Annual Report 2015
Vanishing Point: Swan Hoppers Legacy, Julie Montgarett, Clytie Smith, Vic McEwan On Common Ground Image: James Farley
The Cad Factory 1906 Strontian Rd Sandigo NSW 2700 0409 543 952 www.cadfactory.com.au vic@cadfactory.com.au ABN: 19 845 469 233
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The Cad Factory Vision The Cad Factory is an artist led organisation creating an international program of new, immersive and experimental work guided by authentic exchange, ethical principles, people and place.
www.cadfactory.com.au
The Cad Factory has engaged at a very powerful level with people of all ages, abilities and diverse interests. This has had a profound impact on Narrandera’s cultural environment. Judith Charlton - CEO, Narrandera Council
The Cad Factory is an exemplary model of contemporary art making, focusing on regional culture and environment and expertly integrating the community into work that is both about where people live and the greater world. Keith Gallasch - Managing Editor, RealTime Magazine 4|
Image: Vic McEwan
Haunting, Vic McEwan, George Main www.cadfactory.com.au On the Murrumbidgee River, Canberra
President’s Report Things that start with small, but powerful ideas, have a way of gaining their own momentum and significance. Last year saw The Cad Factory deliver on one such idea that started off as an installation across the Murrumbidgee River at Narrandera and became a three day multi-arts festival, On Common Ground. This has been the most ambitious undertaking by Vic and Sarah McEwan and has significantly cemented the organisation within the fabric of the region and placed us, again, on the national arts agenda. 2015 was a year of several ‘firsts’ for The Cad Factory; including receiving our first corporate sponsorship support from a number of organisations to help us make On Common Ground as big as we dreamt it could be. It was also the year that Vic became the Inaugural Arts NSW Regional Arts Fellow that included a year-long residency at the National Museum of Australia, and work with the Manchester Metropolitan University and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in the UK. On the local front we built our first iPad App with high school children and Sarah delivered a significant exhibition of 21 female artists with Charles Sturt University as part of International Women’s Day 2015. This unique and rich blend of international, national and locally based outcomes has become a hallmark of The Cad Factory. Boundry-less, the organisation weaves its significant and varied contemporary art projects and practice across divides while celebrating its regional foundations.
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There is an undeniable boom in regional arts, driven in part by specific funding but more importantly by visionary artists and professionals seeking new places and ways to live and undertake their practice. As has been our experience in Narrandera, the results of this are transformative. This renewed focus on regional arts however has not been excluded from the funding changes that rocked Australia in 2015 – and like many of our counterparts we have, and will continue to be, impacted by Federal and State arts funding decisions. Yet we remain hopeful and thankful for the wonderful funding partners that helped us deliver such significant projects in 2015, in particular Arts NSW, and the many not for profit and partner organisations we rely on to support us in delivering our vision. On the cusp of 2016, we have many plans, including growing our very significant and successful 2014-2015 Regional Partnership Program to strengthen and deepen the relationships that have blossomed over the last two years and commence a number of important new partnerships. As always, I acknowledge and thank my very talented and hard working colleagues on The Cad Factory board; Vic, Sarah, Lindy, Linda and Jacqui, who continue to hold the vision, collaborate, and unstintingly give of themselves and their time. And to the countless individuals, including artists, who have joined together with us across last year thank you!
