On Wednesday 11 October 2006 at 6pm in Federation Hall, the VCA will launch Creative Collaborations, a print and web-based publication of case studies in Community Cultural Development (CCD) documenting the value of artists and communities working together. This project was funded by the Victorian Government through the provision of a Victorian Community Support Grant from the Community Support Fund.

Sue Clark, Project Manager of Creative Collaborations and Co-ordinator of the postgraduate VCA’s CCD program described Creative Collaborations as:
“…providing a new perspective on the arts and their role in strengthening communities.

The case studies in this publication demonstrate the depth to which creative activities address social, cultural and environmental challenges faced by communities.

The works touch on many themes — inter-faith tolerance, cultural diversity, health and wellbeing, neighbourhood renewal and social justice — and illustrate how communities become stronger through arts initiatives that address the specific issues, concerns and aspirations of local people."

Bruce Mildenhall MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts, said:

“Importantly, Creative Collaborations provides us all with a deep understanding of the role of artistic collaborations in creating healthy and strong communities which celebrate their own culture.

This project captures a truth that CCD practitioners and people who work in communities have known instinctively for a long time — that by fostering their creative capacity local communities can build their social connectedness, partnerships and community leadership. The arts certainly provide unique ways to build these engagements and we are proud to have supported this very positive project.”

The projects documented in Creative Collaborations are The Torch Project with The Brotherhood of St. Laurence; arts and cultural projects at North Richmond and Fitzroy housing estates through the North Richmond Community Health Centre’s Arts and Culture Program; Regional Arts Victoria’s Bute Utes and Such Fertile Ground projects; Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company’s arts, drama and theatre projects; the City of Melbourne’s ‘Eating the City’ ethnic festival project; and the Small Town Big Picture art and environmental sustainability with rural towns project.

CCD is a community-based cultural practice, which engages artists and communities in a process of participation, transformation and self-determination. It encompasses a diverse range of activities and provides communities with opportunities to tell their stories, build their creative capacity and skills, address social agendas, express identity, and participate directly in the development of their culture.

The online component of Creative Collaborations is available at
www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/creativecollaborations