Creative Responders

Latai Taumoepeau is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice fuses ancient and everyday temporal practice using mediums like performance, dance, installation and social engagement. Her faivā (body-centred practice) is grounded in the traditions of her homelands, the Island Kingdom of Tonga and her birthplace Sydney, land of the Gadigal people. Latai joins us to discuss her work over the past decade exploring the impact of climate change in the Pacific and the threat of dispossession that many island communities face.Latai was a leading artist on Arts House Melbourne's five-year project, Refuge, an exploration of community preparedness in emergency management. She shares her insights on that process and how her collaboration with the SES on that project has continued to evolve.Latai was recently awarded Creative Australia's 2023 Award for Emerging and Experimental Arts and reflects on the meaning of that acknowledgement and some of the questions contemporary artists face surrounding the relevance and sustainability of their work. LinksABC Arts Week - Latai Taumoepeau: Creative Australia Award for Emerging and Experimental Arts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKfKmtcergA Artist Profile / Repatriate at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamakihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13K2Gr-Od8w&t=9s Mass Movement, Refuge, Arts House Melbournehttps://www.artshouse.com.au/events/mass-movement/ Mass Movement, Documentary Short Film, Refuge 2021, Arts House https://www.artshouse.com.au/events/mass-movement-documentary-short-film/ The Last Resort: Biennale of Sydneyhttps://www.biennaleofsydney.art/participants/latai-taumoepeau/ Follow Latai on instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/latai101/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kerry Jones is the Director of Systems Initiatives for the Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI). We spoke with Kerry in Meanjin / Brisbane, during the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference where she presented a program of work that is enabling communities to lead their own disaster response systems through a model of engagement called “Now-Future-How”.This work, led by TACSI through the Fire to Flourish initiative, is built around the philosophy that when it comes to building resilient communities, the answers lie within the communities themselves. Kerry shares how the model is designed to deepen resilience capability to set communities up for success in approaching collective decision making and leading their own change.Links:Case study: Now Future How TACSIFire to Flourish Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Cyclone Yasi hit the coast of North Queensland in 2011, the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and its active community of rangers and artists took a position of leadership in the recovery process and galvanised a devastated community. In this episode, Girringun's Founder and Executive Officer Phil Rist shares the story of their Traditional-Owner led organisation; we take a tour around the renowned Girringun Arts Centre with manager Joann Russo; and we also hear from Girringun Ranger Michael George and Communications Officer Seraeah Wyles about the interconnectedness of arts, culture and country.This episode is a re-release, originally aired in October 2019. We decided to share this episode this month in response to the outcome of the recent referendum as a way to continue using this platform to amplify Indigenous perspectives in disaster management.The Creative Recovery Network expresses our solidarity with First Nations people and our ongoing staunch commitment to walk hand in hand to find new pathways for change. If you would like to support the work of the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, you can donate here:Some perspectives on the outcome of the referendum we have been reading / listening to: Bhiamie Williamson in The ConversationClaire G Coleman in The Saturday Paper The Full Story: How to continue the fight for Indigenous rights The movement that follows the Voice, Thomas MayoOther resources related to this episode: Girringun Aboriginal CorporationGirringun Resilience: Portraits of YasiGirringun Resilience (video), Creative Recovery Pilot ProjectNational Indigenous Arts & Cultural Authority Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk ReductionUN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous PeoplesGirringun: the trailblazing Indigenous corporation caring for 1.2m hectares of north Queensland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bhiamie Williamson is a Euahlayi man from North West NSW and one of Australia's leading researchers into Indigenous peoples' experience of disasters. Bhiamie's work in this field has led to his current leadership of the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Project which sits within Monash University's Fire to Flourish program. We spoke with Bhiamie following the inaugural National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Summit in Meanjin, Brisbane - a first-of-its-kind event that marks a significant step forward in disaster planning in Australia. Instigated by Bhiamie's work within Fire to Flourish and driven by his motivation to build a community of practice around Indigenous approaches to disaster management, the summit brought together hundreds of Indigenous and non-Indigenous disaster planning representatives to share perspectives and discuss how to collaborate effectively into the future. Bhiamie also discusses his recent work with Phoebe Quinn and Professor Lisa Gibbs around Indigenous healing methods, highlights the importance of working within decolonial research frameworks, and shares the potential that privileging Indigenous voices in disaster planning can offer into developing new modes of thinking around the climate crisis. Links >> Fire to Flourish, Monash Universityhttps://www.monash.edu/msdi/initiatives/fire-to-flourish National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Summit Programhttps://www.aidr.org.au/events/37022?locationId=37027 National Indigenous Radio Service, First Nations Knowledge Needed in Disaster Planninghttps://nirs.org.au/news/indigenous-knowledge-needed-in-disaster-planning/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Annette Carmichael is an award-winning choreographer and dance artist based in Western Australia with community engagement at the core of her work. She joins Scotia to discuss The Stars Descend, an ambitious and inspiring performance work that consists of five chapters, crafted with and for five different communities in the south-west of Western Australia in partnership with renowned eco-restoration project, Gondwana Link. Driven by the desire to inspire climate hope and action, the performances were staged in outdoor settings across Gondwana Link's 1000 kilometre ecological pathway, with each of the five communities presenting a chapter responding to the extraordinary biodiversity of the region.The Stars Descend music appears in this episode courtesy of Annette Carmichael Projects: Sound design by Simon Walsh, Dave Mann, Andy O'Neil, Azariah Felton and Jean Michel Maujean, The Stars Descend, Annette Carmichael Projects, 2023. Track compiled and mastered by Azariah Felton.LINKSGondwana LinkThe Stars Descend at Heartland JourneysRadio National interview with Malgana woman, Janine Oxenham, choreographer and star of The Stars DescendThe Stars Descend Highlights Video‘Strong Like a Karri'. Behind the scenes video of The Stars Descend: Chapter Three, Porongurup.The Stars Descend: Chapter 1 (Wooditjup Margaret River), Full Performance The Stars Descend: Chapter 2 (Northcliffe), Full PerformanceThe Stars Descend: Chapter 3 (Porongurup), Full PerformanceAnnette Carmichael ProjectsFilm: Breathing Life Into Boodja Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Margaret Moreton is Executive Director of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) and leads the work of AIDR to develop and share knowledge and learning to support a disaster resilient Australia. Margaret joins Scotia to talk about the work of AIDR and the importance of building a collaborative approach to how we plan for and respond to disasters. She shares the story of her first understanding of the importance of community and collaboration from her childhood growing up in rural Australia and how this has informed her life and work. This, along with her experiences during the 2003 Canberra fires and the 2009 Victorian bushfires, motivated Margaret's journey into community-based research into disaster recovery and resilience and what has now become an ongoing commitment to building capacity and improving resilience outcomes for Australian communities. We also hear about the upcoming AIDR conference (August 23 - 24), the first to be delivered under Margaret's leadership, and how this year's program is enhancing the inclusion of diverse voices and new platforms including a dedicated focus on creative recovery for the first time.Notes: Australian Disaster Resilience Conference, 2023AIDR Knowledge HubClimate Change and Social Capital: Professor Daniel AldrichNatural Hazards Research Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hard Place / Good Place is a project developed by the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum following a devastating storm that swept through the region in June 2021. It was thoughtfully designed in collaboration with the fEEL lab at the University of New South Wales as a way to work with young people in the region aged 15 to 25 to give voice to their experience as part of the recovery process. The work focusses on lived experiences of being in a ‘hard place' or a ‘good place' through a collection of personal and community stories, told through Augmented Reality. It was exhibited in the museum in Lilydale from September - November as part of The Big Anxiety - a mental health and arts festival. On this episode, Scotia is joined by two of the key people behind the project: Megan Sheehy, Director of the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum; and Volker Kuchelmeister, lead immersive designer and Senior Research fellow at the University of New South Wales' Felt Experience and Empathy Lab.We hear about the process of developing the work and the importance of centering the participants' experience. We also discuss the broader opportunities for the future of digital storytelling as well as the crucial role that local government and local cultural institutions play in supporting communities through disaster recovery in regional areas. LINKSHard Place / Good Place https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/enjoylocal/The-Big-Anxiety/Hard-PlaceGood-Place-Yarra-Ranges The Age, October 5 2022: ‘The tree got every room in the house': At the centre of a terrifying Dandenong Ranges stormhttps://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-tree-got-every-room-in-the-house-at-the-centre-of-the-dandenong-ranges-terrifying-storm-20221005-p5bn9k.html Yarra Ranges Regional Museumhttps://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Experience/Yarra-Ranges-Regional-Museum Parragirls Past, Presenthttp://kuchelmeister.net/portfolio/parragirls-past-present/UNSW fEEL Labhttp://www.niea.unsw.edu.au/research/organisations/arc-laureate-felt-experience-empathy-lab-feel-lab The Big Anxiety Festivalhttps://www.thebiganxiety.org/ Creative Recovery Network Case Study Library https://creativerecovery.net.au/resources/ Creative Responders S1 E1, A Sense of safety: What young people are capable of in the face of disasterhttps://creativerecovery.net.au/creative-responders-podcast/documentary-series/series-1/s1-episode-01/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vic McEwan is the Artistic Director and co-founder of The Cad Factory, an artist-led organisation whose work and practice aims to enrich broader conversations about the role the arts can play within our communities.Vic is a leading practitioner in the field of socially engaged practice and joins us to discuss how this guides his work and The Cad Factory's professional development and mentorship programs dedicated to exploring the ethics and expanding the community of practice around socially engaged work. He shares some of The Cad Factory's impactful projects around community preparedness in the regional communities of Falls Creek and Menindee, and discusses the leadership opportunities for arts organisations to navigate a changing world and facilitate nuanced explorations of complex community issues.Links and resources:The Cad Factoryhttps://www.cadfactory.com.auFrom Menindee: Project description and short documentary https://www.cadfactory.com.au/from-menindee CASE Incubator https://www.cadfactory.com.au/case-incubator Socially Engaged Art