Renay Ringma www.cadfactory.com.au
Home, the Journey, Kerri Weymouth On Common Ground
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Images: James Farley
I think I still hear the sky vibrating, Eco-Dyeing Circle www.cadfactory.com.au On Common Ground
Artistic Director’s Report “Congratulations on last night. It was a wonderful success and I’m so proud that it is happening here where I live. It really helps my husband and I to feel comfortable with our decision to settle down with our family here. It was a beautiful mesh of culture and somehow gives us identity.” This was a message I received after the opening night event of our project On Common Ground. If I was to think of a highlight of 2015, it would be the frequency that we have received messages like this throughout the year. Many times I have spoken in public about the ability of the arts to install worth in individuals and in communities; 2015 was the year where we have been overwhelmed to see the evidence of this in such meaningful ways. But it doesn’t stop there. The same project that this message refers to is also being planned for a major national touring outcome. So here we have the evidence of something else that is important to us; The Cad Factory is managing to successfully merge together high quality artistic outcomes, with real, meaningful outcomes for people. This feedback allows The Cad Factory to feel a strong foundation as it treads carefully into difficult human terrain with the arts as a vehicle for navigation; enabling us to think deeply about our planning for 2016, 2017 and beyond. What if we?……What if they?…..What if we all? It’s such a delight to think about. 10 |
It’s an enjoyable task compiling this Annual Report, seeing the statistics, being amazed by the quality and quantity of what we achieved with the help of so many fabulous people. We were lucky enough to have Julie Briggs work with us in a one day a week capacity through 2015, which was a real development for us as an organisation and a lot of fun too. Our board have been wonderful and I wish we could meet weekly instead of quarterly. In 2016 we are still not sure what awaits. In a changing funding climate we have had some great success with an increase in core operational funding from Arts NSW and several other projects successfully funded already. Of course we play the eternal waiting game to see if other things will come to fruition. It’s all part of a fascinating journey. Nationally, 2015 has been an interesting year full of debate about changing funding regimes. The Cad Factory lodged a submission to the senate enquiry into arts funding and has conducted in depth research to understand the motivation for these changes. From this we have learnt one major lesson, which is about the importance of the artist as leader and the importance of arts practice to instil in others the potential to be leaders. Leaders of themselves, of their families, of their “patch,” their place, their communities. In whatever form that takes. 2015 has led me to this understanding; the arts practice of The Cad Factory enables people to emotionally navigate complex issues that face them and until we can navigate these issues emotionally, we aren’t able to navigate them practically or rationally. Roll on 2016.
Vic McEwan www.cadfactory.com.au
2015 ACTIVITY
FEBRUARY Nicole Barakat Meet and Greet
MARCH RE//ASSEMBLING Exhibition
National Museum of Australia Twlight Performance
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool UK Residency
Presentation to all staff at the National Museum of Australia
On Common Ground Development
APRIL
MAY
Pro Tools Workshop
Nicole Barakat Workshop for On Common Ground
Backyard Bonanza Recording
Under the Kurrajong Tree Backyard Bonanza Recording Our Narrandera App Wrap Up Party
JUNE Our Narrandera App Launch Joyce Spencer Workshops for On Common Ground
SEPTEMBER Sarah McEwan Workshops 2 and 3 Nicole Barakat Workshops 3
JULY
Joyce Spencer Workshops 2, 3 and 4 M&G NSW Pecha Kutcha Nicole Barakat Workshops 2 Narrandera Council Presentation Buckingbong to Birrego eBook Launch Night at the Museum Installation
AUGUST
Backyard Bonanza Mixing Hotel Hotel Presentation RE//CONSTRUCTING Arts Lab On Common Ground Launch Sarah McEwan Workshops for On Common Ground
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Nicole Barakat Workshops 4
Regional Stakeholders Forum Presentation
On Common Ground
Haunting Projection Event
International Museum Theatre Presntation
SAMAG Presentation
Practice Vol.1 Panel Member
Presentation to all staff at the National Museum of Australia
Key Strategies 1.Deliver excellence in contemporary arts practice
We are committed to providing and broadening Australian contemporary visual, performance and installation arts practice that represents global excellence National Museum of Australia Twilight Performance As part of Vic McEwan’s Residency at the National Museum of Australia through his Arts NSW Regional Fellowship, Vic created an original performance using projection and playing the structure of the historic Enterprise paddle steamer, moored outside the museum. This event, supporting Katie Noonan attracted an audience of 1200 people. Watch the video RE//ASSEMBLING Exhibition For International Women’s Day, The Cad Factory and Charles Sturt University partnered to present the work of 21 intergenerational female artists from across the Riverina, curated by Sarah McEwan and Julie Montgarrett. This exhibition attracted the largest audience for the HR Gallop Gallery of over 350 people. Read the catalogue Watch the Win News story
