2017 annual review
ACCOMPLICE 2017
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“The tip to give people looking to work cross-culturally is to make sure that the connection and collaboration has enough time to build properly before trying to take it into the pressure of making work. That long-term connection and community engagement has been at the heart of this project, building over four years and resulting in making a work. The performance being a product of the numerous residencies, workshops, block parties and dance battles that really built a community around the project. I think Britt Guy – the project’s producer – deserves a lot of credit for her long term vision” Nick Power, Choreographer
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A phenomenal start Britt Guy
ACCOMPLICE as an incorporated entity
cash value of what you do and what
Creative Director
has existed for 18 months, created off
it truly costs. With grit and ingenuity,
the back of ten years of independent
ACCOMPLICE has already contributed
sole trading. These 18 months have
significantly to regional arts and
been phenomenal - both phenomenally
audiences.
tough and phenomenally rewarding. As a small business owner, I have
ACCOMPLICE is a producer of cultural
found freedom in adaption, strength
projects and programs that allow
in being nimble and joy in being able
ideas to be explored across social,
to take up unexpected opportunities.
cultural and political boundaries. We
I have also committed to creating a
have delivered sector consultation
work environment that is sustainable
and planning, produced arts programs
for both my collaborators and myself.
focusing on regional and remote Australia, and run residencies and
Doing it alone is hard work. Particularly
public programs at the ACCOMPLICE
as this involves fighting the good
Arts Space in Darwin. We add value by
fight about the value of regional work,
committing to indepth and long term
changing the way people think about
cultural experiences, in Darwin, across
young women in business, the value of
the NT and internationally.
arts and culture in every day, and the
2017 annual review
ACCOMPLICE was born out of a simple premise: to be a cultural partner in crime to the artists, organisations, communities, and businesses it works alongside.
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What Drives Us Deliver sustainable genuine high quality cultural initiatives that enhance, reflect, engage, interrogate and activate contemporary Australian regional community life.
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Connecting Northern Australia
Community Capacity Building
Draw influence, energy and identity from Australia’s regions, providing space and time for community to cultivate cultural connections.
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
Provide opportunities for professional artists to develop and produce work within a regional context.
Build on cultural, geographic and social ties with Asian practitioners, organisations and networks sustaining longterm relationships.
ACCOMPLICE is committed to maintaining:
harnessing commercial opportunities
that provides authentic space for and evaluation; organisation, for instinctual business growth,
and
encouraging considered risk can be
and
undertaken to continue to grow and
non-for-profit
partnerships
funding to build large-scale projects. ACCOMPLICE
employs
staff
in new ways.
Dedicated to creating outcomes that have real impact, measured through:
• agile business model that allows
drawing
business
us to share, experience, and collaborate
development, sharing, presentation
to sustain the core operations, and together
practices for creating environments that can disrupt the norms, and allow
• a artistically sustainable program
• a financially sustainable We operate as a social enterprise,
ACCOMPLICE is interested in the best
respond,
• qualitative artist and audience feedback, • quantitative collection of key statistics,
on
• innovative ways of working – we
• partnership brokerage mapping of
project basis to access the best skills
regularly ask why and how we do
development and maintenance of
what we do,
partnerships.
and experience for the job, while also committed to bridging experience
• boundary-crossing programming
gaps for creatives living in the regions
that captures current needs and
and those in cities looking to gain
utilises emerging and future
experience in a regional context.
partnerships.
2017 annual review
ACCOMPLICE was born out of a desire to reimagine the structure of cultural organisations, moving away from the traditional format.
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“Some of our students have never been to Katherine or even left the community, so for them to go to see the performance in Katherine (and perform as part of it!) – it’s life changing for them." - Jilkminggan principal Jess Robinson
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Connecting Northern Australia ACCOMPLICE is committed to decreasing regional communities’ sense of isolation from cultural activities, while careful curating visiting artists to build upon the local audiences’ interest and local industries’ capacity. In 2018 we invited a range of artists to work with us to create new spaces for connecting.
