Art Beat of the Country
Art Beat of the Country
This story begins in the 1970s, when Australia left the European Common Market and dairying suffered a large fall in commodity prices. Getting food on the table for the family became a real concern. Young people could not see a future for themselves on the land and left for jobs in the city. Land values fell. Local communities felt their way of life was being threatened.Mary Salce AO
The stories here describe how one rural region, Gippsland, in the south-east corner of Australia, responded to these hard times. The answer was found in art.
Art provided hope and social, cultural and economic pathways. Funding and leadership led to two projects which aimed to raise the self-esteem and confidence of women by offering opportunity to develop vital life skills and at the same time, produce something that would have a lasting benefit to the community.
The Uniting Our Rural Communities (UORC) Cultural and Community Leadership Project in 1997 and several years later, the Women Who Mean Business (WWMB) project, provided opportunities for women to develop skills in leadership, business and the arts. Not only did these projects accomplish great outcomes within the local community at the time, the women involved went on to lead remarkable and fulfilling lives, drawing on many skills gained through the projects.
The women, many now in their 70s and 80s, reflect on what happens when opportunity is provided to develop self-respect, focus on goals, and collaborate for amazing outcomes.
Stories from Art Beat of the Country
This selection of stories documents the firsthand reflections of women involved in two art and community projects in an Australian rural region from 1997-2007. Threads in women’s stories weave a rich tapestry of social history that preserves the voices, thoughts and feelings of making do and finding solutions during difficult times. Women, young and old, came together to participate and collaborate in the projects which served as group/community therapy as well as providing individuals with skills and leadership training. Many women said, if not for the projects, they would have remained isolated in their community; moreover, through participating, they were inspired to engage in self-enriching pursuits and careers.
Besides addressing issues of financial hardship and low self-esteem, the art projects provided relief from undercurrents of mental health issues, domestic violence, loneliness and isolation.
Read their stories below and be sure to check in regularly as new stories will be added, well into 2020.
When a feminist educator visits a country town, awakenings occur
My writing encompasses seemingly diverse genres of academic writing on rural policy, regional development and transformative community engagement and personal poems. I write to develop an authentic mother tongue connecting people and the landscapes they..
Retire? This farmer and teacher refired instead and went to Mongolia to share felt-making skills
Vivienne is a felt maker, and refired (not retired) wool grower. She now lives in Orbost in East Gippsland with no sheep but lots of wool to play with. Vivienne loves the fibre and continues..
‘Go big, go wild, go imagination, all can be done’ attitude creates fulfilling life
Jenny was born in Melbourne but has lived rurally for much of her life. Art was an early experience, and Jenny has used it to communicate, explore, enrich and bring joy to others and herself...
How a community garden project sowed the seeds of friendship for newcomer, Hilda
I was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1951. My background is working class but in 1971, I graduated from Glasgow University with a BSc in maths and computer science. Leaving Scotland, I started work as..
Women Who Mean Business
Born in England in 1955, Sue came to Australia with her immediate family, but not her grandmother. Sue missed having a relationship with her grandmother and this gave her an understanding of internal conflict, loss..
Share Your Story
Please note: to share a comment on one of the stories posted, click on the relevant blog link above. Comments sent via the below form will go directly to the administrators (June and Sarah) only.
Does your community or group have a story worth preserving? Of course it does! Take the first step towards documenting your social history by contacting us using the below form.