Image: We Are Studios by Liza Moscatelli, Mosca Media Australia
Spring 2023
Swing into Spring with Blacktown Arts!
This season we focus on community and collective practice.
Spend time with local First Nations Elders at our weekly
Elders in Residence program. and weave with Ngiyampaa and Guringai artist Tarni Eastwood in a brand-new 6-week program,
Weaving a Connection to Culture.
Be immersed in sensory delight at WE ARE, a new exhibition and public program by one of western Sydney’s first disability-led, inclusive studio We Are Studios, then join them in a range of fun activities for Family Day.
For our final exhibition of 2023, Constellations brings together art collectives that have been actively making and creating on Dharug Country.
Plus, learn from 2023 Archibald Prize finalist and mentor Patrice Wills, at our regular Open Studio and a special one-off portraiture workshop,
Capturing Character.
Get excited for performance this season with 4Elements HipHop Festival & Conference celebrating 50 years of HipHop, join us for a deep contemplation of Country with Aunty Rita Wright and Arab Theatre Studio for Open Dar, and take a journey through Lalor Park via the imaginative minds of children with The Village by The Kids, an audio adventure.
Gather your loved ones for our School holidays program with
Elders in Residence | Art and Yarn, Playful Pets with Matt Moriarty, and
Introduction to Acting for Screen workshops with NIDA.
Finally, catch Latitudes, 3 short films featuring western Sydney’s most compelling artists including Serwah Attafuah, A.Girl, and BLESSED.
Spring into action and make, create, and collaborate!
Elders in Residence
Get to know local First Nations Elders Uncle Wes Marne, Uncle Greg Simms, Uncle Danny Eastwood and Uncle John Farrington on Friday mornings at Elders in Residence.
Acknowledging our place on Dharug land, Elders in Residence is the place to connect with First Nations culture. Grab a cuppa and some damper, and have a yarn with these knowledge holders and valued members of the local community.
Everyone welcome.
8 September to 15 December
Exhibitions
Image: We Are Studios by Liza Moscatelli, Mosca Media Australia
WE ARE
WE ARE is the debut exhibition and public program celebrating the creative practices of We Are Studios artists.
We Are Studios is a fully disability-led, inclusive studio that empowers artists with disability to reach their creative potential by providing a space to thrive.
20 September to 28 October 2023
Image: Constellations designed by Huy Nguyen
Constellations
Constellations is our final exhibition for 2023.
For the first time, Constellations brings together arts collectives that have been actively making and creating in Sydney’s west; Adorned Collective, Arab Theatre Studio, Dance Makers Collective, Finishing School Collective, Opnsrc.co, We Are Studios, and Pari.
7 November to 16 December 2023
Performance
Image: Open Dar development by Romel Bahhi
Open Dar
Open Dar, open house, is work of deep listening and reflection on making work on Country.
Join Aunty Rita Wright, Aunty Kerrie Kenton and the Arab Theatre Studio’s creative team at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre as they open the Dar with storytelling and performance, music and video, and deep textures of natural materials.
This event has now ended.
4Elements HipHop Festival & Conference (4ESydney)
4ESydney is back for their 2023 Conference and Festival.
Returning to Blacktown for its 9th Festival, this year’s theme is ‘Celebrating 50 years of HipHop.’
23 November to 25 November 2023
Screen
Image: Video still from Sometimes to One Hundred courtesy of Powerhouse
Latitudes
Did you miss Latitudes at this year’s Sydney Festival? Now’s your chance to see it at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre.
Commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta, Latitudes presents 3 short films featuring some of western Sydney’s most compelling artists.
31 October to 11 November
Spring Making
We’re celebrating creativity, collaboration and cultural exchange this Spring at Blacktown Arts!
This Spring Making, we’re joined by our regular favourites and a range of new exciting western Sydney art collectives to present a program of immersive workshops.
5 September to 16 December 2023
Spring School Holidays
These Spring School Holidays, everyone is invited to get creative and express yourself through workshops and drop in activities for kids, young people and families.
26 September to 7 October 2023
Public Art
Image: The Village by The Kids by Hamish Ta-mé
The Village by The Kids
Get ready for an exhilarating audio adventure like no other! The Village by The Kids will whisk you away to the most curious corners and hidden gems of Lalor Park.
Co-designed and curated with children from Lalor Park Public School.
Saturday 28 October 2023
Image: Leanne Tobin, Are you listening now? 2021
From The Collection
From The Collection is a public art display on the Max Webber Library windows that feature 4 artworks selected from the Blacktown Art Collection.
30 August 2023 to 15 January 2024
Presented by Blacktown Arts with support from the NSW Government through Create NSW and Blacktown City Council.
