Lead Partner: Upatree Arts Co-operative
Description
Upatree Arts Cooperative Ltd (a not-for-profit registered coop) are
a community arts co-operative with 25 members. Its mission is to create meaningful community celebrations, rituals and events that build people and interactions between people that are influenced by a desire for social and environmental justice.
Upatree works with a range of communities, including many who are experiencing economic or social marginalization. The co-op works with communities in a way that builds on their strengths rather than focusing on their disadvantage. The process usually involves a period of listening to local stories and creating opportunities to share stories amongst the community. Sometimes a group of people say that ‘there are no stories here “ - so it may take patience and skilled questioning to help people re-member their stories. The coop then works together with the community to turn one or more of those stories into a performance that celebrates local story or community. These celebrations utilize the mediums of giant and processional puppetry, promenade theatre, music and lantern lights. The celebrations can often form a basis for further community activity, and they build community pride and a rediscovery and appreciation of the strengths of that community. Community cultural development and a recognition of the importance of culture in development is seen as essential to the coops work, as is the principle of not working for people but with them. Art and performance is much more than just fun – it is a means through which people make sense of their world and create meaning around their relationships, and their environment. Working with people through community cultural development and community arts breaks down isolation, builds relationships and creates resilience, health and a sense of purpose. Upatree Arts is a community enterprise – it is based in a regional area and is seeking to build sustainable employment for artists and musicians in the local region. We believe that artists can ‘do well by doing good’ – we join together to help ourselves while we work with other communities to celebrate their stories. Upatree Arts seeks to demonstrate the connection between cultural development, economic development, social development and community development.
What advice would you give people starting a project like yours?
“I’d say go for it! Most importantly don’t listen to anyone who says you
can’t do it…Do something together that doesn’t require loads of resources. Start with what you’ve got and work up from there.”
An in-depth interview with one of the founders of Upatree will soon be available on this site.
Contact Details
Upatree Arts CooperativeLtd, 1871 Nebo Road
Mt Nebo
Qld 4520
Australia
info@upatreearts.org
Website: http://www.upatreearts.org/