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Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Residency As part of Vic McEwan’s Arts NSW Regional Fellowship, Vic spent two weeks as a resident artist working with staff and children in the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in the UK. In partnership with Clive Parkinson from Manchester Metropolitan University, Vic started an ongoing process of investigation of contemporary arts practice in health care settings. This will continue throughout 2016. Read the blog Our Narrandera iPad App The Cad Factory artists Vic and Sarah McEwan worked with 40 students from Narrandera High and their teacher to collaborate on the creation of an iPad App. During 2014 Vic and Sarah undertook workshops every week during Term 3. In 2015 the app was released in the iTunes store and launched with a special school assembly at Narrandera High. View the app Night at the Museum Installation As part of Vic McEwan’s Residency at the National Museum of Australia, he created the artwork Tunnel of Anatomy, for their Night at the Museum event. Vic researched the anatomy collection and created an interactive installation where participating audience members were placed inside a collection jar. This event was attended by over 1200 people. Haunting Projection Event Haunting is the major artistic outcome of Vic’s residency at the National Museum of Australia. Projected images were blended with air, smoke, fog and water to reveal how the past stretches through place into our present. Set on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, Haunting featured photographs of objects from the National Museum’s collection, and from other collections, that record the profound social and ecological changes that came with agricultural development in southern Australia. Watch the video www.cadfactory.com.au
On Common Ground On Common Ground was a three day festival featuring textiles, performance, video projection, installation and more ‘along the Murrumbidgee’ in the Narrandera Common. This project was the largest arts project we have undertaken and featured 30 artworks made by 20 local artists, seven visiting artists and over 50 community members. Over 1500 people attended over the three days; including a Schools’ Day attended by 400 students, and two night time projection events, each attended by over 200 people. View the artworks
The Wagga Wagga Gallery has the greatest respect for The Cad Factory’s capacity to deliver contemporary cross discipline programs to the highest standards of excellence. Stephen Payne - Manager, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery
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Image: Sarah McEwan
SS Enterprise Performance and Projection, Vic McEwan www.cadfactory.com.au National Museum of Australia Residency
Our Narrandera iPad App
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Buckingbong to Birrego, a three day walk River projections by Vic McEwan and George Main Installation by Lorraine Connelly Northey and Jonathan Jones Images: Jacob Rapauch www.cadfactory.com.au
2. Build meaningful and vocal partnerships; Nurture and develops arts capacity for communities, people and place We will actively connect with the arts and other sectors, service providers, community groups and national and local business to build connections, tell stories and celebrate remote landscapes and the people that live within them. Regional Partnerships Program During 2015 we continued our Regional Partnerships program which saw a major commitment between The Cad Factory, National Museum of Australia, Performance Space and NAVA to deliver outcomes in regional NSW including On Common Ground, a major arts festival developed over two years of planning. Local Partnerships During 2015 we established a partnership with Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga Campus, that will see the ongoing delivering of artistic practice development for Riverina female artists over 2015-2017. On Common Ground attracted the support of many Narrandera based partners including a strong and evolving relationship with Narrandera Arts and Creative Network. It also attracted the support of Bendigo Bank Narrandera, The Lions Club Narrandera, Rotary Narrandera and Western Riverina Arts.
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Presentations Throughout 2015 Artistic Director Vic McEwan was invited to speak on numerous occasions including: • Two presentations to all staff at the NMA, Canberra • M&G NSW Pecha Kutcha, Sydney • Hotel Hotel Presentation, Canberra • SAMAG Presentation at Hothouse Theatre, Albury • International Museum Theatre Presentation at NMA, Canberra • Presentation to Rotary Narrandera Members • Regional Stakeholders Forum Presentation at MAAS, Sydney Creative Producer Sarah McEwan was invited as a panel member of Practice Vol.1 at Eastern Riverina Arts, Wagga Wagga Outback Theatre for Young People 2015 saw the continuation of The Cad Factory’s ongoing partnerships with Outback Theatre for Young People which involved artistic development for Echoes in the Walls, a show created for and by young people. We also participated in their planning weekend.
I love watching the seeds The Cad Factory sows. Narrandera is very fortunate to have the capacity to grow and sustain such a Creative Hub. Marg Couch - Chair, Western Riverina Arts and Project Officer, Regional Development Australia
www.cadfactory.com.au
RE//ASSEMBLING Exhibition HR Gallop Gallery, Wagga Wagga
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Images: Sarah McEwan
Buckingbong to Birrego, a three day walk River projections by Vic McEwan and George Main Installation by Lorraine Connelly Northey and Jonathan Jones Images: Jacob Rapauch Still Point Turning, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery Image: Jacob Rapauch www.cadfactory.com.au
3. Provide interactive opportunities for artists, audiences and communities We will help grow and sustain local artists and audiences by providing connections and their vioces for regional communities to celebrate their natural and man made landscapes. Nicole Barakat Workshops for On Common Ground In partnership with Performance Space, Sydney artist Nicole Barakat came to Narrandera five times throughout 2015 to meet and work with community members to create a major artwork for On Common Ground, under the name of the Eco-Dyeing Circle. Over 25 women participated in the workshops, and they created over 50 meters of eco-dyed fabric from local plant materials. Joyce Spencer Workshops for On Common Ground Narrandera artist Joyce Spencer held four workshops with 12 community members attending in the lead up to On Common Ground to assist in the creation of four textile installation pieces. Sarah McEwan Workshops for On Common Ground Cad Factory artist Sarah McEwan collaborated with 35 primary and high school students from Narrandera Public School, St Joseph’s Narrandera and Narrandera High to create Welcome Flags for On Common Ground. She delivered three full day workshops in each school.
