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When art sparks change

In 2023, Patternmakers tested a new way of showcasing Community Arts and Cultural Development, a specialist art form, where professional artist facilitators work with communities to co-create projects with purpose.

Commissioned by Creative Australia, the project turned existing information like project acquittal forms and social posts into dynamic digital stories. Explore the interactive digital resource ‘When Art Sparks Change’, now live.

All around Australia, artists are sparking social change, working with communities to tell their stories, tackle big issues and create common ground.

Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) is a specialist art form where professional artist facilitators work with communities to co-create projects with purpose. However, many Australians are not. Research shows that of all the artforms, our population has a particularly limited understanding of the benefits of CACD.

’When art sparks change’ is a digital resources that collates a selection of local case studies to showcase the inspiring work led by CACD artists. As Australia grapples with a civic crisis, their work has never been more needed.

Click the button below to learn more about the project and scroll through the digital resource: 'When Art Sparks Change' or download the PDF detailing the web content.

Image Credit: Robert Catto, Milk Crate Theatre’s DUST.

 
 

Explore projects:

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Growing arts audiences in the Sunshine Coast region

Patternmakers collaborate Sunshine Coast Council and Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation (SCAF) to grow arts and culture audiences in the local region through an audience and market research project.

We worked with the Sunshine Coast Council and Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation (SCAF) to undertake audience and market research.

The research heard from over 600 participants both living on or visiting the Sunshine Coast, to identify insights and opportunities for arts and culture events in 2020 and beyond. This involved designing and administering an online survey of audiences, conducting interviews with community and industry stakeholders, and focus groups with locals and visitors of different backgrounds.

Our final report highlighted key insights and outlined priority opportunities for market and audience development for the Sunshine Coast region.

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Proving the benefits of Gallery engagement for young people

Patternmakers worked with MCA to explore whether MCA’s GENEXT, a festival-style event for young people, had benefits for their mental health and wellbeing.

We worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art to evaluate their GENEXT Program, a festival-style event for people aged 12-18 years featuring live music, performances and art- making and interactive experiences.

We explored how GENEXT impacts individuals in real time and later in life through a series of interviews with key stakeholders, two focus groups, a series of observations, and a survey of over 1,000 past and present GENEXT attendees. We sought contributions from experts in mental health, government funding and the arts.

Our research proved that GENEXT positively impacts young people’s mental health and well-being while also helping them to cultivate their creativity and experience a sense of belonging.

The work has been used in conversations with funders and has been presented at conferences internationally, adding to the knowledge base in a growing field.

Visit out publications page to read the report.

Image credit: MCA, David Goldblatt

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Evaluating the MCA's Art Parcel for primary school children

We’re working with the MCA to evaluate the Art Parcel, an at-home art-making kit for primary school children in NSW, designed for the NSW Government’s Creative Kids vouchers.

We’re working with the MCA to evaluate the Art Parcel, an at-home art-making kit for primary school children in NSW, designed for the NSW Government’s Creative Kids vouchers.

Produced in collaboration with MCA Collection artists Raquel Ormella, the parcel was designed to get kids thinking creatively and talking about the issues that matter to them.

Patternmakers conducted a questionnaire and focus group with Art Parcel buyers, and also provided Art Parcels to five externally-recruited participants for a paired interview with themselves and their children. We’re also speaking to social workers and school principals who recieved free Art Parcels from the MCA to disseminate through their organisations.

Image: MCA Art Parcel, 2021. Photograph: Jacquie Manning.

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Understanding community impact with Bundanon Local

Patternmakers worked with Bundanon Trust to evaluate the impact of its community-engaged art program, Bundanon Local.

We collaborated with Bundanon Trust to undertake an impact evaluation of its community engagement program, Bundanon Local in 2019.

The research involved a co-design process with the Trust’s staff, a series of depth interviews with artists and key stakeholders, as well as a survey of Bundanon’s networks.,

The findings highlighted that the program plays a vital role in the Shoalhaven community in providing access to Arthur Boyd’s legacy and facilitating a space for young and emerging artists to connect with professional practitioners and nurture their creativity.

The project helped to identify future opportunities for the Trust to expand the reach and impact of the program for more communities.

Read about and download the report:


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