Applicant: Cummins District & Enterprise Group
Project: All Aboard!
Grant Type: Community participation and engagement
Grant Detail: $6,290 – Regional Arts Fund Step Out Grant
Total Project Cost: $17,694
“The ‘Cummins Loo Improvers’ never discounted an idea or suggestion which was the perfect environment for community creativity.” Karen Carr – Lead Artist
In 2015 Artist Karen Carr delivered a series of mixed media workshops to the Cummins community to create public art installations in the Cummins Railway Triangle Community Park.
The Cummins & District Enterprise Group planned the project over a six month period. Initially, they held extensive community consultation sessions to gather ideas and volunteers to work on the project. Karen Carr was engaged as the lead artist through a successful Regional Arts Fund Step Out grant. The workshops were delivered on a weekly basis over four months, culminating in a joyful community celebration, where they proudly unveiled the public artwork. A community Mosaic Group has since been established. A young person from the Cummins Area School, was mentored throughout the project where she gained valuable skills whilst building confidence through-out the process.
The themes of Community Pride and Community Engagement formed a solid frame work for this project. The Cummins & District Enterprise Group was extremely proactive, enlisting support and creating interest for the project. Their success is represented not only by the popularity of the art works themselves, but by the amount of support garnered from many sectors of the community. The group made valuable and potentially long lasting connections with the local schools, private businesses and local council, even the Opp Shop was able to provide valuable resources. This augers well for future artistic projects.
Through the All Aboard! project and with the assistance of the Regional Arts Fund Step Out grant program, the Cummins & District Enterprise Group have delivered far-reaching artistic outcomes to their community; enhancing a dreary public space and creating skills development opportunities for all participants, as well inspiring and connecting their community through great art.
All Aboard! – Cummins & District Enterprise Group from Country Arts SA on Vimeo.
Country Arts SA pays respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognises their continuing connection and spiritual relationship to these lands, waters and skies. We are committed to listening and helping care for Country, and to safeguard, share and celebrate First Nations’ living cultures.