Step 1 @ NERAM

Step 1 of Postcodes from the Edge, subtitled The Art of Change was a major collaborative outcome in August 2007. It brought together young people from all of BE’s projects for a one-off multimedia performance at the New England Regional Art Museum in Armidale, NSW. Accompanying the performance was an exhibition of the young people’s art works, including Rosie’s photographs from Tennant Creek, an amazing installation piece, graff art, a poster wall and belly casts. The exhibition was opened by The Hon. Richard Torbay and Annabel Dulhunty from the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation. It was attended by over 400 people, Board members and supporting philanthropists, including Simon and Catriona Mordant and their son Angus.

Step 2 @ Wollongong Performing Arts Centre

‘You never really know a person until you climb into their shoes and walk around in them.’ - Harper Lee

Step 2 of Postcodes from the Edge was part exhibition, part performance, with a dash of film, dance, and guest performances by Circus Monoxide’s Half High Circus. It again drew together young people from many of BE’s projects into an intensive week long workshopping process in Wollongong, culminating in the performance for friends, families, BE funders and the public.

The audience evaluation survey indicated that 72% of the audience were affected or moved by the performance, 81% said that the performance worked aesthetically in its form and feel and was executed effectively, and 51% were exposed to new people, places and experiences, received insight into issues and other perspectives, and the performance generated new ideas for them.

Step 3 Installation @ KP11

The Australia Council for the Arts is an important partner in our work at Beyond Empathy. BE is the recipient of a Community Partnership grant as a Key Producer, one of only 11 companies Australia wide. In 2009/10 we have a fantastic opportunity to show some of the work we have done in the last years, at a special exhibition called KP11: producing communities.

KP11: producing communities brings together work from the eleven key producer organisations, devoted to developing and producing the arts in the community. The exhibition was launched in Sydney in March.
Malcolm Bywaters and David Sudmalis (the curators) say about the exhibition:

At the heart of all the works in the exhibition is a fresh cultural language which is forged through an undeniable optimism and constant challenging of the ideas and boundaries of art. Central to this is respect: respect of self, respect of others, and respect of histories and experience within a framework.

Beyond Empathy’s part of the exhibition is an installation called Postcodes from the Edge, and was designed by artist Stephen Killick, who incorporated aspects of the artistic work created in community by young people and mentoring artists across BE projects. We aim to show how we work together with individuals to bring about change in both individuals and their communities. We want to show how change happens one on one, one by one and then in partnership. It is also an opportunity to highlight the quality of the art produced in BE’s projects in community.

One of the really exciting parts of this exhibition is that these works will be touring around Australia
for two years. You can see the exhibition at:

26 June – 31 July 2009, Freight Gallery, DADAA Inc, Fremantle, WA www.dadaawa.org.au
21 August – 11 October 2009, Bunbury Regional Art Galleries, WA www.brag.org.au
14 November – 6 December 2009, The Artspace, Adelaide Festival Centre, SA www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
9 February – 7 March 2010, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane, QLD www.artmuseum.qut.edu.au
16 March – 12 April 2010, Belconnen Arts Centre, Canberra, ACT www.belconnenartscentre.com.au
26 August – 17 October 2010, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston, TAS www.acadarts.utas.edu.au

More information can be found at:
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/the_arts/features/
community_partnerships