Practice: A Responsibility Towards Care, Vic McEwan for Arts Hubhttps://www.cadfactory.com.au/_files/ugd/a2d021_4548711a50084d29a60957f72f37ace9.pdf The Clontarf Academyhttps://clontarf.org.au/ Produced by Scotia Monkivitch and Jill Robson, edited and mixed by Tiffany Dimmack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zena Armstrong joins us to share the story of community recovery following the Black Summer bushfires that devastated the village of Cobargo and the surrounding regions. Zena is a former Australian diplomat and director of the Cobargo Folk Festival where she works with a close-knit team of volunteers using music, art and the spoken word to grow community connectedness and imagine new ways of being. In the wake of the 2019-20 bushfires, Zena and the folk festival team joined forces with other key local organisations to harness the outpouring of support for their community forming the Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund, of which she is now President.The fund has supported more than 40 projects and the story of its formation embodies the collective process and potential for community-led approaches to support recovery and ongoing preparedness in regional communities.Further Reading: Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery FundCobargo Folk Festival"Don't dismiss our anger in Cobargo Scott Morrison, we are the ones living through a crisis", Guardian Article by Zena Armstrong and Peter Logue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Naomi Sunderland is a lead researcher on The Remedy Project - an Australian Research Council supported project exploring music as a primary cultural determinant of health for First Nations communities. She joins us to discuss the healing power of music and her investigation into its role within First Nations communities as an enduring link to ancestors, Country, language and community.Naomi is a descendant of the Wiradjuri First Nations People and is based out of Griffith University in Meanjin, Brisbane. Her extensive research and publishing record in arts-health and First Nations social justice has a particular focus on creative, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approaches. Further reading: The Remedy Projecthttps://remedyproject.orgChildren's Ground https://childrensground.org.au We Al-li Resources for trauma-informed care https://www.wealli.com.au/resources/ Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Awareness, a Reflection by Miriam Rose Ungunmerr via the Miriam Rose Foundationhttps://www.miriamrosefoundation.org.au/dadirri/ Listen to Kabi Kabi based Torres Strait Islander musician, Al Bartholomew's, powerful acoustic tribute to Yothu Yindi's Treaty. Al was one of the pilot study interviews for The Remedy Project and recorded this track on Kabi Kabi Country (Sunshine Coast, Queensland) with Chief Investigator, Phil Graham. https://remedyproject.org/stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Kennedy-Borissow joins us to discuss her PhD research into creative recovery projects in Australia. Anna is an arts manager, academic and theatre maker and currently a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne where she is researching the interplay of arts practice, community wellbeing and emergency management. Anna's work addresses a gap in what is historically a lack of academic research in this field. By examining the extent to which arts participation builds resilience in disaster-affected communities and identifying the underlying factors that contribute to the success of creative recovery initiatives, she is working to establish an evidence-base to inform future developments in policy and practice.In this conversation, Scotia and Anna discuss: The challenges and opportunities around definitions and terminology when working in an emerging field of research. What is creative recovery and how is the term used across different disciplines, industries and locations? What current research can show about the specific ways arts programs contribute to individual and community wellbeing following a disaster and how Anna's research framework seeks to observe trends across different communities that can be relevant to other communities who engage in creative recovery in the futureThe importance of timing and sensitivities required when working with disaster-impacted communities to reflect on their experiencesThe role and importance of rigorous research as an advocacy tool to influence policy frameworks and funding decisions Further reading:Performing Creativity, Culture and Wellbeinghttps://www.cawri.com.au/pccw2023 Creative Recovery Network Case Study Library https://creativerecovery.net.au/resources/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer, policy adviser, audio producer and accessibility consultant, Jonathan Craig, joins Scotia for a discussion about how disaster planning can be improved by connecting with people as individuals and bringing the lived experience of community members to the table.Jonathan is a policy advisor for Vision 2020 and has worked with Arts House Melbourne on several projects including Refuge, and the Warehouse Residency program for deaf and disabled artists.Recently, Jonathan was part of the creative team behind Exercise Torrent - the City of Melbourne's annual disaster preparedness exercise. He reflects on the project and discusses the windows of opportunity that arts-based approaches can offer into aspects of preparedness sometimes overlooked by traditional processes, like accessibility.LinksJonathan Craig, Twitterhttps://twitter.com/j_d_x?lang=en Putting the Pieces Together: How the City of Melbourne is strengthening disaster management through creativity https://creativerecovery.net.au/creative-responders-podcast/documentary-series/s3-episode-10/ Defying Doomsday, Twelfth Planet Press http://www.twelfthplanetpress.com/products/ebooks/defying-doomsdayRebuilding Tomorrow, Twelfth Planet Presshttp://defyingdoomsday.twelfthplanetpress.com/rebuilding-tomorrow/ Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darknesshttps://www.ursulakleguin.com/left-hand-darkness The Refuge Project, Arts House https://www.artshouse.com.au/artist-opportunities/refuge/ Convergence, Arts House https://www.artshouse.com.au/events/convergence/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As cities and communities all over the world look to new models of disaster preparedness and response, how do we successfully activate a whole of community approach where everyone has a role to play and disaster management services are working with not for the community? In this episode of Creative Responders, we'll hear what happened when the City of Melbourne tackled this question and engaged artists in the co-design and facilitation of a preparedness exercise, working with the North Melbourne community to imagine better models of response and recovery. The 2022 disaster preparedness simulation, Exercise Torrent, was a collaboration between City of Melbourne's Emergency Management Department and Arts House that utilised an arts-based approach to develop a scenario for emergency management professionals, service providers and community organisations to interact with. City of Melbourne's Emergency Management Coordinator, Christine Drummond, takes us inside the process of developing the exercise, how it played out on the day, and how bringing the arts into the process provided a different lens for people to participate more readily.We hear from artist facilitators Jonathan Craig and Dr Jen Rae and Arts House Creative Producer, Sarah Rowbottam, about how creative methodologies provide a layer of depth to the relational aspects of exercises like this, offering a window of opportunity into areas of preparedness sometimes overlooked by traditional processes, like accessibility.The project provides a model for how creativity and the arts can support community engagement strategies and provide entry points for practicing the skills of collaboration that will help us to better respond when a disaster occurs.Links / Further Reading:Arts Househttps://www.artshouse.com.au The Refuge Project https://www.artshouse.com.au/artist-opportunities/refuge/ Together by Richard Sennetthttps://www.penguin.com.au/books/together-9780141022109 Community Engagement for Disaster Resilience Handbookhttps://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/handbook-community-engagement/ Creative Responders in Conversation with Jen Raehttps://creativerecovery.net.au/creative-responders-podcast/in-conversation-series/s2-episode-10/ Creative Responders in Conversation with Kate Sulan https://creativerecovery.net.au/creative-responders-podcast/in-conversation-series/s1-episode-8/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nathan Harrison is part of the creative team at Boho Interactive, a collective of Australian artists and game designers who create interactive performances and games exploring concepts from systems science, complexity theory, resilience thinking, game theory and network theory. Nathan and Scotia discuss the wide-ranging applications of this work and how the participatory process of engaging in games has the power to ignite creativity, create shared languages, foster collaboration and provide entry points for exploring complex systems and ideas. Links and Further Reading Boho Interactivehttps://www.bestfestivalever.com.au Best Festival Ever Projecthttps://www.bestfestivalever.com.au/#/best-festival-ever/ Canberra 2060, Futures with a Capital Fhttps://www.bestfestivalever.com.au/#/canberra-2060/ Eden Marine High School Disaster Preparedness Program https://www.eden.nsw.au/boho-interactive-kicks-off-disaster-preparedness-youth-group-at-eden-marine-high-school/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=boho-interactive-kicks-off-disaster-preparedness-youth-group-at-eden-marine-high-school Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World by Brian Walker and David Salt https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d7901f41e62ba340a30eb04/t/5d83f5e286a5bd19c4f55ff7/1568929253568/Walker+and+Salt+-+Sustaining+Ecosystems+and+People+in+a+Changing+Wor.pdf Blood on the Clocktower https://bloodontheclocktower.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the epicentre of the Northern Rivers flood recovery, we are joined by Elly Bird and Katie Cooper-Wares. Both have been instrumental in the founding and development of the Resilient Lismore community recovery organisation, alongside other roles –Elly as a Councillor for Lismore City Council and Chair of Northern Rivers Arts and Katie as a dancer, artist, environmental educator and founder of the Creative First Aid Alliance group.They discuss the need to reframe community preparedness; how the arts can support in reimagining the future after such an immense loss of safety and identity; and share on-ground learnings from living with the reality of compounding disasters in their community.Links:Resilient Lismore Facebook Group Flood Help Northern Rivers Creative First Aid Alliance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melinda Rankin is the Director of Fabrik Arts & Heritage, located in Lobethal, a small regional town nestled in a picturesque valley on Peramangk and Kaurna Country in the Adelaide Hills.Fabrik is an arts and heritage hub, run by Adelaide Hills Council. Its public program started in early 2019 and at the end of that year, the Cudlee Creek bushfire devastated the area.As a newly established arts organisation with a remit covering both community and economic development goals, the team at Fabrik immediately looked to ways the premises and public program could play a role in supporting the community in its recovery.Arts organisations play a vital role in communities they operate within. Fabrik's considered approach to this work is a strong example of the meaningful impact arts organisations can have as a connector within their communities, in times of crisis and beyond.Visit Fabrik Arts & Heritage Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melissa Lubke is an artist based on the island of Lutruwita (Tasmania) who utilises manual arts practices and a variety of mixed media materials to create installations exploring themes of light, loss, community, and hope.Melissa's recent works in her solo exhibition ‘Confronting the Negative', explore complex emotions after losing her husband in 2016 in a tragic accident whilst pregnant with their third child.In this discussion, Melissa shares her personal story and how her experience of tragedy and loss influenced her evolution as an artist and motivated her to use art as a vehicle for creating a shared, collective process around loss and grieving.Melissa is currently undertaking her Masters in Art Therapy and shares her experience of how the arts can support ritual, social connection and reflection.Links:https://www.melissalubke.com/446311624

