Saturday 19 March 2022 from 12:30pm to 9pm
PACT is thrilled to announce the artist lineup, workshop topics and panel discussions planned for Open House, happening 12.30pm-9pm on Saturday 19 March in our courtyard in PACT! Join us for a day-long celebration of all things neighbourhood, plus the launch of our mural Heal Country by MadWings.
Workshop: Neighbouring Sounds and Senses Facilitated by Ian Sinclair and Mara Schwerdtfeger 12.30pm - 1.30pm
Join artists Mara Schwerdtfeger and Ian Sinclair to creatively explore the sounds, scores, and surprise objects of Erskineville’s streets. This 1-hour workshop is open to all ages including kids and kids-at-heart, artists and non-artists and will take place in the area around PACT. Mara and Ian will lead you through a series of playful tasks and experiments to uncover the seen and hidden, communal and private, forgotten and everyday, real and imagined elements that make up a place. Bring wet weather gear, brollies in case of wet weather.
Panel Talk 1: Common Property - Art on the Street 2pm - 3pm
Our neighbourhoods, public spaces and communal hubs are layered stories of our past, present, unachieved possibilities and future hopes. As storytellers and worldbuilders, artists subvert the commonplace, offer the unseen, inspire debate, and question what’s right in front of us. Ian Sinclair (curator), Mara Schwerdtfeger (artist), Maddison Gibbs (muralist), and Jason Wing (muralist) discuss their approaches to artistic collaboration, community-building, and socially-engaged practice.
Panel Talk 2: Way Finders - Art and Social Connection 3.30pm - 4.30pm
How does art help us navigate our cities, our environments, our communities, and the big moments in our lives? Artists are creative wayfinders, thought leaders, and cultural practitioners, finding ways to enhance societal connection through their work. Henrietta Baird (choreographer/playwright), Imogen Yang (intercultural artist), and Alia Ardon (filmmaker) will discuss how they understand the role of an artist as integral to, and integrated in, our social world – using artistic practice to connect communities, educate us about the environment, address equity of access, and carry on cultural knowledge.
Heal Country Mural Launch 6.15pm - 7.00pm
As day turns to twilight PACT’s Artistic Directorate – Nat Randall, Sēini Taumoepeau, Vicki Van Hout and Malcolm Whittaker – will bring us together to officially launch our new mural, Heal Country, with Maddison Gibbs and Jason Wing (MadWings), and a short film by Alia Ardon about the mural. Stay on for music and food to help us celebrate!
In addition to the program above, join us for performances throughout the day between 12.30pm - 9.00pm by local artists Eric Avery, Liliana Occhiuto, Mara Schwerdtfeger, Rosell Flatley and DJ Black President.
Open House is free to attend, but due to limited capacity, registration is required through Humanitix. A general admission ticket includes access to all the performances, gallery artworks, film screening and mural launch. If you would like to attend any of the workshops or panels, please select your additional tickets at checkout. For additional ticketing support please contact info@pact.net.au.