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Vanishing Point Working Bee’s In the lead up to On Common Ground, a team of eight community members pooled together to assist Wagga artist Julie Montgarrett in the sewing of the large installation piece Vanishing Point: Swan Hoppers Legacy that hung the entire width of the Murrumbidgee River. On Common Ground Launch Six weeks prior to the festival, we had a launch of On Common Ground at The Gallery of Imagination in Narrandera. This event highlighted the work of local artists participating in the festival and each artist spoke publicly about what they were creating for the festival. On Common Ground Narrandera Promotion In the lead up to the festival community radio station Spirit FM held six weeks of interviews featuring 11 local and five visiting artists talking about their process of making artworks for On Common Ground. In total 10 interviews were held over the six weeks. The Narrandera Argus featured full page stories each week, for six weeks, featuring what local artists were making for the festival, including a front page special on the three artists aged over 80. Pro Tools Workshop with Shane Faye Renowned studio engineer, acoustic designer and musician Shane Faye delivered a full day workshop in Pro Tools and Engineering essentials to nine participants in The Cad Factory Studio. Our Narrandera App Launch To celebrate the release of the App and the wonderful achievement of the students, a whole school assembly was held that shared with the other 300 strong school population, teachers and parents the work done by the participating students and Cad Factory artists in creating this App. Five students from the project spoke to the school about their experience and shared their video work. www.cadfactory.com.au
Under the Kurrajong Tree Holidays On Ice and Narrandera singer songwriter Jess Pearce performed under the Kurrajong tree at The Cad Factory’s home in Birrego, in the first of a series of yearly gigs. Over 100 people attended and enjoyed the evening. RE//ASSEMBLING Arts Lab This weekend Arts Lab was the first in a series over the next three years to build the capacity of Riverina female artists by sharing skills, knowledge and interests with each other and experienced artists in a supportive environment. Over the weekend 15 artists attended. Backyard Bonanza Albury flimmaker Andrew Pearce and the Murray Art Museum Albury sent three Murray based singer songwriters to record at The Cad Factory Studio for the project Backyard Bonanza. View the images
I believe The Cad Factory has and does make a significant contribution to the contemporary arts as a leader of Australian experimental practice and community process in regional Australia. Brianna Munting - Deputy Director, NAVA 26 |
Image: Vic McEwan
Holidays On Ice www.cadfactory.com.au Under the Kurrajong Tree
On Common Ground Workshops
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Images: Vic McEwan, Sarah McEwan and James Farley
www.cadfactory.com.au
4. Create a viable, safe, dynamic and connected organisation We are seeking to mature and become more sustainable, with a focus on increasing funding, building organisational capacity and connecting interested supporters to the organisation in more formal ways Narrandera Pop-Up Office From July to December 2015, we were given a pop-up office for free on the main street of Narrandera. This support from Happy Herbs Company was to provide The Cad Factory with an in-town presence in the lead up to On Common Ground. Funding Throughout 2015 we were successful in receiving funding from the following sources: • • • • •
Arts NSW Program Funding Arts NSW Regional Partnerships Funding Year 2 Arts NSW Regional Arts Fellowship Year 2 Regional Arts NSW CASP Regional Arts NSW RAF
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Partners Throughout 2015 the following partners generously provided cash and/or in-kind support: • • • • • • • • • • •
Performance Space National of Museum of Australia NAVA Western Riverina Arts Narrandera Council Narrandera Arts and Creative Network Charles Sturt University Murray Art Museum Albury Outback Theatre for Young People Manchester Metropolitan University, UK Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK
Sponsors Throughout 2015 the following sponsors supported us by providing cash and/or in-kind support: • • • •
Happy Herbs Company Bendigo Bank Narrandera Rotary Narrandera Hotel Hotel, Canberra
Board and Governance 2015 marks the second year of The Cad Factory board. Throughout the year the board has worked to further develop the organisation through the creation of updated staff position descriptions, staff contracts, artist contracts and artist superannuation documents. www.cadfactory.com.au
Staff Contributions to Other Organisations Vic McEwan was appointed on the NSW and ACT State Leadership Group for Arts and Health and sat on the Arts NSW Young Persons Regional Scholarships Panel. Sarah McEwan continued her position on the Supported Studio Network advisory committee and was on the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery assessment panel. DGR Status We are continuing our process to obtain DGR status. Board Development Deputy President Lindy Allen completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. Both Renay Ringma and Lindy Allen are members of this organisation. Professional Development Sarah McEwan participated in Adobe DPS Content Creation and Upload to make the iPad app.