Doctor Debra Parkinson is the Director of Gender and Disaster Australia, an organisation established to promote an understanding of the role played by gender in survivor responses to natural disaster, and to embed these insights into emergency management practice.Debra's research following the 2009 Victorian bushfires has been a foundational tool in promoting a deeper understanding of the ‘hidden disaster' of domestic and family violence following a catastrophic event and the importance of incorporating a gender lens into disaster resilience planning.In this conversation, Scotia and Debra discuss:how disasters impact women, children and LGBTQIA+ communities the importance of incorporating their safety as a key focus in disaster resilience planningthe evidence Debra and her team have been compiling since the Black Saturday bushfires and how this has increased awareness around issues of domestic and family violence - what changes have taken place since in this time and what still needs to happen to improve situations for women and childrenGender and Disaster Australia's recent federal government funding to implement their training programs throughout communities in AustraliaExamples of how arts and cultural practices have been utilised within this area of work to support families and children and how Debra and her team incorporate the arts in conferences and planning processesLinks and resources:Gender and Disaster Australiahttps://www.genderanddisaster.com.au‘Disaster is no Excuse for Family Violence': how to help in 4 steps / crisis helpline contact numbers:https://www.genderanddisaster.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Disatser-is-no-excuse-Edited.21-08-20pdf.pdfGender and Emergency Management Guidelineshttps://www.genderanddisaster.com.au/info-hub/national-gem-guidelines/Summertime: Reflections on a Vanishing Futurehttps://knowledge.aidr.org.au/media/9193/ajem_17-2022-01.pdfWomen's experience of violence in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires by Dr Debra Parkinsonhttps://bridges.monash.edu/articles/thesis/Women_s_experience_of_violence_in_the_aftermath_of_the_Black_Saturday_bushfires/4705114

Natalie Egleton joins us to discuss the future of community-led recovery and her work across rural and regional Australia as CEO of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal.This is a timely discussion about how we approach community-centred and community-led recovery: what does it really mean and how do we achieve it by resourcing and embedding fit-for-purpose systems in our response frameworks?Natalie and Scotia discuss the challenge of fatigue and depletion that comes with dealing with successive disasters. Natalie shares FRRR's on-the-ground research into the impact this is having on communities and what they need to replenish and rejuvenate their recovery capability.They also explore how recent events have prompted a new depth of thinking around how we approach crisis in communities and the importance of resourcing and investing at a community level to provide the right capacity support for the future.Links:Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewalhttps://frrr.org.au/Heartbeat of Rural Australiahttps://frrr.org.au/heartbeat/Disaster Resilient: Future Ready Pilot Programshttps://frrr.org.au/funding/disaster-resilience-and-climate-solutions/disaster-resilient-future-ready/

In this episode of Creative Responders, we're heading to Woorabinda, an Indigenous community in Central Queensland on the Traditional lands of the Wadja Wadja and Ghungalu Aboriginal peoples.Nickeema Williams, Director of the Woorabinda Arts and Cultural Centre, shows us around the burgeoning arts centre and shares how it is providing opportunities to revitalise cultural practices with direct and meaningful impacts on the wellbeing of the community.We'll hear from Woorabinda community members about the challenge of preserving and passing down cultural knowledge in the face of the massive disruption brought about by colonisation - and how arts and culture can be a pathway to restoring some of these lost connections.Woorabinda artist, Roxanne Oakley, shares the healing benefits of her own artistic practice, and her commitment to sharing that knowledge with others through her role at the arts centre. Community elders, Uncle Steven Kemp and Uncle Milton Lawton, talk about the work they are doing to share Traditional knowledge and cultural practices, along with the histories and environmental knowledge they carry.Interviews:Roxanne Oakley, ArtistNickeema Williams, Director, Woorabinda Arts and Cultural CentreUncle Steven KempUncle Milton LawtonProduced by: Jill Robson and Scotia MonkivitchAudio Engineer: Glen MorrowStudio Recordings: Tiffany DimmackSound Recordist for Woorabinda Recordings: Boe SpearimSound Recordist for Additional Woorabinda Recordings and Carnarvon Gorge Trek: Josh BurtonLinks and Further Reading:Woorabinda Arts and Cultural Centre https://www.instagram.com/woorabindaarts Yarbun Creations (Uncle Steven's natural soaps and other handmade products)https://www.facebook.com/Yarbun.Creations Mayi Kuwayu, The National Study of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Wellbeinghttps://mkstudy.com.au Gumby gumby trees and other Aboriginal medicines to be researched by CQ University:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-26/cq-university-traditional-medicine-research-ghungalu-elder/101009154 Youtube video: Plant Uses and Medicines with Uncle Steven Kemp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ8QiqZ3k8EABC article about Uncle Steven Kemp and his work to pass on knowledge to younger generations:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-17/ghangalu-aboriginal-elder-living-on-borrowed-time/10876104Central Queensland University News Video of Woorabinda Arts and Cultural Centre (featuring interviews with Nickeema Williams and Roxanne Oakley)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtwOdORZ5Fk

