2019
ACCOMPLICE Annual review
Britt Guy
Creative Director ACCOMPLICE years as we hit the
ACCOMPLICE would like to acknowledge the Larrakia Traditional Owners of the land on which we create, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. We would also like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and future from across the Northern Territory where we spend time creating, developing and sharing.
ground at full speed in January creatively producing the Arafura Games Opening and Closing Ceremony that were presented in April and May. ACCOMPLICE took on this project in partnership with an amazing team and artists, as I wanted to create a largescale event that was of exceptional quality and showcased NT artists and arts workers, while presenting a program that was predominantly made of First Nation creatives. To be honest part of me wanted to prove a point, I have sat in various rooms over the years listening to too many conversations about what cannot be achieved in the NT, whether it is due to a lack of experienced staff or the assumption that a community event showcasing community performers cannot also be of exceptional creative quality. I am proud to say in partnership with Artistic Director Ben Graetz and a stellar team we delivered what I believe was a beautiful event that truly captured the cultural diversity of the NT, highlighting Indigenous performers of our region, while employing a team
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of over 65 staff (all but 2 from the NT!).
Season commissioned experimental multidisciplinary artists to make work
I hit the road post Arafura Games to
in response to the Build Up under the
undertake the second leg of the NT
guidance of cultural advisor Uncle
Travelling Film Festival (NTTFF), how
Tony, a Larrakia man. A time of year
quickly it had grown from 2018 to
only experienced in the tropics in the
2019. We definitely felt some growing
lead up to the Wet Season. 14 artists
pains as we grew quickly and had to
contributed artistic rituals across a
learn many lessons from broken trailer
sweaty day in late November, across
axles to unknown river crossing that
community spaces in the suburbs.
required quick changes to tour plans.
It was a day committed to following
However, we delivered the cinema in
the pace and energy of the season,
all locations as planned and have a
embracing creating experimental site-
long list of communities keen for it to
specific community art experiences
visit in 2020. NTTFF is a really special
that saw artists, audience and
event, and it was fantastic to work
environment become entangled. It
with communities to identify specific
was bliss for me at the end of a year
programs for specific audiences
that had at times been a little too fast
including our Returning to Country
and loud, and left me wondering how
program that focused on presenting
to tell ACCOMPLICE to slow down.
films from particular places or about particular people in those places on the
However, that in essence is the
big screen. A highlight being the chance
interesting thing about ACCOMPLICE,
to premiere Top End Wedding on the
as an organisation it has held space
Tiwi Islands. The Football field was
for a significant number of projects
packed!
and artists, becoming a vessel to explore and also realise ideas over a
Finally, to close out the year was a
period of time. However, as the rain
new program that has been bubbling
arrives it often returns to just being
away in my head, heart and body since
me for a moment before the next
I moved to Larrakia Country. Sweat
cycle begins.
2019 Annual Review
2019 had a different pace to previous
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What Drives Us ACCOMPLICE is a nimble, responsive and culturally trusted creative company that is focused on creating high quality arts and cultural experiences in the Northern Territory that showcase and build capacity in our community, audiences and arts and cultural practitioners.
Community Capacity Building
We draw influence, energy and identity from Australia’s regions, providing space and time for community to cultivate cultural connections.
We cultivate a depth and breadth of sustainable cultural experiences and infrastructure for diverse communities to connect with.
Developing art with artists and audience
Cross Cultural Collaboration
ACCOMPLICE was born out of a desire to reimagine the structure of cultural organisations, moving away from the traditional format.
We build on cultural, geographic and social ties with Asian, Pacific and regional Australian practitioners, organisations and networks sustaining long-term relationships.
collaborate in new ways, dedicated
development, sharing, presentation
to creating outcomes that have real
and evaluation.
impact, measured through:
• A financially sustainable • Agile business model that allows for
to sustain the core operations, and
projects involving considered risk
drawing together business and
can be undertaken to continue to
not-for-profit partnerships and
grow and respond,
project basis to access the best skills and experience for the job, while also
• Innovative ways of working – we regularly ask why and how we do what we do, • Boundary crossing programming
Dedicated to creating outcomes that have real impact, measured through: • Qualitative artist and audience feedback, • Quantitative collection of key statistics, • Partnership brokerage mapping of development and maintenance of
committed to bridging experience
that captures current needs and
partnerships and relationships with
gaps for creatives living in the regions
utilises emerging and future
a focus on deep listening and long-
and those in cities looking to gain
partnerships.
term partnership growth.
experience in a regional context.