The Cad Factory holds extraordinary capacities to develop valuable arts projects in NSW. George Main - Curator, National Museum of Australia
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Image: Sarah McEwan
Our Narrandera Artists www.cadfactory.com.au Narrandera High
Arts and Health, Vic McEwan Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Residency
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Images: Vic McEwan
Haunting, Vic McEwan, George Main www.cadfactory.com.au On the Murrumbidgee River, Canberra
2015 Statistics Audience: 5188 Artists: 53 Participants (workshops): 188 Direct engagement with online resources (video’s, publications, on-line engagement): 9000 10 Columns in the Narrandera Argus: 20000
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Image: Images: James Vic McEwan Farley
Haunting, Vic McEwan, AudienceGeorge at Haunting Main www.cadfactory.com.au On the Murrumbidgee On Common River, Canberra Ground
2015 Financials PROGRAM CORE P&L INCOME Arts NSW NSW Regional Partnerships Other Grant Funding Earned Income TOTAL INCOME EXPENSES Overheads TOTAL EXPENSES NET PROFIT/LOSS TOTAL INCOME TOTAL EXPENSES SURPLUS FOR 2015
ACTUALS 53,768 27,026 20,511 101,305 105,288 105,288 (3,984)
PROJECT P&L INCOME Arts NSW NSW Regional Partnerships Other Grant Funding Grants Carried Forward Donations TOTAL INCOME EXPENSES Project Expenses TOTAL EXPENSES NET PROFIT/LOSS
19,233 38,882 5,000 25,307 8,750 97,172 92,518 92,518 4,654
198,476 197,806 670 38 |
Image: Images: VicVic McEwan McEwan
Haunting, TunnelVic of McEwan, Anatomy,George Vic McEwan Main www.cadfactory.com.au On the Murrumbidgee National Museum River, ofCanberra Australia
Staff and Board BOARD President: Renay Ringma Renay is a highly experienced marketing, change and communication strategist with a passion for the arts. She has held senior management positions in the public, private, ASX Top 100 and NFP sectors. Renay holds a Bachelor in Art History, Masters in Communication Management and a Masters in Arts Administration. Deputy President: Lindy Allen Lindy has held senior roles in the arts sector including Director of the Mallacoota Art Festival (1997-2000), Artistic Director of the Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival (2001-2002), Sponsorship Manager at Melbourne Theatre Company (2002-2004), CEO Regional Arts Victoria (2004-2012), Executive Producer One River for the Centenary of Canberra (2012-2013) and Executive Director Regional Arts Australia (2013-2014). Lindy has held Board/Trustee roles including the Australian Children’s Theatre Foundation (2008-2012) and is currently on the Board of Creating Australia and Wurrinbeena Ltd. Treasurer: Linda Luke Linda is an artist who has worked as a dancer, choreographer and teacher since 1998 and is currently working in the Performance Department at Wollongong University. Linda has been a core member of the De Quincey Co since 2004. Linda has over 15 years experience as a financial consultant for the arts.
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Public Officer: Vic McEwan Vic works as an interdisciplinary artist exploring sound, video, installation and performance. He is a producer and director who is interested in landscape, communities, remote spaces and cross art form collaboration. He was the 2014-15 NSW Regional Arts Fellow, the 2015 Artist in Residence at the National Museum of Australia and he sits on the State Leadership Group for Arts and Health which advises on development of the collaboration between Arts and Health in Australia. Secretary: Sarah McEwan Sarah is an artist, musician and curator interested in interdisciplinary practices, feminism, social change and the landscape that she lives in. Sarah has a background in visual arts and education. During 2016 she is the Artistic Manager of The Art Factory Supported Studio and sits on the Supported Studio Network steering committee. Member: Jacqui Ryding Jacqui is an artist with a passion for education; currently teaching Art and English at Narrandera High. Jacqui has worked in various capacities over the years to develop arts and culture in regional areas by curating ARI spaces, being on gallery committees and volunteering at galleries.
STAFF Artistic Director: Vic McEwan
Creative Producer: Sarah McEwan
Projects: Julie Briggs
www.cadfactory.com.au
Orphelia 2015, Elizabeth Gay Campbell On Common Ground
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Images: James Farley
Tangible Spirit, Emma Burden-Piltz www.cadfactory.com.au On Common Ground
The Cad Factory is supported by the NSW Government through Arts NSW