Albion Concrete - the Kororoit Creek Wurundjeri Acknowledgement Project

There are about seven concrete structures in the suburb of Albion, which sit alongside the Kororoit Creek. One of these was made into an artwork during 2015-16.
please follow the link below for details of this artwork:
http://kororoitcreekwurundjeri.blogspot.com.au/

Our final grouting has now been done and our mural is complete.

My wonderful friend Michelle who has been coming along to most sessions assisted me to complete the work. We spent about three hours grouting and then threw on the customary champagne.

Wonderful work everyone,
Thankyou very much to all the contributors:

First of all the Wurundjeri Elders who worked with me to decide what would go on the artwork and what was important to include (Aunty Doreen, Aunty Alice and Uncle Colin). Thankyou for our hours of discussions, your interest in the mural and allowing the community to get involved in telling the story of your Wurundjeri Ancestors and their relationship with Kororoit Creek.

Thankyou to the local schools, teachers and principals and students who committed your time and energy in getting involved. Albion Primary School, St Theresa's Primary School, Ardeer Primary School and Mother of God School.
As usual the kids made amazing artworks, much to the delight of the people who see it. I have had many comments about particular creatures and special parts of the artworks that the children have made. Everyone loves a different part of the mural.
Well done Students and thankyou for giving us your time and creativity.


Thankyou to the community members who got involved in the project. Some came to the workshop at Albion Community House, and others assisted with the installation.

Installers were: Michelle, Beka, Dan, George, Bronwyn, Vincenza, Martin, Oriel, Robert, Claire, Rowan and Lucy. Thankyou very much for your help and encouragement.

Also thankyou to Martha Ragg and Robert Jackson, Anthea Burns and Charley Woolmore. You played important  roles in this project and your support was very valued.

Thankyou to Brimbank Council who supported this project with staff and the funding for materials and consultation from their community grants program.

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more information about the project

Kororoit Creek - 

Wurundjeri Acknowledgement Project   2015

Brimbank Council have approved a 'Community Strengthening Grant for this project which will cover the costs of materials and consultation and involvement of Wurundjeri Elders with the project. 

Debbie has been working with Wurundjeri Elders to design the mural. The theme of the mural is the  six seasons that the Wurundjeri people acknowledged and organised their year of activities and food gathering around. This theme relates specifically to their use of the Kororoit Creek and their careful management of the natural environment so that it could sustain them and continue to regenerate. The educational aims are to give children an understanding of the Indigenous perspective of the environment and to acknowledge the heritage of the local land and the Wurundjeri People.

This project will be an artwork made onto the concrete cylinder that is down by the Kororoit Creek where many artefacts of the Wurundjeri People have been found.

Debbie was supported in this project by Brimbank Council departments of Community Planning and Engagement  and Sustainability and Environment. Four local schools are involved  in making the ceramic pieces for this artwork; Albion Primary School, St Theresa's School, Ardeer Primary and Mother of God School.

research plan

Research Plan                                                                                                 Debbie Qadri 2015
This is an information site about a project I am doing in the Western suburbs of Melbourne.
It is a little action research project that I might develop into a phd proposal.
The main gist of the project is that I will be working with communities to develop their own public artworks. I am aiming to do this in the City of Brimbank, as it is nearby to where I live and I have a few contacts with organisations and Council which will assist with the conversations needed to get Community Public Art Projects off the ground.

 The restrictions that I have for this project is that I will most probably use the art form that I am most skilled at, which is ceramics and the second one is that because much of the work I put into this project will be voluntary, I will also need it to be useful to my practice as an artist in the field of public art.



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 Putting community and place into permanent public art

 1. The artist works with communities to make new artworks in public space which utilize the model of community involvement and serve as examples.

2. The artist will make applications for Council public artwork tenders using the ideal model of putting community and place into public artworks. ___________________________________________________________________

 CONTEXT:
As park of my work as an artist I often make ceramic murals with communities and many of these are permanent artworks. When applying for public art tenders for councils I find myself wanting to include the community in making the artwork and also knowing that my tender will be less likely to succeed if I do this.

 On the other hand, (Australian and New Zealand) Council Public art policy is developing a heavy emphasis on community engagement in the process.  Below is a great quote from Rob Garrett that sums up the thinking behind this.

 ‘. . . . public art processes can profoundly engage local communities, which results in people having an active stake in the public places that they live and work in. This is an empowering dynamic which can transform people into public citizens and enable greater cultural connectivity between people.’ 
Rob Garrett (http://www.robgarrettcfa.com/content/2013/08/01/q-a-on-public-art-policy)

One of my questions is  how this is metered out in the final artwork?
What does engagement mean, and why is it often minimalised and difficult to manage?
 Is it possible to make permanent public artworks with the community and have them recognised as good public artworks?
Can we challenge the idea that the public artwork made by an artist or experts without community involvement is better?
What tensions exist between the process of public art tendering and making, and the idea of community involvement?

 Research will involve the following:

• Making public artworks with communities
• Looking at the public artwork policies of Councils.
 • Responses to the public artworks which are made as part of this research will be documented. How are they received by the public, how is the surrounding landscape cared for before and afterwards. Evidence in the media and interviews with people to devise what they mean to local residents.
• Finding examples of artworks in public space that have been generated or made by local communities.