Hear from the Lead Mentor of the 2022 Kolyang Artist Lab

A discussion on Indigenous Futurisms facilitated by Bobbi Henry and Eva Grace Mullaley

Breaking up is hard to do. How can artists raise their voices in this contested space? What tools are available to us to agitate for change?

Join Kelli mccluskey [pvi collective] for an artist-led conversation on breaking up with fossil fuels and considering your ethical compass.

Facilitated by Jay Emmanuel, this small group discussion focuses on sharing how queerness applies to the making of new work (theatre or performance).

In this panel discussion, our invited guests discuss how ‘sustainability’ is understood and considered in the Arts. From ensuring that artist well-being is a priority, to building environmental awareness and goals into our creative process and practice, and reducing carbon footprints while touring. It’s a look at sustainability in a multitude of meanings and impacts, and questions how we can move forward with care for people and our planet.

Panelists: Dr Renee Newman (Chair), Dr Alexa Taylor, Chris Mercer, Aimee Smith, Ron Bradfield Jnr and Emele Ugavule.

Drawing on the experience of guests and audience members, this Long Table discussion interrogates how we consider voice, agency and self-determination in artistic collaborations. We explore how to create safe artistic spaces that foster and encourage equality throughout the creative process, questioning when is it the right time for collaborators to intervene, and when is it time to step out of the way and listen.

Provocateurs: Bruno Booth (Host), Chloe Ogilvie, Mararo Wangai, Crystal Nguyen, Emma Fishwick and Jeremy Smith

A conversation with Helah Milroy and Joshua Pether about their ritual performance history; and explorations into ‘Bookmarking’ and ‘The Reckoning’ as new methodologies

“In the sciences, the concept of failure is a natural part of experimentation. If you want to learn how a process works, or develop a new one yourself, the scientific method demands that you try, fail, and try again. But in the arts, failure is often seen as a dirty word—no one wants to be responsible for a critical or commercial flop. But without taking risks and pushing boundaries, art would remain stagnant, and the creative spirit would be wasted on our own fears.”

The Art of Failure: The Importance of Risk and Experimentation

In this session, guests and audience members are invited to discuss the importance of risk, bravery and failure in the artistic process. How do you cultivate new collaborations that will celebrate creative risks? What do our table guests see as the future of contemporary artistic practice for the industry? How we can imagine new models of making and sharing work?

Provocateurs: Mel Cantwell (Host), Glenn Iseger-Pilkington, James O’Hara, Joe Lui Paradise, Rachael Dease and Zohar Spatz

Making work that is accessible/criticises accessibility issues faced by the disabled community is hard. Is it possible to incorporate access needs into our design process without it feeling like we are simply ticking boxes? How do we make cutting-edge work that also caters to the needs of our community? Does it have to cater to everybody?

Small group discussion facilitated by Bruno Booth

Let's talk about the basics of how to manage money as an artist. Come in with all your "probably a stupid question..." Anything from superannuation, BAS, PAYG, ABNs to where we should be investing our money. No judgment!

Tax accountant Kylie Thompson from Sorrento Strategic will be here to answer your questions. She has worked with artists for many years and understands the unique challenges we face.