The north of Australia, due to its
everything from writing and ceramics
through Katherine Regional Arts, and
distance from southern centres, lacks
to home brewing, cooking and jewellery
Alice Springs community through
access to a broad range of high quality
design.
Tangentyere Town Council, to deliver creative arts programs for Indigenous
arrive, they are often created with little
In July, we brought Leah Shelton’s
young people. In August we hit the
understanding of local audiences and
award-winning
road with internationally renowned,
merely in and out within two days.
Terror Australis to Darwin Fringe
Brisbane-based
There is also an assumption that the
Festival. Terror Australis has toured
circus company Circa, with a tailored
regions are just receivers of culture,
nationally, with seasons in Melbourne,
workshop created in partnership with
rather than creators is in their own
Adelaide, Cairns, and Brisbane, and
lead staff from partner organisations.
right.
internationally to Brighton Fringe in
We provided 24 workshops to 284
the UK. Transforming ACCOMPLICE
young
Throughout the year our workshop
into a 52-seat cabaret theatre and bar
Jilkminggan,
program brought passionate makers
captured the imagination of locals,
Springs. This pilot project will now be
from across Australia, and from down
both for the award-winning show and
developed into a three-year strategy
the dirt road, to our studio in Darwin.
our ability to create a pop up space
with
The program was curated with a
for cultural programs. It was a hit of
focused
commitment to providing support
the Festival, winning a Golden Croc
people to build confidence and provide
and exposure for regional makers at
for Best Cabaret. Terror Australis is
positive recreational activities. Beyond
various stages of their careers. While at
an example of work that is perfect for
this, however, we will also be honing in
the same time we sought to add depth
Darwin audiences, but without local
to support leading young participants
and richness to the local communities’
presenter support through funding and
who show talent and drive, to create
experience and skills. Furthermore
publicity it would have been unlikely to
pathways for further training and
the ACCOMPLICE workshop program
ever make it to Darwin.
experiences with an outlook for long-
grindhouse
cabaret
was a key audience-building tool with
people
contemporary
in
Katherine,
Tangentyere on
Timber and
Town
working
Creek,
with
Alice
Council young
term creative career development.
a focus on encouraging a diverse and
Outside
of
Darwin
we
worked
liberal definition of culture, including
closely with the Katherine Region
2017 annual review
cultural experiences. When they do
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Community Capacity Building Remarkable accomplices were made in 2017 through our consultation and strategic work for cultural and community organisations. ACCOMPLICE consultation
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embarked project
a
Territory (NT) Travelling Film Festival
Darwin
program, which will kick off in 2018.
Film Society to explore the viability
ACCOMPLICE is honoured to be the
of an idea they had. We produced
Creative Producer for this project
a stakeholder consultation report,
moving forward. Look out regional and
a project development report, and
remote NT and beyond, NT stories are
developed
coming your way!
the
for
on
annual
Northern
Continuing to build on our existing
Centre in November 2016 to discuss
relationship with Katherine Regional
models of advocacy and platforms,
Arts (KRA), we were appointed their
for consolidating and strengthening
strategic consultant for their 2018 –
our
2022 Strategic Plan. We have shaped
forward. From this, ACCOMPLICE
a document that encapsulates the
initiated the conversation with the
future plans for the organisation, while
NT sector to establish a group of key
also being a user-friendly tool for the
independent producers from the NT
staff and board. The strategic plan
arts and cultural sector. The network
was created in consultation with the
now consists of 30+ individuals,
KRA staff, board, local organisations,
and has over the last six months,
businesses, government, artists, and
undertaken a number of stages of
audience.
consultation in order to establish a
position
moving
governance structure for the Northern Due to the unprecedented governance
Territory
Regional
Independent
and federal funding changes in the
Producer Network (NTRIP), focused
Arts in 2015, key industry members
on advocacy, resource sharing, and
met at Footscray Community Arts
industry network and support.