Sam Savage is the Northern Queensland Emergency Services Regional Coordinator for Australian Red Cross where he manages response, recovery and community resilience programs with a focus on psychosocial support.He is also the Chairperson of the First Nations Recovery Group, a national network within the Australian Red Cross team and a member of the organisation's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team.Sam joins us to discuss the specific challenges faced by Indigenous communities in a disaster context, what kind of action organisations like Red Cross are taking to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and how our emergency management systems can improve to better serve marginalised communities.In this conversation, Sam and Scotia discuss:The purpose of the recently formed Red Cross First Nations Recovery Group and the work it is doing to add a cultural lens to the emergency services sector by deepening knowledge about and tailoring information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communitiesThe role that culture and connection to Country plays in health and well-being for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and why it is essential to contextualise disaster recovery around cultural practices and Traditional knowledgeHow we can create better systems and practices in emergency management to support and empower marginalised communities towards ongoing community resilienceSam's role on the National Taskforce for Creative Recovery and how cross-sector collaboration is essential to finding effective ways to support communitiesThe importance of inclusion and the work Sam is doing around advocating for recognition and inclusion, to ensure that First Nations people have a seat at the table in decision-making around disaster preparedness, recovery and responseProduced by: Jill Robson and Scotia MonkivitchAudio Engineer: Glen MorrowLinks:Mayi Kuwayu: the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeinghttps://mkstudy.com.auNational Taskforce for Creative Recoveryhttps://creativerecovery.net.au/national-taskforce-for-creative-recovery/Caring for Country: Indigenous Leadership in Disaster Managementhttps://creativerecovery.net.au/creative-responders-podcast/documentary-series/s1-episode-2/

In 2019, Jessica Brown established The Little Pocket nature play space from her home in the peaceful hinterland village of Beechmont to reduce isolation and nurture connections between young families.She had no idea that a few months later, this network of community members would evolve into much more when they collectively they faced a catastrophic bushfire event that marked the beginning of Australia's Black Summer fire season.In this episode, Jessica shares her story and we follow the process of activating a grassroots arts-based recovery project within a disaster impacted community.We explore the integral role of local government in the recovery process and how the Scenic Rim Regional Council worked hand-in-hand with Jessica and other community members as they developed what would become the ReGeneration Creative Bushfire Recovery Project.Scenic Rim Councillor Virginia West and Cultural Coordinator, Bronwyn Davies, join us to discuss what an authentically ‘community-led' response looks like when it is implemented with meaningful local government backing and how councils can support community members to step into positions of cultural leadership.The project provides a model for how investment in culture and the arts has the capacity to strengthen the social fabric of communities which, in turn, supports recovery and builds resilience for what the future may hold.

Scientist, farmer and storyteller Doctor Anika Molesworth joins us for a conversation about her courageous and optimistic vision for the future of agriculture and the motivation behind writing her new book, “Our Sunburnt Country”.Anika is a founding director of Farmers for Climate Action, a movement that puts farmers at the centre of climate solutions. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming, environmental conservation and climate change action.Hailing from her family's sheep station near Broken Hill in far western NSW, it was the impact of the decade-long Millennium drought on their farm that spurred her interest in climate change.The crippling drought filled Anika with determination to speak out about the changes she was witnessing on the land and in her community - this has led to her becoming a prominent rural spokesperson both in Australia and around the world.Further Reading and Resources:Anika Molesworth Official Websitehttps://www.anikamolesworth.com/Farmers for Climate Changehttps://farmersforclimateaction.org.au/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI65SFsu3i9AIVEpNmAh3HPwWxEAAYASAAEgKupPD_BwEOur Sunburnt Country, by Anika Molesworthhttps://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760982744/Our Sunburnt Country Audiobookhttps://www.audible.com.au/pd/Our-Sunburnt-Country-Audiobook/1760989223?source_code=M2MOR131091619005N&ds_rl=1252391&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2NaNBhDvARIsAEw55hhxdwzUeeSsWisu9Pit6r3YNJZLNmGAOOnCQn-UKywABMGK1ajWzDgaAgKlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds‘The Positive Alternative' Documentary Serieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVqBCK5WH-8

Darren Moffitt is a Bidjigal man who joins us to discuss his recent work in North-East Victoria as a Recovery Coordinator for Aboriginal Culture and Healing.Darren's role is part of the Black Summer recovery initiative activated by Bushfire Recovery Victoria (BRV) and is one of the first examples of a government program recognising Aboriginal Healing as a dedicated line of recovery within the pillars of disaster recovery.In this conversation, Scotia and Darren discuss:The importance of ensuring Aboriginal voices have a seat at the table when it comes to recovery planning and processesBRV's introduction of a dedicated line of recovery focused on Aboriginal Healing which stands alongside traditional recovery pillars of health, economy, natural environment, and infrastructure, and supports projects led by Aboriginal community organisations and Traditional Owner groupsThe effectiveness and challenges of Victoria's Bushfire Recovery Grants that support Traditional Owner-led recovery projectsThe complexities of identifying and engaging Aboriginal community members who may not always be highly visible within communitiesHow Darren and BRV's work in the North-East to initiate meaningful engagement with Aboriginal community members has been a catalyst for more ongoing positive engagement across health and local government agenciesThe important role of culture and the arts and cultural events such as NAIDOC week to build community connectednessFurther reading and resources:Eastern Victorian Fires 2019-2020, State Recovery PlanAboriginal Culture and Healing, Stories of Bushfire RecoveryThe Conversation: Bushfire recovery hasn't considered Aboriginal culture — but things are finally starting to changeBushfire Recovery VictoriaAustralian Institute of Disaster Resilience, Indigenous Perspectives on Disaster Recovery Webinar

June Moorhouse, co-CEO of Community Arts Network (CAN) joins us for a deeply insightful discussion about community arts in Australia.From its roots in the social activism of the 1960s and the early international community arts movement through to contemporary practice and its vital role in creating social cohesion, June reflects on the joys and challenges of community-based practice and shares her hopes for the future of the sector.June and Scotia's conversation is grounded in the findings of a collaborative research project between Community Arts Network and Creative Recovery Network and the six recommendations in their recently released report‘Creating Well: Recommendations for Practitioner Wellbeing in the Community Arts and Cultural Development Sector”.June has more than 35 years experience in the arts, working in senior management and leadership roles, most recently leading the team at CAN in an innovative job sharing arrangement with her colleague Monica Kane.June has a wealth of experience to share for anyone working, or interested in working, in community-based practice.LinksCommunity Arts NetworkCreating Well: Recommendations for Practitioner Wellbeing in the Community Arts and Cultural Development SectorJoin the working party to develop the practice framework: https://creativerecovery.net.au/creatingwell/

