TAKE OVER with RMIT & Collaborators
RMIT School of Art collaborated with The Social Studio, Youthworx and Outer Urban Projectsvto foster the creativity of young people from culturally diverse, asylum seeker, First Nations, neurodivergent and disabled communities. This included training and employment in fashion design, digital media production and performing arts. Together, Young artists from each organisation were commissioned to present works that activated Melbourne’s public spaces including Bus Projects, Collingwood Yards and the Australia Centre of Contemporary Arts (ACCA), State Library forecourt, Capitol Theatre, Parliament Building Steps and Big Anxiety Festival.
Project 1: The exhibition, “Joining my future”: Art/Work, Inequality and Crisis presented textile, multimedia and performance work of 12 diverse, young emerging artists. The exhibition presented video/performance works by OUP artists Damian Seddon, Ruci Kaisila and Joseph Samarani, reflecting the future of work, questioning what social status, cultural capital and support it takes to invest in working futures in the creative industries. An accompanying public program developed these themes through a film screening, panel discussion, live performances and workshops. The exhibition took place between 13 November – 19 December 2020.
Project 2: For ACCA’s “Who’s Afraid of Public Space?” The Social Studio’s young fashion designers teamed up with Outer Urban Project’s ensemble of talented young performers from the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne to present a fashion parade celebrating modest wear on 6 March 2022 at Parliament of Victoria’s steps, the home for political debate and democracy in Victoria. Coinciding with Melbourne Fashion Festival, the parade featured textile and fashion works that reflect upon notions of modesty across cultures, accompanied by dancers and musicians in an ecstatic, lively celebration of diverse young peoples’ return to public expression and public space.
Project 3: The Takeover Residency saw Outer Urban Projects vocal and dance ensemble participate in a program of public events that celebrated the agency of our communities of diverse young and emerging creatives and activated public spaces following Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns. Activations took place across Melbourne’s public spaces during The Big Anxiety, culminating in a public performance of music, dance and singing and dance workshops on the State Library of Victoria forecourt on 15 October 2022.
Learn more about Outer Urban Projects’ contribution to the book “Art-Based Social Enterprise, Young Creatives and the Forces of Marginalisation” by Grace McQuilten, Amy Spiers, Kim Humphery and Peter Kelly (Palgrave Macmillian 2022) HERE