2017 annual review
industry’s
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Developing art with audiences and artists ACCOMPLICE provides space and time for professional artists to develop and produce experimental cultural work in the regions, which is financially and artistically viable. Championing artists and audiences of Northern Australia, ACCOMPLICE invests in a balanced mix of projects that are:
their residency created in partnership with ACCOMPLICE. All have taken on a vow of creating cultural experiences that
are
alive,
responsive,
and
always about collaboration between audience and artists, or facilitator and
• Committed to shared authorships
participant.
and the role of the audience and their experience,
Our
• High quality concepts engaged in
workshops
have
not
only
introduced a diverse group of people
international, national and regional
to the Arts Space in 2017, but have
artistic conversations,
sparked their own interest groups. At
• Providing varied exposure into the process of making,
a writing workshop with local artist Johanna Bell, participants expressed
• Pushing the framework of
a desire for a more regular opportunity
community-engaged contemporary
to get together and write. Inspired by
art practice.
their enthusiasm, we paired up with
resident
were
choreographer
performance ceramic
artists artist
artist
2017
national organisation Write Here, to
Nick
Power,
introduce Write Here Darwin, a national
Jamie
Lewis,
initiative. Write Here Darwin continues
Holly
in
Macdonald,
to meet on the first Saturday of every
and painter Anna van Stralen. Each
month for two hours of uninterrupted
delivered a public program as part of
writing time.
2017 annual review
local organisation StoryProjects, and Our
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“ACCOMPLICE is a pleasant surprise; an open art space tucked into an otherwise industrial Caryota Court in Coconut Grove…with an upstairs loft space for arty types, but for us amateur cooks, the ground level converted kitchen space was our home for the morning. I teamed up with a Japanese and German lady for the cook, and we casually conversed about living in the tropics over the deskinning of many shallots.” – Darwin Foodies
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2017 annual review
The result is an intelligent, expressive and engaging production which gently subverts preconceptions around hip-hop and masculinity, providing an ideal entry point to contemporary dance for those unfamiliar with the genre while also providing much for aficionados to enjoy. – Richard Watts
“Breakdancing is often a solo display but in Between Tiny Cities រវាងទ ីក្រ ុងត ូច choreographer Nick Power turns it into a two-hander between Darwin boy Aaron Lim and Erak Mith from Phenom Penh. It’s peppered with a distinctly break dancing vocabulary. But more significantly, it is a duet of intersecting limbs, pulsing unison and a reactive physical banter characteristic of dancers working together, rather than as individuals. “ – Dance Review
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“Intelligent, expressive and engaging.� - ArtsHub
Collaborating Across Cultures ACCOMPLICE looks to its neighbours and its community, to explore shared and distinctive cultural, political, and social nuances. The collaborations are borne out of domestic ideas and questions. We create exchange opportunities to explore these questions with no expected outcome. These opportunities in turn evolve into complex creative communities of their own, and have developed into an array of project outcomes and long-term partnerships. 14
2017 saw Nick Power’s hip hop /
from asking ‘where in Darwin are the
and enjoying a yarn, collaborating with
contemporary dance work Between
cultural diverse teachers, collaborators,
Jamie was a match made in heaven.
Tiny Cities រវាងទីក្រុងតូច premiere
and artists for a new generation of
She created a series of workshops and
at leading Australian dance festival
multicultural young people?’
community dinners, before developing a program of market tour lunches and
Penh, and Darwin. This work is the
ACCOMPLICE
in
2017
also
indulgent dinners, as part of Darwin
result of a four-year dance exchange
commissioned
Singaporean
artist
Festival. The work invited people to
run by ACCOMPLICE. The exchange,
Jamie Lewis, our June artist in
become lost in the stories the food
between
Rockers
residence, to create a body of work
conjured,
and Cambodia’s Tiny Toones youth
under the annual program Tropical
shifting the role of artist and audience,
program, has seen the two hip hop
Kitchen. Jamie creates and performs
into collaborators.
