HOUSE PROJECT
Artistic Director / Producer
Research into the theme of the 2015 Festival reflected a high level of concern in social housing for women and children, almost universally victims of domestic violence. The Festival theme became HOME - safer on the inside or the outside.
A major project developed a prototype shell of a house as a festival venue and hub, and trialed a production line for creative industries to build portable housing for homeless women and children, in Melbourne's western suburbs.
NMBW Architecture Studio designed HOUSE, Victoria University’s Building & Construction campus in Sunshine built and transported it to Footscray Library car park in central Footscray 36 artworks were staged insitu and a further 33 works were staged across the Festival in response to the theme, "the inner and outer worlds of the HOUSE".
I undertook extensive consultations with culturally diverse women who were homeless through Macauley Housing and our key partner, Women’s Property Initiatvies. They became cultural consultants for housing designs that met their faith-based and practical needs. In response, Torafu Architects (Tokyo) worked with Monash University students to design portable walls, kitchen and staircases.
After the Festival, Women's Property Initiatives took over HOUSE. With Grocon’s support, HOUSE was completed and became home to a single mum and three children.
HOUSE Project challenged the dominant premise of 'the arts festival' by generating extraordinary art from a theme proposed by the local community. it also modelled cross-sectoral creative arts model that addressed a pressing social issue.
HOUSE Project was supported by Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation, Henley Housing, Mercy Foundation, Dept of Multicultural Affairs and DHS.
Photos: MADA, Carla Gottgens, artists. Video: Hoang Nguyen