In this episode we are speaking with Jen Rae, an artist-researcher, facilitator and educator whose work focusses on environmental communication with a particular emphasis on cultural responses to climate change.Jen's work around the climate emergency has focussed on discourses around food futures, disaster preparedness and speculative futures predominantly explored through multi-platform creative projects, research, facilitation and community alliances.She is the Director of Fair Share Fare and the Co-founder of Fawkner Commons - creative and research-informed projects that centre food justice, land remediation and social cohesion in the climate emergency context.In this episode, we discussHow the act of speculating future scenarios can benefit us as a society and the richness that creatives can offer into this spaceJen's work as a core artist of Arts House's 5-year Refuge project, an initiative that brings together artists, emergency service providers and communities to rehearse climate-related emergencies and explore the impact of creativity in disaster preparednessRefugium, a short film Jen recently co-created with Claire G. Coleman as part of the Refuge project, which delves into the moral dilemmas of compounding existential crises through a fictional scenario of time hacking activists as they face humanity's greatest challengeThe importance of preserving the knowledge and skills required to meet the challenge of the climate crisis, making information accessible to our future ancestors and sharing it through meaningful storytellingConnectedness in communities, the importance of planning for ‘waves' of response in compounding disasters, the link between loneliness and fundamentalist thinking and how an activist mindset can be a catalyst for acceptance and connectionLinks:Refugiumhttps://vimeo.com/541179309Jen Raehttps://www.jenraeis.comArts House, Refugehttps://www.artshouse.com.au/ourprograms/refuge/Fair Share Farehttps://www.fairsharefare.comThe Future of Loneliness by Olivia Lainghttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/01/future-of-loneliness-internet-isolationNihilism, fundamentalism, or activism: Three responses to fears of the Apocalypse by Richard Eckersleyhttps://richardeckersley.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Futurist_Apocalypse_2008.pdf

Kellie Sutherland is a Creative Recovery Coordinator, working with Regional Arts Victoria to support bushfire affected shires in Victoria's North East.In this episode, we discuss what the role of a Creative Recovery Coordinator entails and the capacity for this work to provide continuity between recovery, preparedness and response that is foundational for building community resilience.Kellie is an artist and performer, well known for her role as a founding member and creative co-director of musical group Architecture in Helsinki. More recently she has worked in arts communication and cultural partnerships roles in the North East and Border region of Victoria, forming a strong understanding of community-led activities and engagement practices.In this conversation, Scotia and Kellie discuss:The role of a Creative Recovery Coordinator, the local networks they operate within and their role as advocate for the creative sectorThe importance of flexibility in our understanding of recovery outcomes and how an arts-based approach supports agility and innovative thinkingThe challenges associated with short-term recovery roles and how resources and support for longer term positions and projects can bring myriad benefits for communities in the face of cascading disastersThe Creative Recovery training program recently completed in Beechworth, Victoria with ten representatives of the five shires Kellie is working across and her hopes for what will come from thatExamples of recovery projects supported by Regional Arts Victoria grants and their effectiveness in strengthening community resilience and knowledge-sharingMore info about Regional Arts Victoria and their work can be found herehttp://www.rav.net.au/about/our-vision/

This episode of Creative Responders features artists, Rosie McKeand and Leigh Tesch, who share their experience working with three to six-year-olds on ‘Afloat', a creative recovery project created in response to the May 2018 flood event in Hobart, Tasmania.Many early learning centres were seriously impacted by the flood and the community's experience of the Hobart Rivulet was forever changed, prompting the local government to focus on young people and their families in their recovery strategy.Rosie and Leigh collaborated with the City of Hobart on a program that utilised creativity and play as a means to help children deal with change, adversity and the associated feelings. Their combination of drawing and storytelling created a collaborative, child-led environment that provided a joyful space for reflection and learning.In this conversation Scotia, Rosie and Leigh discuss:The process of using drawing, storytelling and creative modalities to work with young children to open opportunities for them to process their experience comfortablyHow to support children in times of change, and strategies to help them feel confident and safe in an environment that can change rapidlyHow the arts can provide reflection and learning around challenging experiences, particularly in early childhood when younger children may not have the language or vocabulary to express their experienceThe process of working in collaboration with educators, care-givers and parents and how the arts can open a different mode of communication for children as well as the adults in their livesThe crucial role of local government in the recovery process and the positive impact of the City of Hobart's activation of flood recovery projects incorporating arts-based initiatives and support for experienced artists to execute these projectsRosie and Leigh's different creative modalities and how they work together in partnership to provide multiple entry points for workshop participantsThe Afloat project was instigated by The City of Hobart as part of a range of recovery projects in the wake of the floods under the banner “Resilient Hobart”.Funding for these programs was obtained through the Community Recovery and Resilience Grants Program, jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian governments under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.The Resilient Hobart program was awarded a 2020 Resilient Australia National Local Government Award for excellence in their response to the flood event.Links:Resilient Hobart, 2018 Flood Resilience Projectshttps://www.hobartcity.com.au/Community/Community-Programs/Resilient-HobartAfloat Projecthttps://www.hobartcity.com.au/Community/Community-Programs/Resilient-Hobart/2018-flood-resilience-projects/Afloat-–-children-and-families-community-resilience-art-projectAfloat Resource Booklethttps://www.hobartcity.com.au/files/assets/public/community-programs/kids-and-families/the-afloat-project-nov-2019-261119.pdfFor more resources and case studies about creative recovery projects for young people, visit our resource library: https://creativerecovery.net.au/resources/

Alex Wisser is an artist and creative producer based in the township of Kandos in mid-western New South Wales. In 2013 he co-founded the Cementa Contemporary Arts Festival in Kandos and took up permanent residence there with his family.Along with Cementa, Alex is a co-founder of the Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation where his practice continues to focus on the challenges and opportunities of making art in a regional context with a strong emphasis on socially engaged art and its ability to support cultural change.In this conversation, Scotia and Alex discuss:The regenerative farming movement and how the arts can support the process of change in communities facing serious social, economic and environmental challenges to their way of lifeThe capacity of art to provide non-directed space for people to gather and create social cohesion and reflection on complex issuesThe example of a solar energy farming project in the town of Little Hartley in the Blue Mountains and how the combination of arts, science and farming can provide opportunities to bridge the urban-rural divideA research framework that Alex is currently developing in partnership with Creative Recovery Network that aims to create a toolset for artists to better perceive the social realities of communities in which they are workingAlex’s shift to working in a community context and how it has made his practice more embodied and connected to the world beyond traditional arts communitiesLinks:Cementahttps://cementa.com.auKandos School of Cultural Adaptationhttps://www.ksca.landWelcome to Kandos, poster by Ian Millishttps://www.ksca.land/origin-storySolar energy for the farmer, Little Hartley project:https://www.ksca.land/mark-swartz-projectBula Mirri Farm Solar Project Video:https://www.ksca.land/blogfeed/2020/6/10/the-solar-project-video

Louise Scheidl is an Occupational Therapist and Mental Health Promotion Officer for Albury Wodonga Health.Louise joins us to discuss My Place My Home, a community-based arts project focussed on young people affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires in Victoria's Corryong area.In this conversation, Louise and Scotia discuss:The layered impacts of the 2019/2020 bushfires followed closely by Covid-19 and the importance of supporting young people and their families through this complex recoveryThe overwhelming local support for My Place, My Home and the model of engagement they have created to bring together local organisations, health services and educatorsThe first stage of the My Place, My Home program where four local primary and high schools participated in a range of creative workshops facilitated by local artists including visual arts, cartooning, drama, circus, drumming and rhythm, script writing, soundscaping, cartooning and shadow puppetryThe school workshops for My Place, My Home were facilitated by local artists from the Corryong, Walwa, Cudgewa, Albury and Wodonga areas. They are: Alison Plasto; Barbara Pritchard; Kirrily Anderson; Per Westman; Adrian Osborne; Alyson Evans; and Margaret Gleeson.My Place, My Home is supported by: Corryong Health, Albury Wodonga Health, Gateway Health, Creative Recovery Network, Towong Shire, Bushfire Recovery Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria, Catholic Education Sandhurst, NSW Department of Education, Corryong Neighbourhood House, Beyond Blue’s Bushfire Response Program and The Royal Children’s Hospital’s Festival of Healthy Living.For more case studies and resources about young people impacted by disaster, visit the Creative Recovery Network resource library: https://creativerecovery.net.au/resources/

