grants programs,” she said.
Grants of up to $3,000 have been awarded to these community organisations (alphabetical order):
• Baptist Care (Mt Druitt/Willmot) – Baptist Care will co-ordinate the opportunity for Willmot residents, Willmot Public School students and established artists, to co-design and deliver a wall mural to support the revitalisation of the dilapidated Willmot Shopping Village.
• Bollywood (Central Blacktown) – Bollywood will be running a series of school holiday workshops for local children aged between 5 and 14 years, to develop skills in cultural dancing, singing and acting.
• Indian Crisis and Support Agency (Glendenning) – The Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis and Support Agency, with the support from local established writers, will produce a script for a short play confronting domestic and family violence.
• Street University Mount Druitt (Mount Druitt) – Street University Mount Druitt will host a series of intimate acoustic performances based in Street University, showcasing emerging young musicians from the local Blacktown area.
• The Australian Foundation for Disability (AFFORD) (Minchinbury) – The Australian Foundation for Disability will provide creative art sessions for disadvantaged people with a disability, at AFFORD’s Blacktown community participation day program.
• Women’s Justice Network (Blacktown) – The Women’s Justice Network will run an after-school program for ‘at-risk’ young women, aged between 14 and 25 years old. The program will help young women explore their creativity, and develop resilience and self-esteem.
Grants of up to $2,000 have been awarded to individuals and artist groups (alphabetical order):
• Abdullah Syed (Mount Druitt) – Abdullah, with the assistance of a weaving community expert, will create woven rugs with found recycled and shredded decommissioned banknotes.
• Casey Sessions (Acacia Gardens) – Casey will create four portraits of the Australian bush, capturing themes of regeneration and growth in one’s own reminiscence.
• Clarissa Mei (Plumpton) – Clarissa will seek production support for the release of 3 original music singles and accompanying videos.
• Dulce Aguilar (Kellyville Ridge) – Dulce will seek post production support for a short comedy movie filmed in Western Sydney discussing the topic of multicultural acceptance.
• Elisa Cristallo (Seven Hills) – Elisa will create an environmentally themed short film about plastic pollution called ‘The Purple Turtle’.
• Fozia Zahid (Blacktown) – Fozia will create a series of miniature paintings portraying Blacktown City street life.
• George Tillianakis (Blacktown) – George will seek the mentorship of industry professional, Don Bartley, to undergo professional development in the production of new electronic music.
• Herbert Leota (Seven Hills) – Herbert will produce a pilot episode for a crime-drama web-series based in Western Sydney.
• Joy Adan (Colebee) – Joy will design and publish a picture book featuring brush-lettered words from diverse cultural backgrounds, that cannot easily be translated into the English language.
• Kathryn Yuen (Kings Park) – Kathryn will produce paintings and digital artworks focused on trauma, healing and identity, through the topics of the Covid-19 Pandemic, #MeToo Movement and the prevalence of domestic violence.
• Matthew Moriarty (Kings Park) – Matthew will write and publish a children’s book based on Australian animals and characters, set within a suburban backyard.
• Maryam Zahid (Blacktown) – Maryam will work alongside women and young girls from the Afghan community to produce a short film capturing the journey of mental health.
• Mike Moore (Blacktown) – Mike will undergo professional development in exploring the transfer of images onto glass plates and colouring them with glass enamels.
• Sabina Giado (Blacktown) – Sabina will work on audience development for a web series called ‘Bad Prawns: A Love Story’.
• Sam Absurd (Seven Hills) – Sam will create large scale mural portraits of Blacktown community members from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.
• Wayne Tunks (Blacktown) – Wayne will produce a feature film adaption of the critically acclaimed stage play called ‘Bitch’.
• Zahid Ahmed (Blacktown) – Zahid will experiment with nature’s symmetric balance and cell multiplication by using mirror images of objects around us via visual arts.
Image: Cr Kathie Collins, Joy Adan and Maryam Zahid
The Blacktown City Art Prize is back in 2020, with a full suite of activities designed to engage and excite residents and visitors alike. From the prestigious award itself through to a summer-long art exhibition, workshops, talks and more, the Blacktown City Art Prize offers an opportunity to connect with Blacktown’s vibrant, diverse, creative community.
Join Blacktown Arts for our digital school holiday program. This program focuses on keeping kids and young people busy and creative during their school holiday break.
Explore untold histories and discover works by some of Australia’s most exciting artists via Blacktown Arts’ first virtual reality tour – Terra inFirma.