About Blaklash
Blaklash is an Aboriginal design agency specialising in First Nations placemaking. Working in partnership with artists, designers, and creatives, we produce community-celebrated projects that express First Nations perspectives through artistic process, practice, and presentation. Renowned for our innovative curatorial approaches to culturally significant projects, Blaklash is process-driven, with cultural integrity and community ownership at the heart of what we create.
About Troy Casey | Director, Blaklash
Troy is passionate about harnessing economic opportunities to create positive social change for First Nations Australians. He combines his extensive community engagement experience spanning the government, not-for-profit and higher education sectors, with this curatorial practice, working collaboratively with communities to ensure First Nations voices are embedded across projects within public art, placemaking and urban design.
About Amanda Hayman | Director, Blaklash
Amanda is a creative thinker and has expertise in contemporary Aboriginal art, exhibition curation and activating spaces. She has a particular interest in social history in relation to place, especially First Nations oral histories and living memories, and enjoys working in partnership with artists and designers to creatively express these narratives. Central to this, is her aspiration to design a positive audience experience whilst also embedding First Nations perspectives in an attempt to foster empathy and work towards national reconciliation.
Site & Situation | Public art talk with Troy Casey & Amanda Hayman, directors of Blaklash
The Role of a Public Art Curator
The role of a public art curator will be centred on First Nations agency, focussing on the community and their needs, aspirations, desires and vision. Enriching public spaces to strengthen the connection between people and Country. Presenting art that expresses community values and enhances our local environment, transforming our understanding of place to heighten awareness and/or question assumptions about Indigenous culture. Public art can have a significant impact on a city’s identity and create a sense of belonging and civic pride among its residents. By placing art in public spaces, it provides an opportunity for people to engage with their surroundings, fostering a connection with their community and encouraging a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their city.
Blaklash will share their vision and processes on how public art contributes to placemaking by transforming ordinary spaces into memorable ones. By creating visually interesting and stimulating spaces, public art can inspire and promote community gatherings and events. It can also create a sense of identity by reflecting the history, culture, and values of the community, creating a narrative that people can relate to and take pride in.
Cost | FREE Event – Bookings Essential – Tickets are Limited
When | Tuesday 9th May 2023 NEW DATE Tuesday 6 June 2023
Time | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where | Broadbeach Community Space, Broadbeach Waters
Site & Situation | Full-day workshop with Troy Casey & Amanda Hayman, directors of Blaklash
The Role of a Public Art Curator
Blaklash will deliver a hands-on workshop for artists to think about their practice and the way it can be translated into the public realm.
The workshop will challenge participants to respond to a curatorial rationale and artist brief by creating a concept design, developing a maquette, and presenting their artist statement and vision back to the group.
Cost | FREE Event – Places Limited – Apply via EOI (see below)
When | Wednesday 10th May 2023 NEW DATE Wednesday 7 June 2023
Time | 10:00am – 4:00pm
Where | Broadbeach Community Space, Broadbeach Waters
How to apply | Open to Gold Coast residents only. To apply to attend the workshop complete the expressions of interest form below. People of all backgrounds welcome to apply.
When applying to attend this workshop you are invited to submit your portfolio or examples of previous works (if applicable), CV, your biography and 250 words or less telling us why you want to participate in the workshop.
The full-day workshop program is as follows:
| 10:00am – 11:00am | Introductions, housekeeping and an icebreaker exercise |
| 11:00am – 12:00pm | Artists will be given an artist brief and curatorial rationale to respond to for the large open space out the front of the Cultural Centre (ground treatment or sculptural work) |
| 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Lunch and mingle |
| 1:00pm – 3:00pm | Artists will respond to the creative brief and develop their maquette, sketch designs and artist statements |
| 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Artists will share with each other their concept design and vision |
Maquette materials supplied – bring your design device of choice, eg laptop, ipad, pens and paper.
Images courtesy of Blaklash
L to R: Fish Lane Refurbishment by Ellen van Neerven | Murriland! #1 by Gordon Hookey | SINGLE FILE by Warraba Weatherall | Central Station mural by Jenna Lee
Questions can be emailed to enquiry@swellsculpture.com.au
Site and Situation is an initiative of City of Gold Coast | Curated by SWELL Sculpture.