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allow us to share, experience, and
that provides authentic space for
instinctual business growth, so that
ACCOMPLICE employs staff on a
practices for creating environments
• An artistically sustainable program
harnessing commercial opportunities
funding to build large-scale projects.
ACCOMPLICE is interested in the best that can disrupt the norms, and
organisation. We operate as a cultural enterprise,
We provide opportunities for professional artists to develop and produce work within a regional context.
ACCOMPLICE is committed to maintaining:
2019 Annual Review
Connecting Northern Australia
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Seven Seasons
November
Weaving workshops with Territory Schools for Arafura Games
The Inaugural Sweat Season, a day of durational performance works developed by the sweat collective and delivered across seven Local sites
March NT Travelling Film Festival Tour #1 commences in Central Australia
The Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) yearly calendar, which tracks the seasonal change of our home
Weaving workshops with Territory Schools for Arafura Games
in Garrmalang (Darwin), is divided into seven seasons that cycle through each year. The seasonal change of the Top End, it’s lulls, explosions, gusts and buildups have been an echo to the ebbs and flows of our 2019, and the many seeds we have sown and seen grow throughout the year.
September Vibrant Polymer Clay Earrings workshop with Shona from Salvation Jewellery
Balnba º Rainy season
2019
April ARAFURA GAMES Opening Ceremony with event partner Party Passport NT Travelling Film Festival Tour #2 commences in Northern Australia
Dalay º Monsoon season Mayilema º speargrass, Magpie Goose egg and knock ‘em down season Damibila º Barramundi and bush fruit time
July Homemade tonics, tinctures, syrups and cordials workshop with Danny Crichton Nona and Me Development
Dinidjanggama º heavy dew time Gurrulwa º big wind time Dalirrgang º build-up
Darwin Fringe Festival The ACCOMPLICE shopfront transforms into an intimate theatre, presenting three LGBTQIA+ performance works from across Australia: The Measure of a Man, Pussy Play, Wank Bank masterclASS
May June ‘Handbuilding with clay’ and ‘Building a Collection’ pottery workshops with Bonnie Hislop RAIIN Queer Blak Performance development Formation of the Sweat Collective
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ARAFURA GAMES closing ceremony Intentional Venues presentation as part of MAP conference Vibrant Polymer Clay Earrings workshop with Shona from Salvation Jewellery Dtown Sings with David Garnham
2019 Annual Review
ACCOMPLICE in 2019 focussed on NT stories and artists as we delivered programs across the Northern Territory.
February
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Connecting with Northern Australia Whether it’s connecting physically across vast distances, or artistically across cultures, ages and languages, this year’s program was all about celebrating NT artists and communities. 2019 saw the return of the Arafura
groups that call Larrakia Country home.
country. Internationally renowned
Games to Darwin, an event that
Producing an event that captured the
film The Songkeepers was screened
historically had been a community
joy of our multicultural community.
in Areyonga and Ntaria, home of the stars’ family and friends, who had
highlight, connecting local residents with the regions and people
The Closing Ceremony was a tribute
not yet had the opportunity to see the
surrounding the Arafura Sea.
to the Arafura Sea and its people,
film. In Ngukurr the exciting growth of
ACCOMPLICE, in partnership with
with beautiful under the sea artworks
Ngukurr Story Projects, a community
Party Passport, won the tender to
created by eight local schools in
film project, meant we were able to
deliver the Opening and Closing
partnership with Aly de Groot and
showcase completely local talent on
Ceremonies.
the Groote Eylandt Weavers. Original
the big screen. While in our tourist
music was scored and sung by Shellie
locations we continued to share NT
The Opening Ceremony began
Morris, Leah Flanagan and Stevie Jean,
stories and culture in our incredible
with a 45min Larrakia Welcome
wishing visiting athletes safe travel
landscape.
and smoking ceremony designed
home while showcasing the talent and
in partnership with members from
culture of the Top End to audiences of
Through our ongoing Queer Blak
all eight Larrakia families, creating
thousands for each event.