crews
Darwin’s
travelling,
D*City
battling,
works using the making and eating
and performing together across both
training,
of food as a catalyst for storytelling.
countries. The exchange developed
Given Darwin’s love of eating together
while
also
significantly
2017 annual review
Dance Massive, and tour to Phnom
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ACCOMPLICE Arts Space
ACCOMPLICE Arts Space popped up in Coconut Grove in February. A multi-functional hub for the arts that runs alongside ACCOMPLICE’s other activities, the space has been busy since we opened with events, artists in residence, our workshop program, monthly writing and crafting groups, yoga and more. The space is available for use by the community and we’ve been delighted to see Darwin embrace this.
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Timeline February ACCOMPLICE opens
may Workshop Landscapes as Longing with Johanna Bell
june Jamie Lewis in residence “Write Here” monthly writing group begins Yoga classes start
Workshop Sambal & Stories with Jamie Lewis
july Holly MacDonald in residence Holly MacDonald work in progress showing Terror Australis at Darwin Fringe Festival
Workshop
August Tropical Kitchen at Darwin Festival “Create a Useless Thing” Family Challenge - a National Science Week event as part of Darwin Festival
Finding form through ceramics with Holly Macdonald
September Anna van Stralen in residence Anna van Stralen work in progress showing
October
“D*town Handmade” monthly crafting group begins Harold Holt Pool Party
Workshops
Workshop
Ghost net turtle weaving with Aly de Groot
Responding to Landscape with Anna van Stralen
Capturing your life in photos: storytelling and documentary photography with Jett Street
November Workshops Flora, Fauna, Resin & Me: Transforming Australia’s natural beauty into wearable art with Concrete Jellyfish Statement earrings from recycled cardboard with Sarah Martin
2017 annual review
Home Brewing with Semi-Pro Brewing Co
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Looking Forward 2017 enabled us to really put ACCOMPLICE to the test, work out where we were most valued, where we are needed, and how to create fertile soil for strong relationships to blossom.
2018
key
In 2018, we are also committed to
parts of the program including our
sees
us
consolidating
focusing on collecting the stories of
residencies and workshops, aiming to
the work of ACCOMPLICE, and our
further entwine these into the Darwin
peers, in order to create an archive
calendar. We dig deeper into our
tool for advocacy and learning. In
Tropical Kitchen program, and Circa
our opinion, best practice working
partnerships, making these long term
in remote communities, and cross
endeavours.
culturally, lives in Northern Australia.
The Northern Territory Travelling Film
We will also continue to be nimble,
Festival will hit the road for the first
creating, and collaborating in response
time in 2018, and we will also run our
to conversations, new ideas, and
first remote artist camp. We will be
proposals.
spending time in development for a suite of new projects for young people.
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In our inaugural year we have worked with these amazing Creative Accomplices Partners and Funders
Creatives
Active Feet
Aaron Lim
Jett Street
Airnorth
Alejandro Rolandi
Artback NT Touring and Development
Aly de Groot
Johanna Bell – StoryProjects
Anna van Stralen
Justin Marshman
Australia Council for the Arts
Claire Wilcock
Leah Shelton
Australia Government Catalyst Fund
Duane Prest Erak Mith
Mick Guy – Semi Pro Brewing Co Nick Power
Browns’Mart Theatre
Hannah van der Wal
Central Car Rental
Holly MacDonald
Rene Skelton – Concrete Jellyfish
Colemans Printing
Jack Prest
Sarah Martin
Darwin Festival
Jamie Lewis
Darwin Film Society Darwin Fringe Festival Dreamedia Jilkminggan School Katherine Regional Arts Northline Office Gossip Off the Leash Passport Party StoryProjects Tangentyere Council
2017 annual review
Timber Creek School
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connect 3/7 Caryota Court Coconut Grove, NT 0810 E: britt@creativeaccomplice.com.au T: 0422 232 839 ABN: 93 612 693 973 20
/creative accomplice @creativeaccomplice
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