Doctor Caroline Alcorso is currently directing the Natural Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework for the National Mental Health Commission.She has an extensive background in social policy, programs and research in both community sector organisations and government. Along with her substantial academic background, Caroline is a leader and innovator in a range of social policy areas, including health, gender equity, workforce development, workplace relations and multicultural affairs.The Natural Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework is funded by the Australian Government in a bid to address the increasingly complex mental health needs of individuals and communities affected by natural disasters.The Framework, which will be released in June 2021, aims to improve cross-government responses to mental health threats before, during and after natural disasters.In this episode, Scotia and Caroline discuss:How the Natural Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework came about and what the approach has been so far for engaging individuals and organisations in the research processThe importance of supporting continuity in community recovery efforts in order to develop skills, personnel and ongoing knowledge-building at a local level to better respond to natural disasters over timeChallenges identified around the help-seeking process and the importance of addressing the mental health impacts of the aftermath of disasterHow the response to our new reality of cascading impacts is being approached at a national level and how it incorporates the presence of non-traditional modes of responseThe importance of co-collaboration and how local funding programs are being successfully utilised to build community capital to help communities rebuildReferences and further reading:National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework Factsheet‘Brain research shows the arts promote mental health’, The ConversationNational Arts and Health FrameworkRed Cross Australia, Looking After Yourself and Your Family After a DisasterPhoenix Australia, Disaster Mental Health Hub

Arts workers in remote or trauma-impacted communities are often sent in to complex environments with little preparation or adequate peer support for the situations they will encounter.In this episode, we head to one of the most remote areas of Australia - Warburton community, Western Australia on Ngaanyatjarra Lands, where Silvano Giordano shares his experience as co-Director of Wilurarra Creative - a community hub and arts studio dedicated to creative programs for young Ngaanyatjarra people.Silvano shares some of the systems of self-care and sustainable practice he has developed over time, and his co-Director, BJ, joins us to talk about the ways his community approaches working relationships between Ngaanyatjarra and non-Ngaanyatjarra people.We also hear about Silvano’s participation in a professional supervision pilot project - a collaboration between Creative Recovery Network and Community Arts Network (CAN), designed to draw on the experience and wisdom of leading community arts and cultural development workers to grow a deeper understanding of the support needs for community-based practitioners across Australia.June Moorhouse, co-CEO of CAN joins us to talk about the pilot project’s findings and how she believes the arts sector is at an exciting turning point for driving change towards new standards of practice and a framework to better support practitioners in high performance work environments.Silvano Giordano, Wilurarra Creative, Co-DirectorBJ, Wilurarra Creative, Co-DirectorJune Moorhouse, CEO, Community Arts NetworkShona Erskine, Psychologist and ConsultantThis episode features music by Travis West, 'Boy Crying for Family', from the album Wilurarra Desert Reggae: A Compilation of New Ngaanyatjarra Music recorded at Wilurarra Creative studio in 2017.

The climate crisis is one of the greatest disasters we may ever witness. In the face of such enormous challenges, what is the place for creativity and storytelling?In this episode, guest producer Nicole Hutton takes us to the Great Barrier Reef to hear how reef coast Traditional Owners are using tourism, art and storytelling as a proactive tool to open conversations around climate change.Nicole takes us out on the reef with Indigenous tour operator, Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel, to speak with Dustin Maloney about sharing stories from the reef and how Traditional Owners being in control of tourism happening on their own country is a critical step towards climate justice for people on the frontlines of climate change.She visits the Hope Vale Arts and Cultural Centre where artist and Dingaal clan Elder, Gertrude Deeral, shares some of the ways elders in the Hope Vale community have utilised art and storytelling as a way of passing down complex layers of knowledge about their country, ecosystem and culture.We also look at some of the tensions between tourism and conservation and hear from Jiritju Fourmile, a Yindiji man from Gimuy, Cairns, about coral bleaching, the cultural significance of the reef and the importance of storytelling and tourism in generating a wider understanding of the need for its protection.Interviewees:Dustin Maloney, Dreamtime Dive & SnorkelGertrude Deeral, Artist, Elder from the Dingaal clan and Traditional Owner of the country around Lizard IslandJiritju Fourmile, Traditional Owner and climate activist

The Blacksmiths’ Tree is a stunning nine-metre steel and copper gum tree which stands in the small town of Strathewen, Victoria, as a memorial to the people and communities impacted by Black Saturday and the 2009 Victorian bushfires.The project began with designer and metal artist, Amanda Grant, who coordinated a local and international team of blacksmiths and volunteers to create what has become an enduring symbol of hope, resilience and connectedness.In this episode, Amanda joins us to look at the different roles of artist and facilitator, and what these roles mean in a disaster recovery context. What role can the arts play in community-led recovery? What does a community-led project look like, and how can artists facilitate authentic community engagement in their work?We also head to Central and Western Gippsland, where three shire councils are collaborating with Creative Recovery Network to support local artists to develop community-led bushfire recovery projects, with Amanda as lead mentor.We speak to Latrobe City Council’s Robyn Duffy and Linda Snell about the important role of local government in community recovery and we also hear from Gulsen Ozer, one of the artists on the project. Gulsen shares her insights on the current challenges of cascading disasters and the creative solution found by the project team when their community consultation process was interrupted by Victoria’s Covid19 lockdown.Interviewees:Amanda Grant, Lead Mentor, Creative Recovery Network / Project Lead on The Blacksmiths’ TreeRobyn Duffy, Municipal Recovery Manager, Latrobe City CouncilLinda Snell, Yinnar South Recovery Officer, Latrobe City CouncilGulsen Ozer, Artist

Just down the road from the charred silence of the iconic Sugar Pines Plantation in the Snowy Valleys, is the Pilot Hill Arboretum, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.On 28 December 2020, exactly one year after the Dunns Road Fire wrought havoc for 50 days, the Arbour Festival will begin its own 50 day journey, transforming the Arboretum with artworks, installations and events designed to nurture and celebrate the region.In this episode, we’ll take you inside the Arbour Festival to explore the role event-based arts initiatives play in the wake of disaster and how the arts can be a powerful conduit for authentic community engagement in the ritual of recovery.We visit the Arboretum with author, Sulari Gentill, to hear how she and a group of local writers are creating a forest of talking trees - and how the Festival has become a vehicle for a community-focused program that is inclusive of the strong local arts community.Festival Curator Vanessa Keenan and Eastern Riverina Arts’ Executive Director Tim Kurylowicz talk us through the process of developing Arbour - how they’ve deftly balanced the competing needs of a diverse range of stakeholders; why it’s essential to centre the local community as the first priority; and how the shared focus of an arts festival provides myriad ways to reactivate place-based relationships and bring people together to make meaning of their experience.Interviewees:Sulari Gentill, Arbour Festival artist and authorVanessa Keenan, Arbour Festival Curator / Managing Director, Acorn Creative GroupTim Kurylowicz, Executive Director, Eastern Riverina ArtsCharlie Taylor, Operations Manager, Forestry Corp and Deputy Incident Controller, Dunns Road Fire

What happens when your community goes through a devastating experience and you feel compelled to reach out to those most in need? Like many who witnessed the impact of the Australian bushfires last Summer, Vivien Davidson wanted to find a way to express her solidarity and connect with people in her community who were hardest hit by the Currowan fire on the South Coast of New South Wales.In this very special episode, we hear how Vivien and her friends at the Murramarang Spinners and Weavers group harnessed the goodwill and creativity of their community in a meaningful act of kindness and connection.We also hear about Vivien’s upcoming plans for the one year anniversary of the fire and how art can provide a powerful foundation for sharing and connection as people rebuild their lives after a disaster.In this conversation, Scotia and Vivien discuss:- The process of creating 50 ‘Love Boxes’ for bushfire affected residents in the New South Wales district of Milton-Ulladulla made up of hand-knitted beanies, hand-made soaps, coffee vouchers for local brewers, seed packets, individually hand-dyed silk scarves and personal notes of support and solidarity.- How the group mobilised a team of home knitters who made 75 beanies, working throughout the Covid lockdown and the impact the process had on those who contributed.- Vivien’s plans for a community recovery exhibition to mark the one year anniversary of the fire.- The importance of the arts to community recovery and how creativity can provide a meaningful way to share and connect.- And finally, Vivien shares with us some of the heartfelt feedback the group received from the recipients of the Love Boxes.Further information:Creative Recovery Love Boxeshttps://creativerecovery.net.au/key-projects/love-boxes/

