Email News and Website
A major tool of building community connectedness was the use of email and website. Building on existing networks, information services, and opt-in email addresses, a service was provided that utilised the frequent sending of short text emails that gave details of events, openings, opportunities, grants, job opportunities and other useful arts and cultural information. They were designed to be easily and quickly read, or deleted if recipients had no time! 582 such emails were sent out in 2005, and proved to be an invaluable resource around Canberra, with many return comments and requests for more information. For those who did not want so many emails, a weekly digest version was also made available. The emails were linked to a newly designed in-house website, www.belcomserv.com.au/art, which was in turn linked to the main Belconnen Community Service website but had a completely different look. Its major sections contained information about the Arts and Cultural Development program, the gallery and theatre, local artists and groups, projects, grants, links, news, and contact details. It was frequently updated, and contained hundreds of photographs of events and activities.
CCD Projects
The Belconnen And Northern Arts Network ACT (BANANA) was set up in 2005, through the initiative of the Belconnen Community Council and local artists and arts supporters. BANANA’s goals are to: gather relevant information, communicate it and promote arts and cultural activities for the benefit of members; support artists and arts organisations; enable forums, workshops and other ‘exchange’ opportunities for the benefit of members; inform network members of arts and cultural resources; advocate and lobby on behalf of network members; and establish, sustain and build membership of the network. A committee held 3 public meetings during the year, developed the goals, sought membership, developed a website at www.bananaorg.net, and planned its first events for 2006. The Arts and Cultural Development officer helped resource the new network, attended meetings, and gave practical advice and support. Of significance is that BANANA arose entirely out of community demand – its future development should make interesting viewing.
The Maruki Community Orchestra (MCO) is an innovative community music project based at Belconnen Community Centre. The MCO is seeking to become a pivotal cultural identity in Canberra providing the community with an exciting and accessible musical experience, and the opportunity for all who are interested to become involved in its production and work. In that light, it has chosen the Belconnen Community Centre and its wonderful theatre as the rehearsal and primary concert venue. The Maruki concept is a simple one: take a number of inexperienced, semi-skilled musicians, give them the opportunity to play in a “proper” orchestra and through years of teaching and playing experience by the musician management, build the musical, performance and instrument skill level to a high standard. “Maruki” means “harmonious energy”—where, like boulders in a strong river, the players are rounded and buffeted to become smooth harmonious pebbles. The orchestra staged a concert, performed at the Belconnen Festival, and ran weekly rehearsals during the second half of 2005, and will continue to expand during 2006, and is in discussion re other types of joint projects for the future.
Goldilocks The Pantomime was a joint venture with Ickle Pickle Productions, bringing traditional family entertainment to the Belconnen Theatre for Xmas 2005. We were particularly interested in attracting new and young audiences to the theatre, with a highly motivated and excellent young community cast and crew drawing nearly 1000 for the short season. We are looking at establishing this as an annual community program.
Buzzing Productions -
deranged demons defiling demented dance? - malnourished malcontents maniacally
manipulating movement? - impulsively improper improvisation involving
imaginatively insane idiots? Six of this town's most addicted theatre kids
explored their vision with the ongoing support of the Belconnen Theatre. Initially
the group was offered some free use of the venue as theatre development.
Towards the end of 2005 this began to expand into a possible new program for
support of local emerging theatre, which should start seeing significant
results in late 2006 and 2007.
During 2005 the Chilean Cultural Association
of Canberra held workshops for children, to learn about an amazing women and
teacher, Gabriela Mistral,
which resulted in an exhibition and performance at Belconnen. The Association
continues to explore and show Chilean culture with the assistance of the
Belconnen Arts and Cultural Development Program – including rehearsal space and
support for a new Latin Folk Festival.
Virgins and Seducers was an event staged for National Poetry Week 2005. 12 local poets went hammer and tongs at Belconnen Theatre. Poets for the night came from all over Canberra – Alison Grills, Kathleen Bleakley, Ariette Singer, Mitchell Joe, Catriona Annis, Tom Woodward, Sergio Mouat, Barbie Robinson, Garry Fry, Jo Forestier, Maria Josey, and John Van De Graaff. Compere for the evening was the irrepressible Sylvie Stern, and local poet Maria Josey worked exceptionally hard at organising the event.
Belladonna
Theatre Company is a new group in Belconnen, and performed its first play by
local playwright Eris Jane at the Belconnen Theatre in May 2005, called “Lifting
Lucy”. Belladonna was brought together for this new play with the encouragement
of Garry Fry, the Belconnen Community Service Theatre Development Officer.
Another group, "Please Close The Door" was formed with the
encouragement of Garry Fry at Belconnen Community Service in 2005, and
presented "The Scent of Lilac, Darling", a deeply depressing teenage
angsty hilarious comedy by emerging playwright, Kate Wood at Belconnen Theatre.
The future of these groups is uncertain, but a new program of support for
emerging 
theatre
practitioners is being developed in 2006, building on the initiatives of local
theatre development in 2004 and 2005.
Koori Art Classes for Indigenous Carers saw a series of workshops run by Wiradjuri artist Duncan Smith, as a partnership between Belconnen Community Service and Carers ACT. A successful exhibition of the work was held at the Belconnen Gallery in December.
