FORM Building a State of Creativity

The professional development of Aboriginal artists in Port Hedland received a boost last week with the opening of Spinifex Hill Artists Studios.

Paul Chamberlain has been appointed chair of non-profit cultural organisation FORM, replacing Tania Hudson, who remains on the board.Mr Chamberlain is a philanthropist and investor, and joined the FORM board last year.

Artists hit the streets last month to transform walls and buildings around Perth as part of FORM’s inaugural street art festival, PUBLIC.

Spending a few days in Port Hedland meant we spent a few days longer than most travellers, and it also afforded an opportunity to get some insights into the town’s development.

One of the state’s biggest building groups has enlisted expert help to deliver on the public art requirements of its latest apartment project.

Given its vast size, selling the state as a holiday destination is a complex business; but energising those who live in WA to tell the story might be the key.

Port Hedland investors and developers are proving to be resilient and opportunistic, but it remains to be seen how the Pilbara town will successfully diversify from its resources-reliant economy.

A local entrepreneur believes the state’s investor culture needs to change if the number of social enterprises is to grow.

Morgan Solomon has been appointed as the new chairman of the Perth Theatre Trust. Mr Solomon will succeed former Supreme Court of Western Australia judge Peter Blaxell, who served as chairman for three years.

Sensorium Theatre and Spare Parts Puppet Theatre are among the major Western Australian recipients in the latest round of project grants from the Australia Council for the Arts, which were worth $11.2 million in total.

SPECIAL REPORT: A specialist indigenous publisher in Broome has achieved its most successful fundraising campaign, after Creative Partnerships Australia helped it secure the backing of two philanthropic family foundations in Perth.

One of Perth’s oldest railway station buildings has been revamped as a pit stop of creative exchange.

Three grain silos in town of Ravensthorpe will soon be the canvas for a 25-metre high wildflower mural, as part of the joint street art initiative between CBH Group and not-for-profit FORM. 

SPECIAL REPORT: Arts and cultural organisations are pursuing innovation and collaboration to help manage the tougher financial conditions in WA. 

Berndnaut Smilde has spent years sculpting temporary clouds inside bare and evocative architectural spaces, but was inspired to replicate his artwork outdoors after encountering the sweeping landscapes of the Pilbara last year. 

SPECIAL REPORT: A focus on creating and sustaining a liveable, connected and internationally appealing city is driving arts and culture development and construction projects across Perth.

THE first brushstrokes have been applied to four CBH grain silos in Merredin as part of cultural organisation FORM’s annual PUBLIC street art project.

Our weekly appointments wrap includes Tabitha McMullan, Lynda Dorrington, Todd Morcombe, Christina Matthews and Bronwyn Myers.