Project, Ben Graetz’s residency saw
neighbours to Larrakia land, while
For the second year it was a privilege
Australia to spend time on Larrakia
also producing a significant cultural
to pull into NT communities with
Country as he developedRAIIN, a new
experience for locals. This was
the Northern Territory Traveling
cabaret work for bush footy fields
followed by a dance showcase of
Film Festival. In 2019 the program
and big city Spiegeltents about being
the diverse community and cultural
committed to taking stories back to
Queer and Indigenous in Australia.
“Darwin is my birth place and my home. It has shaped who I am as a person and an artist. Many of my most cherished memories involve the numerous community events that I was a part of while growing up in Darwin. This included the Arafura Games Opening. and Closing ceremonies. I am so thrilled now, as an adult, to come full circle and to be the Artistic Director of this extraordinary event.” ben graetz 8
2019 Annual Review
five Indigenous artists from across
a special opportunity to welcome
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Community Capacity Building Partnering with communities and artists as their creative accomplice continues to forge new possibilities and build creative futures. was designed to create uniquely local
ambitious film scene, and we’re proud
content while also connecting remote
to support it with our Northern Territory
creatives with Territory organisations
The ACCOMPLICE workshops
Travelling Film Festival community
that can act as future clients.
program, that partners with artisans and creative makers to offer bespoke
workshop program where we work
“Incredibly rewarding and humbling, I was given access and insights into culture and trusted with stories, it was overwhelming the positive response and openness from the community film makers to be involved”
in partnership with local arts and
In Ngukkur we supported a writers
opportunities to share craft and
community organisations, filmmakers
room by supporting a translator to
process, included Brisbane ceramicist
and schools to create capacity building
be part of the process produced
Bonnie Hislop, and enabled locals
opportunities that are responsive to
by Ngukurr Story Projects crafting
Salvation Jewellery and Lucky Bat’s
each community and aim to build upon
pilot scripts for a new comedy serial
Danny Crichton to deliver workshops
skills each year..
based in the community called The
to the public for the first time. This
Shady Ladeez. We visited schools in
program is loved by participants
In partnership with Power and Water
Tennant Creek, bringing experts into
who sign up to learn a new skill
we commissioned creative partners
the classroom, and in Gunbalanya and
while connecting with like-minded
Tangentyere Artists and PAW Media
Maningrida we supported the creation
community members, and for the
to create ads with key messages
of 10 new short films involving
facilitators is an opportunity to
identified by local artists/filmmakers
the Barbara Women’s Art Centre,
translate a passion into another
which will be utilised by Power and
Indigenous Rangers program, and
creative entrepreneurial outcome.
Water across the NT and will travel
school and youth programs where we
with the 2020 NTTFF. This project
taught young film makers camera and
2019 Annual Review
Amy hetherington
recording skills.
Regional and remote NT has a vibrant,
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Developing art with audiences and artists Our inaugural Sweat Season program
We formed the Sweat Collective, an
D*town Sings was a moment of
matched the pace, locations, and
interdisciplinary group of Darwin
community togetherness, a place
activities of our local audiences during
artists, to explore this time of year
where pub goers, community
a sweaty, complicated, vibrant time
with us and to create considered, risky,
members, and performers from
of year, when the Build Up morphs
new experiments that involved the
Darwin’s many community choirs
into the Wet. This durational day of
convergence of audiences, the weather,
came together to sing as one, hosted
participatory experiments involved 35
culture, and site. ACCOMPLICE will
by local musicians David Garnham
artists across 7 locations, and was
support and provoke this collective to
and Broadwing at the Darwin Ski Club.
the presentation of cross artform and
continue to utilise and investigate new
Together we sang Rain by Dragon, an
site-specific works that celebrate and
ways of being and creating alongside
Australian classic.
interrogate the multicultural rituals of
each other in the environmental, cultural,
the Build Up on Larrakia country - new,
and community melting pot of Darwin
old, and impossible.
over coming years..