As National Resilience Adviser for Red Cross Australia, John Richardson is someone who spends a lot of time thinking about disasters - how we make sense of them, how we can better prepare for them, and how they transform the individuals and communities who go through them.We spoke to John during Red Cross Australia’s annual Emergency Preparedness Week to hear his perspective on the unchartered waters of 2020 and what lessons we can learn about resilience, response and recovery from the unique set of challenges we are facing.John discusses how a strong emphasis on social connectedness is key to building more resilient communities and we reflect on how creatives can support the work of service organisations developing rigour around preparedness and recovery.In this conversation, John and Scotia discuss:John’s career path which began with a foundation in geography and nursing leading on to emergency management where he has been involved in coordinating recovery support for a range of major and minor disasters, including the Bali Bombings, Drought, Alpine Bushfires in 2003 and 2006 and Grampians Fires in 2006John’s involvement in developing the Strathewen Memorial following the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, the importance of a rigorous community-led process in memorial making and how creativity and the arts is an integral part of that processThe value of the arts in helping people to make sense of traumatic events and the importance of making meaning after a disasters.The importance of strong social ties in managing stress and how the Red Cross 2020 survey shows that seven in 10 Australians credit strong connections with friends and family as the most important factor in helping them manage during what has been a year of extremes with the summer fires and now the pandemicFurther reading and resources:John’s blog, Sastrugi:https://sastrugi.meBig Stories, Small Towns, Strathewen Memorial transmedia documentary project:http://www.bigstories.com.au/towns/strathewenRed Cross, Emergency Preparedness Week Resources:Red Cross has a range of resources to help you prepare, including a Get Prepared app, survival kit, emergency contacts list, keepsake list, resources to help manage stress and more. Find them at redcross.org.au/prepare.Download the Get Prepared app to locate your local emergency services contacts and where to find information, identify a safe meeting place for you and loved ones and create checklists of what to do and what to pack. It’s available on iOS, Android and redcross.org.au/prepare.Create an emergency plan for your household to protect what matters most with a Rediplan, available at redcross.org.au/prepareVisit redcross.org.au/prepare for advice on how to prepare yourself and your family.

Alex Kelly is an art maker, organiser, activist and filmmaker whose work is anchored by a deep commitment to social and climate justice.She joins Scotia to discuss her most recent project, Assembly for the Future, a series of digital gatherings in which participants collectively imagine better worlds and new pathways, preparing for a resilient and community visioned future.We also hear about Alex’s work as part of the filmmaking team for In My Blood It Runs, the critically acclaimed documentary told through the eyes of 10-year-old Arrernte/Garrwa boy, Dujuan and his family, and the power of storytelling as a catalyst for change.In this conversation, Alex and Scotia discuss:The importance of developing a robust space for imaginative dialogue around possible futures that allows for nuanced thinking to service the creation of better futuresWhy we need to move away from the traditional binary of hope and fear in order to hold complex truths and narratives around futuring and world-buildingThe concept of disaster capitalism, how it is currently playing out within the crisis of the global pandemic and Alex’s work with author Naomi Klein around her book, This Changes Everything, Capitalism vs. the ClimateHow moments of disaster or upheaval provide an opportunity for people to push forward in ways that were not previously possible, and how we can harness creative thinking for more progressive outcomesThe power of storytelling as a catalyst for change, the collaborative process of developing In My Blood It Runs and how the film provides a deeply intimate insight into both the challenges and joys faced by its 10 year-old protagonistThe importance of community connection and small-scale organising to build social capital and more resilient communitiesFurther reading and resources:Assembly for the FutureThe Things We Did NextAlex KellyIn My Blood it RunsThis Changes Everything by Naomi Klein

Kate Sulan is a performance maker, director, dramaturge and facilitator. Along with her role as founding Artistic Director of Melbourne’s Rawcus theatre company, Kate is also one of the artists working on the five year Refuge project at Arts House which brings together emergency management, artists, the community and local, regional and international partners.Kate’s cubby house installation developed as part of the Refuge project is a powerful example of how the intersection of the arts, emergency management and the creativity of young people can provide emotional support, a sense of safety and moments of delight during challenging times.In this conversation, Kate and Scotia discuss:The collective wisdom that comes from a community-led artistic practice and the importance of establishing a value-system that is inclusive and flexible enough to meet multiple needs and approaches;How artists’ comfort with the unknown, and their capacity to be fluid, flexible and responsive is a real asset when collaborating and working within the emergency management sector;The energy that working with young people has brought to Kate’s work and the idea that children and young people are a resource with valuable offerings into the emergency management space rather than something to be ‘managed’;How the arts can support emotional preparedness through the example of Kate’s work with St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre and their development of an ‘emotional grab-and-go bag’, to provide emotional support and a sense of safety for young people through challenging times.Kate’s ongoing collaboration with the Red Cross through their RediPlan workshops, the deep trust and communication required to build partnerships between the arts and other sectors, and how artist’s can best provide complimentary support within a protocol-heavy system when resources are stretched.You can listen via the player on this page or search for ‘Creative Responders’ in Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app.Further reading and resources:Refuge, Arts Househttps://www.artshouse.com.au/ourprograms/refuge/In Case Of…RediPlan Workshop, Red Cross and Kate Sulan, (presented by Arts House as part of Refuge 2019: Displacement)https://www.artshouse.com.au/events/in-case-of-rediplan-workshop/Rawcus Theatre Companyhttps://rawcus.org.auRed Cross Australia, RediPlan and other disaster preparedness resourceshttps://www.redcross.org.au/get-help/emergencies/resources-about-disastersPoetry by Pauli Murrayhttps://paulimurrayproject.org/pauli-murray/poetry-by-pauli-murray/

What would it look like like if different phases of emergency management were approached as an interconnected whole? How might the arts alleviate trauma and support communities in disaster management? What is missing from Australia’s royal commission into the response to the recent bushfire season? What is a community-led recovery and how do we achieve it? How do we recognise and celebrate the contribution of women in emergencies and ensure more diversity in representation when it comes to decision-making? Scotia Monkivitch speaks with Amanda Lamont to unpack these timely questions around Australia’s approach to disaster management and look at how we can build a better future to manage the complexity associated with multiple intersecting disasters.Amanda is a specialist in stakeholder engagement, partnerships and relationship management, with a focus on disaster resilience and disaster risk reduction.Her experiences spanning the corporate, government, legal, humanitarian, not-for-profit, research and community sectors in Australia, the UK and the US have positioned Amanda as one of the leading thinkers and change-makers in crisis preparedness.Whether in her capacity as a volunteer firefighter, a lawyer, an international aid worker or co-founder of the Australasian Women in Emergencies Network, the constant thread through Amanda’s career is her deep passion for social justice and her immense capacity for leadership to make improvements to people’s lives.Scotia and Amanda cover a lot in this conversation, among the topics they discuss are:The overlap of phases in the disaster management cycle and how previous notions in the traditional ‘preparedness, response, recovery’ framework no longer apply as each phase is so complex and interconnected.The “cascade of disasters” facing many communities dealing with compounded effects of drought, bushfire recovery and preparedness and now Covid-19, and the learning experience provided by this intersection of multiple disasters.The lack of emphasis on preparedness and mitigation in Australia’s Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements and why this gap is significant to our future planning.How the arts can alleviate suffering, bring people together and play a key role in memorialising traumatic events for a community.How we measure “impact” - looking beyond the metrics of property numbers to allow for the complexity of broad, far-reaching impacts a disaster can have on a community.The notion of “community-led recovery”, what does it mean and how do we achieve it?The impetus behind forming the Australasian Women in Emergencies Network, the importance of diversity in representation and the current gender gap in positions of senior leadership in the emergency management sector.Episode webpage: https://creativerecovery.net.au/in-conversation/References and further reading:Australasian Women in Emergencies NetworkThe Blacksmiths’ Tree: https://www.treeproject.abavic.org.au/index.htmlRoyal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements: https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.auBushfires in Australia - Promoting Resilience Down Under, MYD Global interview with Amanda Lamont: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIxllRl402cAFAC TV Interview with Amanda Lamont: https://www.facebook.com/AFACnews/videos/509672163123345/Promoting Disaster Resilience in the Land Down Under, MYD Global interview with Amanda Lamont: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXwdV8bgd1U

This month, we speak to Jeremy Smith as he exits his tenure with the Australia Council where he has worked as Director – Community, Emerging and Experimental Arts for the past four years.Scotia caught up with Jeremy just ahead of his return to his hometown of Perth and a new role with the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.They discuss Community Arts and Cultural Development practice, the importance of what CACD has brought to other sectors and the innovation and creative thinking that artists bring to the table in a variety of corporate and and creative contexts.Jeremy shares insights from his experience working across festivals, youth arts, community, First Nations and regional arts development projects in a range of creative and management roles.He also shares his self-care tips and the importance of living room dance sessions for getting through quarantine.Perth Institute of Contemporary Artshttps://pica.org.auAustralia Council for the Artshttps://www.australiacouncil.gov.auThe Awesome Festivalhttps://awesomearts.comDerby Boab Festivalhttps://www.derbyboabfestival.org.auAnd finally, because we know you want to, Murder on the Dancefloorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAx6mYeC6pY

Welcome to the first episode of our new monthly conversation series featuring in-depth, one-on-one discussions with the people working on the front lines of the arts and emergency management sector. John Lane is Artistic Coordinator for the Festival for Healthy Living. He speaks with Creative Recovery’s Scotia Monkivitch at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and shares insights from his career which encompasses a timely intersection of health, education, young people and the arts. John and Scotia discuss the importance of artists as lateral thinkers and problem solvers particularly in light of new challenges the world is facing as Covid-19 begins to impact life, work and creative practice. More information about the Festival for Healthy Living:https://www.rch.org.au/mental-health/festival-for-healthy-living/For a collection of stories, advice, information, resources and activities for community-based artists and other creative professionals learning to increase the wellbeing of children and young people, visit: https://creatingforwellbeing.com/

When artist’s are called upon to work in remote or trauma affected communities, the impacts can be intense, usually without access to the psychological services available to other support agencies. So how do artist’s find the balance between dealing with a community’s trauma and their own self-care?In this episode of Creative Responders, Scotia Monkivitch takes listeners into the beautiful Jarrah Karri Marri forest in Western Australia, walking among striking charcoal sculptures with Fiona Sinclair, manager of the Understory Art and Nature Trail.We also speak to seasoned arts worker Karen Hethey and psychologist Shona Erskine to ask the question – what can artist’s do for themselves, but also, what structural changes do we need to see in the sector to make practice safer for artists and community cultural development workers?Interviewees:Fiona Sinclair, Instigator and Manager of the Understory Art and Nature TrailKaren Hethey, an artist working with community whose practice draws on a professional background in puppetry arts, performance making, intercultural community arts and applied AnthropologyDoctor Shona Erskine, a registered psychologist and consultant who works closely with organisations and artists, coaching to build resilience and to enhance performance

Farming communities across Australia are dealing with the slow-building emergency of the worst drought the country has ever experienced. When the challenges of isolation, financial hardship and psychological distress arise, how can these communities make sense of the unimaginable and work together to build resilience?In this episode, we visit the small township of Sherlock in South Australia, where Mark Thompson shares the inner workings of the thong-o-phone and how the Sherlock Musical Playground project, and the combination of art and storytelling, is bringing a community together in tough times.We hear from Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery Director Ian Tully about farming as creative work, and Verity Morgan-Schmidt, CEO of Farmers for Climate Action about the intersection of climate change and agriculture and her mission to ensure farmers are a key part of the solution to climate change.Interviewees:Mark Thompson, Designer and advocate for men’s mental healthIan Tully, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery DirectorVerity Morgan-Schmidt, CEO of Farmers for Climate Action

When Cyclone Yasi hit the coast of North Queensland in 2011, the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and its active community of rangers and artists took a position of leadership in the recovery process and galvanised a devastated community.In this episode, we explore how this particular First Nations community see their role in emergency response and look at some of the issues globally around best practice for indigenous peoples leading the way in disaster management.Indigenous peoples all over the world have co-existed with large weather events for centuries. But colonisation, climate change and agricultural modifications have all played a part in disrupting the deep connection between land and people, changing the impact disasters have on a community.Girringun’s Founder and Executive Officer Phil Rist shares the story of their traditional-owner led organisation; we take a tour around the renowned Girringun Arts Centre with manager Joann Russo; and we also hear from Girringun Ranger Michael George and Communications Officer Seraeah Wyles about the interconnectedness of arts, culture and country.Interviewees:Phil Rist, Executive Officer, Girringun Aboriginal CorporationJoann Russo, Arts Centre Manager, Girringun Aboriginal CorporationMichael George, Ranger, Girringun Aboriginal CorporationSeraeah Wyles, Communications Officer, Girringun Aboriginal CorporationThe series is produced by Scotia Monkivitch and Creative Recovery Network Project Manager JillRobson, in collaboration with Audiocraft: Executive Producer Jess O’Callaghan, Producer SelenaShannon, Sound Engineer Tiffany Dimmack and Consulting Producer Boe Spearim.

How does a tight-knit community in rural Victoria approach disaster preparedness when its youngest residents have lost their sense of safety? Ten years on from the Black Saturday bushfires, we visit Strathewen Primary School to hear from Principal Jane Hayward and a group of Year 6 students about their award-winning bushfire education program and how creativity can be a tool for building resilience and making sense of disaster.Children and young people hold a potentially powerful place of leadership within families and communities when it comes to preparedness and recovery from disasters. They are also among the most vulnerable – both in the immediate and ongoing recovery process.When there aren’t always words to express the enormity of an experience, how can the arts provide a space for sharing stories, building resilience, reducing isolation, giving voice to experience and making sense of the unimaginable?In this episode, Scotia Monkivitch visits Strathewen Primary School where Principal Jane Hayward, the CFA's Lisal O'Brien and a group of Year 6 students share the story of their award-winning bushfire education program. We also speak to Professor Lisa Gibbs, the lead researcher of Melbourne University’s ‘Beyond Bushfires’ study, about the importance of fostering leadership, agency and self-determination among children in the face of disaster and Doctor Louise Phillips joins us to explore the role the arts play in leading this evolution.Interviewees:Jane Hayward, Principal, Strathewen Primary SchoolStrathewen Primary School Students: Liam Brereton, Rory Gravette, Scarlett Harrison, Lachlan Seckold, Brodie DonoghueLisal O’Brian, Arthurs Creek Strathewen Fire BrigadeProfessor Lisa Gibbs, Director of the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program at the University of Melbourne. Lead researcher of the Beyond Bushfires study which is providing ongoing insight into how people are managing after the Black Saturday bushfires.Doctor Louise Phillips, Associate Professor in Education at James Cook University, Singapore who researches in the fields of children’s rights and arts based methodologies and co-author of the new book ‘Young Children’s Community Building in Action: Embodied, Emplaced and Relational Citizenship’

How can a sculptural forest trail in Western Australia reunite a community after bushfire? How does a tight-knit community in rural Victoria approach recovery when its youngest residents have lost their sense of safety? How is storytelling creating opportunities for connection among farmers in drought-stricken communities in South Australia? And how did an Indigenous-led ranger network and arts centre galvanise a North Queensland community following a powerful tropical cyclone?In this new series from the Creative Recovery Network, Scotia Monkivitch visits communities around Australia that have experienced natural disaster, and explores the role of art and creativity to repair, rebuild and reunite.