“Light, art and community – light and art opening new spaces for community engagement”

Details: 7pm, Tuesday, 28 April, 2015 – upstairs in the White Bull Hotel, Armidale.

2015 is International Year of Light, and to mark the occasion UNE and Beyond Empathy are working together to bring you the first Arts in the Pub event of 2015.

Andrew Parker:
Andrew Parker will speak about light and community, referring to his long involvement with community arts – in particular his work with Uralla Arts and the Uralla Lantern Parade. People are drawn to light. In the same way that people gather around a camp fire, the community has gathered around the Lantern Parade for more than 10 years. For the past 5 years, the parade has become part of the Earth Hour initiative – town and house lights are turned off as the community gathers around the handmade lanterns created by children and others in the community in community art workshops. The annual event shines a light on the community, creativity and the environment.While Andrew is employed at UNE as Projects Officer, Strategic Projects Group, he is also President of the Uralla Arts Council and is a well-known artist and regional arts identity.

Kim McConville:
Kim McConville will use ILLUMINATE, a community driven multi media exhibition by Euraba Artists and Papermakers that is currently exhibiting at New England Regional Art Museum, as a starting point to speak around themes of art, light and community. The ILLUMINATE project brought, and continues to bring, people together using light and sound to share community stories. Kim believes that art, like light, opens up a space for conversation, sharing and community. It shines a light on what might be possible! Kim is the Executive Director of not-for-profit community arts organisation Beyond Empathy (BE). BE uses arts to influence change and enrich the lives of marginalised individuals and communities. Kim has been working with Aboriginal communities for 26 years and has used arts, culture and community development practices to influence change, increase health, well-being, education and learning outcomes for young people and their families experiencing recurring hardship. Kim worked for seven years with the award winning organization Big hART, before establishing BE in 2004 with long-time colleague and creative partner Phillip Crawford. Kim has extensive expertise in facilitating collaborative practices across divided and multiply disadvantaged communities, enabling divided groups and individuals to find new ways to work together. Her work is renowned for the ‘long haul’; staying with communities for ten years or longer. Kim has been awarded for her collaborative practices and forging new partnerships across Government, Corporate, Philanthropic and Community sector.