Creative Brimbank Annual Report 2021-2022

Every year the Creative Brimbank team feed back to Council a snapshot of some of the year's highlights and some fast facts about our community projects and engagement.

Some key highlights included:

• Creative Brimbank received funding support from Sidney Myer. With support from the Sidney Myer Fund’s Arts & Humanities Committee, Council has provided
  additional directed support in response to the hardship that Victorian artists and arts organisations have experienced since 2020. Priority is given to organisations that address disadvantage and that increase the representation of new voices in Australia’s arts sector..

• The Sydenham Memorial mural near the Sydenham Library at Watergardens Town Centre was designed to complement the existing memorial as a site for
  contemplation. Painted by local Brimbank artist Heesco the mural depicts the men and women from the Sydenham district who left their farms to serve their country in the various branches of the armed services.

• The Young Blak & Deadly initiative explored employment pathways for young Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students into the Arts. Students attended a series of weekly workshops to learn aspects of Theatre work including lighting, stage management, filming, editing, music and more. As part of the work a resource of 15 professional Aboriginal Artists talking about a career in the Arts was created and livestreamed to the schools.

• The Be Bold Blakout festival was a great success in its first year as a standalone event. It ran during Council’s NAIDOC week activities and was held at the St Albans Community Centre. Through the event the local Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community showcased a feast of market stalls, basket weaving, indigenous plants, kid’s art stalls, workshop activities and traditional food. The festival was delivered through direct consultation with the Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee and local filmmaker Lisa Maza. A special feature of the festival was the launch of Blak Voices of Brimbank held at the Bowery Theatre. The film is a unique collection of recordings with the local indigenous community by filmmaker Lisa Maza.