Networks and Committees
As with virtually all arts workers and programs in Canberra, there was a significant amount of networking and committee work undertaken during the year. The setting up of BANANA is detailed under projects, and has significance as a “non artsworker” initiated network. The Cultural Centre Advisory Group met regularly to offer advice about the new Belconnen Cultural Centre design. The Arts and Cultural Worker was invited onto the Canberra Arts Marketing Board, sat on the Festivals ACT committee, and continued as the FECCA cultural committee ACT representative. He also met irregularly with the other ACT Arts Officers, and was part of the Belconnen Community Festival committee. Belconnen Community Service recognised the importance of its arts and cultural programs in the community by adding the Arts and Cultural Worker to its management team in the second half of 2005.
Currently, no separate arts advisory group for the program exists. It was partly felt that setting up another committee could be seen as potentially confusing, given that the Cultural Centre Advisory Group, BANANA, and the Festival Committee were operating simultaneously in the area mid 2005, even though there were clear differences between their briefs. A separate arts advisory group will be set up in 2006, operating initially as a sub committee of the Belconnen Community Service Board.
Finally, the MV Network, initiated from Belconnen, was set up in mid 2005, and is expected to have an increasingly large presence and impact by 2007. The MV Network is a loose coalition of arts centres and presenters linked by the M5 motorway, and includes Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Queanbeyan Council Cultural Service, Belconnen Community Centre, Southern Tablelands Regional Arts, Campbelltown Arts Centre, and Casula Powerhouse. 5 meetings were held across the region in 2005 to look at common issues and joint projects, networking and sharing of products, and touring. Clearly such a large network will take time to register on the cultural landscape. “Wasteland”, a joint photographic project across the region, will commence in 2006 and run into the following year.
Publicity, Promotion and Marketing
Strategies for the year revolved around
email publicity and website (dealt with separately); print advertising and
press releases; and “niche” marketing.
Main aims for promotion including establishing the
presence of the Belconnen Theatre and Gallery in the community. This was not
directly tied to numbers, but rather to recognition or “branding”. Community
members were subjected to frequent mentions of these two facilities in
particular, and that there was an ever changing program of activity. This was
done largely through the print media, as this seemed to be most accessible to
the general community as opposed to the more specific arts community. The
promotion also sought to place the Arts and Cultural Development program within
its community, by locating it clearly in Belconnen Community Centre and as part
of Belconnen Community Service. Fortnightly ads of consistent and corporate
appearance were placed in the Canberra Review (City News), showing a variety of
events, including those of community artists and organisations, and supported
by editorial and other mentions. The Canberra Times also received frequent
press releases and images, most of which were used by the arts editor. A
relationship was firmly established with The Chronicle, in which press release
items were frequently used, but also photo and news item opportunities set up
on demand. The Word had already established a relationship with Belconnen
Community Centre, and increasingly was able to use arts and cultural items.
Some users of the theatre in particular also took out their own ads and
received press coverage, adding to overall volume of mentions.
Altogether some 150 articles, ads, and items appeared in the print media during the year (see attached). No research has yet been undertaken to determine the effectiveness of this, but anecdotally it appears that many people now know about the Theatre and Gallery.
Word of mouth is generally considered to be the most effective promotion for activities in the small to medium arts and cultural scene in Canberra. The frequency of print mentions was pursued with this very much in mind, a form of “branding”: prospective participants, audiences, and clients hear about an event, and are reminded that they have seen or heard of this before. Once again, no specific research has as yet verified this in the case of the Belconnen Arts and Cultural Program, but it appears to be working!
Cross promotional opportunities were not rigorously pursued, as many events and activities had very specific target audiences or communities – overall, promotion was geared to approach a continuous series of niche markets. This reduced levels of competition with other venues or programs, and also gave precedence to the community aspects of the program, rather than strenuously seeking to attract established arts audiences as such.
Belconnen Community Service Programs
The Belconnen Arts and Cultural Development Program operates as part of Belconnen Community Service. During 2005 it worked closely with some of the other programs including Bungee (drama and exhibition), Bridges (Indigenous Art workshops), Open Art (exhibitions and concerts), U-Turn Youth Services, and Community Development (Belconnen Festival), with many staff, clients, and participants also attending Gallery openings, performances, and events. The placement of the Program in the Belconnen Community Centre has been of considerable significance in enabling it to achieve a high level of community penetration and recognition during the year.
Staffing and Administration
Staff employed during 2005 were:
|
Jan Wawrzynczak |
Arts and Cultural Development Officer |
Mar-Dec 2005 |
|
Anni Doyle |
Gallery Curator |
Jan-Dec 2005 |
|
Garry Fry |
Theatre Development Officer |
Jan-Oct 2005 |
|
Justin Watson |
Theatre Technical Support |
Jan-Dec 2005 |
|
Duncan Smith |
Indigenous Art Project Tutor |
Jul-Dec 2005 |
6 monthly internal KRA reports, quarterly progress reports against the BCS strategic plan, and AGM reports for Belconnen Community Service were made during the year, as well as specific program and issue reports on demand. A risk management plan was completed. The Program successfully applied for multi year funding from artsACT, commencing in 2006. Staff training and conference activities included attending the “Insp!re” community cultural development conference in Sydney, and attendance at a one day strategic marketing course with Stephen Cashman, “Thinking Big!”
Partnerships
The Arts and Cultural Development Program in 2005 has sought to form regular partnerships with other organisations, partly to add to their provision of services for Belconnen residents where there is an ACT wide brief, and partly to avoid unnecessarily duplicating existing services. Some of these partners have exhibited jointly in the Gallery, or have run workshops and productions in the Theatre, others are groups and organisations that we have had close connections with during the year:
