2013—2014 ANNUAL REPORT

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Belconnen Arts Centre Annual Report 2013–14
22
23
We love the School
Holidays Children’s
Art Workshops. I also
attended a number of
musical events, these
were very well organised
Adult Workshops and Classes
The dance program continues to be very active in the
Dance Studio with ever more demand throughout the
week. Hirers over the 12 months included the Canberra
Dance Company, the Canberra School of Bollywood
Dancing, Capoeira, the Flamenco Centre, Hilal Dance,
Kokoloco Dance Studio, Mirramu Dance Company, Nia
with Emily Appleton, Prenatal Yoga with Yoga Mamma,
Room to Move dance for all abilities, Silver Soles
Clogging Inc., Salsabor, Subsdance, and Dance for
People with Parkinson’s, run by Parkinsons ACT.
In 2013 visual arts workshops included Starting Point
with Nicolette Black; Art Soiree with Jo Hollier; Your
Bojagi with Beverley Thomas; Let Yourself Go! with
Judy Power Thomson; Drawing: Everything You Need
to Know with Corinna Little; three workshops by
Gabriella Hegyes, (Staining and Dying with Natural
Materials, Printing from Natural and Made materials,
Encaustic Mixed Media); Solar Etching with Barak Zelig
and Third Tuesday Textiles with Ann McMahon.
In 2014 workshops included Art Soiree with Jo Hollier
and Julie Bradley; Cartooning with Andrew Hore;
Drawing the Nude with Leigh D Walker; A Fresh
Look at Nature with Jacqui Malins; Starting Point with
Nicolette Black; a variety of textile workshops with Ann
McMahon; Upcycling Basketry with Jane Whitten; Zen
Drawing with Dr Suzanne Moss and Zine Making with
Canberra Zine Emporium. These were delivered by
local and visiting artists, and also by artists with
concurrent exhibitions at the Arts Centre.
The Arts Centre again received funding from the
ACT Government Participation (Seniors) Grants and
Sponsorship program to run Snappy Seniors with Sean
Davey – a photography course for Seniors in 2014.
Artspace with Nicola Lambert, assisted by Moira
Nelson, is a Visual Arts Program for people
experiencing disability and disadvantage, and was
made possible with the support of ACT Adults
Community Education Grants Program. Its focus is to
offer opportunities to learn about art, gain arts skills and
training, to create and promote the student’s artwork,
and take part in the arts world by visiting local galleries
and exhibitions.
Music workshops occurred weekly, and included
Hour Song for seniors by Lindsay Nesci, rehearsals by
Choir in Residence Shades of Monday, and lessons in
Flamenco Guitar by the Flamenco Centre.
Children’s Workshops and Classes
The success of music and dance classes for children
and young people continued in the Dance Studio,
with a diverse program of classes for toddlers to teens
being offered throughout the week by Blueberries
from Dance Central, and Bollywood with the Canberra
School of Bollywood Dance.
The creative arts program for children has witnessed
growth in enrolments. In these students learned skills
in book making, weaving, printing, sculpture, drawing
and painting, craft, and papermaking. Participants
were also offered a taste of Indigenous Arts with Lyndy
Delian and Jenny Dries for NAIDOC Week. Other
tutors included Sally Adair, Antonia Aitken, Nicolette
Black, Heather Brenchley, Holly Edworthy, Mimi King,
Ann McMahon and Paperworks Inc.
On–going term classes for young people are divided
into 2 age groups; Small Art Adventures for 5–7 year
olds, and Big Art Adventures for 8–12 year olds. These
have been increasingly successful, and have been led
by a team of local artists and educators, including
Mary Kayser, Maria Kunz, Leigh D Walker and Julie
Bradley. The monthly First Friday and Saturday Fun
program for under–fives, led by local artist and BAC
Volunteer Marg Gordon, has also continued to grow,
and plays a significant place in the provision of quality
early childhood visual arts experiences.
We continued our partnership with Ray White
Belconnen which enables a significant reduction in
Children’s Workshop fees creating a more accessible
program and close to sold out attendance for School
Holiday Programs and on–going term classes. We are
indebted to Ray White Belconnen for making possible
these workshops to continue with such affordability to
all children in our community.
and enjoyable.
Visitor, via online Survey