“Artists such as myself working on the creation of experimental work often lack a community in Darwin, as our work has no particular key organisation for hard and soft infrastructure. Sweat Season provided the unique opportunity to work with and alongside other artists from disciplines very different from my own and to forge new relationships that I think will bear creative fruit in new endeavours in the future.” matthew van roden
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2019 Annual Review
Partnering with communities and artists as their creative accomplice continues to forge new possibilities and build creative futures.
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Cross Cultural Collaboration
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Larrakia Elder and traditional owner
tapestry of the Top End. ACCOMPLICE
Nona and Me, a theatre work in
Tony ‘Duwun’ Lee, is a painter,
invited local cultural leaders and
development supported through our
printmaker, carver, musician and
performance groups hailing from
Stories for Young People program,
conceptual artist. Tony was our
the Pacific Islands, Thailand, Bali,
underwent a further development this
cultural advisor on two major projects
China, Kiribati, Sri Lanka, Tonga,
year, pairing writer Claire Atkins with
this year, the Arafura Games, where
the Philippines, and Papua New
Yirrkala actor and co-writer Rarriwuy
he was instrumental in realising our
Guinea in partnership with Territory
Hicks as they adapt Claire’s young
Larrakia Welcome and Smoking
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
adult fiction novel for remote Territory
ceremonies, and Sweat Season,
to share their cultural dances and
stages. This project has been born
where he advised and collaborated
music. This invitation of sharing
over a commitment to producing
with ACCOMPLICE and the Sweat
laid the stage for us to also work
work for young Indigenous and non
Collective , sharing his knowledge of
collaboratively, creating new dances
- Indigenous Territory audiences that
the season and the sites of the work.
together that fused, complemented,
authentically reflect their lives. We
and showcased traditional stories
look forward to presenting this on
Our Arafura Games celebrations
and skill, whilst also performing in
basketball courts in 2022.
highlighted many of the diverse
harmony as a multicultural ensemble
cultures that make up the rich
and community.
2019 Annual Review
Community celebrations are a powerful conduit to sharing across cultures. As we celebrate alongside each other, the space between differences melts into opportunities for togetherness and shared experience. Creating celebrations this year has started so many conversations.
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Looking Forward Looking towards 2020 and beyond, we’re following the natural ebb and flow of what was a very busy year into calmer, slower waters, filled with deep listening and reflection. We’ll fortify relationships, and create space around programs and projects that nourish our community and ourselves. Up rituals to round out the year. We’ll
with hundreds of artists, performed to
also be spending time researching and
thousands of audience members, and
dreaming with our creative and cultural
Working with partners across multiple
employed many more staff than ever
partners, and brewing up new ways of
projects and years allows meaningful
before. This scale and pace thrust
building, connecting and collaborating
and reciprocal relationships to naturally
us into a deeply up and down, fast
together.
grow. ACCOMPLICE’S methodology,
delivery, which, much like the local
NTTFF hits the road early in the year
creates fertile ground for collaborations
seasons, was both exhilarating and at
with a new tour team to roll out the
and associations to mature into long-
times exhausting.
program, and the Sweat Collective will
term exchanges. This in turn creates
be sharing and learning together in
the space and trust often needed when
NTTFF hits the road early in the year
anticipation for another day of Build-
creating work across multiple cultures.
with a new tour team to roll out the
Up rituals to round out the year. We’ll
We look forward to working and growing
program, and the Sweat Collective will
also be spending time researching and
with Tony across our future projects,
be sharing and learning together in
dreaming with our creative and cultural
and to continuing to explore the daring,
anticipation for another day of Build-
partners, and brewing up new ways of
tricky, humorous, and ambitious creative
building, connecting and collaborating
conversations we have together.
2019 Annual Review
of focussing on process over outcome
and slow cycle of project design and
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together.
