ABOUT THE PROJECT
Regeneration Roadtrip is a multi-arts interactive journey from Canberra to the Far South Coast -activating 29 September to 9 October 2022- inviting you to slow down, stop and reconnect to the natural world and to each other.
Regeneration Roadtrip is a local artist and community led engagement project that promotes community wellbeing and social recovery in fire impacted localities throughout the Queanbeyan-Palerang, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley Shire. The lead creative team including Louise Morris, Judith Nangala Crispin, Michael Simic, Stephen Harrison, Joan Cornish, Matt Scott, Warren Ngarrae Foster and Paul Girrawah House have been working alongside local communities over recent months to create roadside ephemeral sculptures, artworks, stories, poetry and music, which will be able to be experienced by travellers taking the Roadtrip route from 29 September to 9 October. There are over 30 locations and more than 50 unique experiences to discover along the route including performances, sculptures and exhibitions accompanied by an incredible original soundtrack.
The Roadtrip is a mapped, interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ style journey with contemplative works designed to put nature centre-stage. Travelers will be invited to slow down and engage with what they see in a different way, and will be able to leave their reflections and contributions at special postboxes along the route. The creative team are united in their desire to reawaken a sense of reverence and living connection to the landscapes of this region and to inspire people to take active steps to protect them.
Project artist Joan Cornish Says “When the 2019 Black Summer hit, so many of us in the region felt powerless and bereft about the destruction of the beautiful places we held dear. As a group of artists living between Canberra and the Far South Coast we came together to try to find a way to help voice the emerging tidal wave of feeling and give back to the communities which are hurting. Rather than focusing on what was lost, the project began to unearth and celebrate the deep connection between the people and the landscapes, animals and plants of this special region. Together we invite you to consider how we can slow down and allow the forests and the fields, lakes and ocean to speak and do their work on us. What might we discover if we learn to listen deeply, and understand our part in the living landscape?”
Regeneration Roadtrip is produced by Navigate Arts proudly supported by South East Arts and funded by the NSW Government via the BCRRF fund, the FRRR fund as part of the Strengthening Regional Communities Program. Regeneration Roadtrip is also supported by the Bega Valley Shire Council, Eurobodalla Shire Council and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.
With travel restrictions finally eased, the Regeneration Roadtrip project has launched following an inspirational weekend 22-24th Oct with the core creative team at Navigate Arts.
MEET THE ARTISTIC TEAM
Louise Morris
Navigate Arts Artistic Director, Louise is a site-specific performance and installation artist whose work responds to local stories, place making and belonging for communities and audiences. Her work involves creative actions and interventions in situ that reveal the stories of a given place and can begin to foster deeper connections between artists of all disciplines and the communities in which they live and work. She holds a Doctorate from Deakin University where she was a Lecturer in Art and Performance from 2008-2018.
Judith Nangala Crispin
Judith is a poet and visual artist with a scholarly background in music. She has published a collection of poetry, The Myrrh-Bearers (Sydney: Puncher & Wattmann, 2015), and a book of images and poems made while living with the Warlpiri, The Lumen Seed (New York: Daylight Books, 2017). Since 2011 she has spent several months each year living and working with Warlpiri people in the Tanami Desert. Judith is a member of Oculi Collective and a founding member of Women Photograph (Sydney Chapter). She is the current Poetry Editor of The Canberra Times, a Doctoral student in Poetry at the University of Sydney and the 2021 Artist in Residence for Musica Viva. Judith is a descendant of the Bpangerang people of North-Eastern Victoria and the NSW Riverina. She was the winner of the 2020 Blake Prize for Poetry. Judith has directed and worked on two major social justice research projects–The Julfa Project, which preserved photographic records of a destroyed Armenian cemetery and digitally reconstructed the site from new and existing images; and Kurdiji 1.0, an Aboriginal suicide prevention app, which strengthens resilience in young indigenous people by reconnecting them with community and culture.
Michael Simic
One of the true mavericks of the Australian music industry, Michael Simic has built a substantial career over twenty years under the moniker of Mikelangelo. He’s released 12 independent albums and built a national and international fanbase, performing countless sold out shows at music venues, theatres, and major arts and music festivals through Australia, NZ, UK, Europe, Canada and the US. Simic’s albums and live shows have been widely acclaimed, with four and five star reviews in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Time Out (UK), The Scotsman (UK), La Presse (Canada) and many more.