2019 was a big year for us. We worked
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Accomplices Partners and Funders Airnorth Artback NT Australia Council for the Arts Barkly Regional Arts Barkly Regional Council Borroloola School Browns Mart Theatre Casuarina Senior College City of Darwin City of Palmerston Colemans Printing Darwin Film Society Darwin Fringe Festival Darwin Middle School Darwin Production Services Darwin Ski Club Darwin Waterfront corp. Deckchair Cinema Djilpin Arts DMK Beauty studios Dreamedia e3 productions
Goalpost Pictures Gove Film Society Groote Eylandt Weavers Injalak Arts Jeremy Conlon from Left of Elephant Sound Kakadu Tourism Katherine Regional Arts KC’s Fireworks Displays Lakeside Drive Community Garden Lucky Bat Cafe Macdonnell Regional Council Areyonga Marrara Christian School Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel Millner Primary Ngukurr Arts Centre Ngukurr Story Projects Nightcliff Primary School Nitmiluk Tours Nook
NT Travelling Film Festival NT Airport NT Major Events Corporation NT Tourism Ntaria Youth Centre Off the Leash Palmerston College Parap Pool Party Passport Power and Water Provenance Rapid Creek Markets Screen Territory Semi Pro Brewing Co Shadeworks St John’s Catholic College Tangentyere Artists Tennant Creek High School Tennant Creek Primary School Tina McCourt from Dance World Tiwi Council Waralungku Arts Centre West Arnhem Regional Council
Andreas Heikaus and the Rite of Passage creatives and crew Daniel Wilfred and the Top End Wedding creatives and crew Grant Thomas and the Lil Bois creatives and crew Jane Hampson and the Sunset creatives and crew Kathy Burns and the Which Way RIght Way creatives and crew Lexie Gregory, Thomas Midena and the You Do You creatives and crew Mark Watjana Ashley and the Ŋambi creatives and crew Naina Sen and the I Am Numamurdirdi creatives and crew Naina Sen and The Songkeepers creatives and crew Tangentyerre Artists Film Collective creatives and crew Tim Parish and the Spectrum creatives and crew Wilf Watson and the Arrears creatives and crew
Kelly Beneforti Kenbi Dancers Kingsley Oldmeadow Kiribati Cultural Group Kultura Dance Collective Leah Flanagan Leanne Scott-Thomas Lee Harrop Liam Stansfield Lisa Pellegrino Lorraine Williams Loto Taha Lynette Fejo Madelon te Lintum Mary Williams Matthew Van Roden Maureen Family Michael Tan Michael Trikilis “Triki” Moale Dance Group of Papua New Guinea
Naina Sen North Wind Didj Orchestra NT Dance Company NT Thai Association Inc O’Laughlin Catholic College Choir Passion of the Pacific Patricia Kurnoth Richard Fejo Rix Kix Arts Salvation Jewellery Scott Campbell Shaun Kerinaiu aka Shaniqua Shaun Lee Shellie Morris Skinnyfish Sri Lankan Multicultural Dance Academy Stevie Jean Strawberry Siren Tamara Howie
Creatives and Collaboraters
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David Garnham David Kurnoth Denique Stewart Dj Lani Tsunami Djolpa Mckenzie Dotti Fejo Duane Preston Express Studios Eytahnyia Scott Gary Lang Gavin Roach Georgia Beach Guy Simon Haneen Martin James Mangohig Jenelle Saunders Jess devereux Joel Bray Julie Blyth Kaine Sultan-Babij Kay Villafor
Tara Hobbs Tarzan Junglequeen Tessa Leake Tibby Quall Tony Lee Tracey Bunn Trent Lee Troy Woodcroft True Colours Chorus Tunas Mekar Balinese Cultural Collective
2019 Annual Review
Adam Seymour - Rural Ranga Adriana Andrews Alicia Scobie Aly de Groot Amina McConvell Amy Hetherington Anokai Susie Baker Boy Ben Andrews Ben Graetz Bernd Neumann Brynn Wackett Callan Power Chung Wah Society Ciella Williams Cj Fraser-Bell Courtney Collins Crystal Love Dale Woodbridge-Brown Danny Crichton Darwin Gymnastics
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connect /creative accomplice E: britt@creativeaccomplice.com.au
@creativeaccomplice
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