Stephen Harrison
Stephen Harrison originally studied art in the Graphic Investigation Workshop under the tutelage of Czech artist Petr Herel, at the then Canberra School of Art. Since the 80s he has been a full time visual artist who’s work encompasses drawing, painting, installation, photography, film and more recently, having completed a Masters of Visual Art at the ANU, Sculpture. he is known nationally and internationally and notable shows have included ‘Screaming Red Dingo’, ‘Blood on the Wings: Angels and Aeroplanes’, ‘Nights of Wine and Steel’, and ‘Mr Kafka’s Core.
His exhibition ‘Shakespeare’s Girls, The Blood Babies and The Gnarled Blackened Castles of the Golden City of Prague', was a culmination of two years work, and referenced a pilgrimage he made to Prague in 2000.Recently his sculptural work has taken precedence and he is a regular ongoing finalist in SculpturebytheSea, Scenic Sculpture World, Sculpture Bermagui , and many more. He was the main prize winner at Sculpture in the Valley (indoor) and Sculpture in the Paddock and artist-in-residence at Mulligans Flat. His latest recent solo exhibitions You Want it Darker, and Blue Thylacine, were held in Canberra and Collector, respectively.
Joan Cornish
Joan is a writer, coach, community organiser and environmentalist who has collaborated on a variety of community arts projects as writer, performer and producer. Joan has a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Canberra and a degree in Communications (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She currently works part-time as a wellbeing coach, kahuna massage therapist and mindfulness meditation teacher. Through her business Inner Nature, she leads women’s walks and teaches mindfulness as means to bring people closer to nature, and their own inner wisdom. Her first love and career was within the environment sector, working in publishing and then government to help draw attention to and find solutions to our unsustainable consumer lifestyles. With many years designing behaviour change environmental programs and a lifetime interest in personal development, she brings a unique blend of insights to the project on how we create change both within ourselves and at the community level. She is currently developing her voice as a writer at the interface of ecological and personal healing.
Warren Ngarrae Foster
Warren Ngarrae Foster is a multi-faceted artist. He is a talented musician, actor, singer/songwriter and hip-hop performer. Performing on both the national and international stage, Warren has supported Mark Atkins, William Barton, Davis Leha and Neil Murray in performance. Significantly, Warren Ngarrae Foster is a valued Yuin community leader, knowledge keeper and sharer. His extensive study and exploration of Djiringanj culture has seen him engaged as a cultural advisor by the National Museum of Australia, Bangarra Dance Company and the National Library of Australia. The Gulaga Dancers established and led by Warren Ngarrae Foster are a nationally recognised dance troupe that have continued the strong Djiringanj tradition of honouring the land and nature through dance and artistic connection.
Paul Girrawah House
Paul Girrawah House has multiple First Nation ancestries from the South-East Canberra region, including the Ngambri-Ngurmal (Walgalu), Pajong (Gundungurra), Wallabollooa (Ngunnawal) and Erambie/Brungle (Wiradyuri) family groups. Paul acknowledges his diverse First Nation history, he particularly identifies as a descendant of Onyong aka Jindoomang from Weereewaa (Lake George) and Henry ‘Black Harry’ Williams from Namadgi who were both multilingual, essentially Walgalu-Ngunnawal-Wiradjuri speaking warriors and Ngunnawal–Wallaballooa man William Lane aka ‘Billy the Bull’ - Murrjinille. Paul was born at the old Canberra hospital in the centre of his ancestral country and strongly acknowledges his First Nation matriarch ancestors, in particular his mother Dr Aunty Matilda House-Williams and grandmother, Ms Pearl Simpson-Wedge. Paul completed a Bachelor of Community Management from Macquarie University, and is currently undertaking Graduate Certificate’s in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage and Management from CSU and ANU. Paul works on country with the ANU, First Nations Portfolio as a Senior Community Engagement Officer.
Matthew Scott
With 20 years of production and technical experience delivering major events and working for leading arts institutions and companies, including technical and production management for Disney, St Petersburg Ballet, Melbourne Festival, Lucy Guerin Inc, Melbourne Museum, MONA/MOFO and Dark MOFO & St Kilda Festival- For 10 years Matthew worked for Megafun - one of Melbourne’s leading production companies as a production manager, light, sound and installation technician- and was a key member of the company and active contributor to their major projects and productions. He is now the technical and production manager at Navigate Arts.
REGENERATION ROADTRIP
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
