SWARM: Collective Actions on Queen

2015 - 2016

Visual Arts; Live Interactive Performances; Offsite Project

Artist/s: Denis Beaubois (NSW), Matthew Prest (NSW), Bhenji Ra (NSW), Amala Groom (NSW), Salote Tawale (NSW)

Swarm: Collective Actions on Queen was Campbelltown Arts Centre’s Live Art Program for 2015-2016, which saw participants embark on a 2-hour live art tour as five artists dance, run, bury, build, vogue, and race in and around Campbelltown’s main drag, Queen Street.

Swarm teased out questions. about individual agency within public spaces, the impact of collective actions, and the role of the artist within a (re)vision of a city’s development.

Artists Amala Groom, Bhenji Ra, Denis Beaubois, Matthew. Prest and Salote Tawale collaborated with local businesses and community organisations in the development and outcome of their artistic projects. These 5 artists situated their projects in the ‘centre’ of Campbelltown in order to re-imagine our use. and perception of Queen Street.

Swarm was a direct response to this challenging site in transition and an enquiry into the functionality of urban development and civic space.

Several artist projects involved workshops and collaboration with the local community, specifically young, Aboriginal, Fijian, and queer communities, as well as local businesses around Queen St. This final residency and presentation stage was supported by project funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.

During the final residency, Amala Groom engaged the local Aboriginal community through a series of workshops at the Ron Moore Community Centre to learn to build a gunyah, a traditional shelter. These workshops operated via a ‘drop in’ model, with Amala working onsite for one week of the development, and 10 Aboriginal people were engaged to construct the gunyah at the event.

Denis Beaubois worked with local children and young people, conducting a series of workshops in which students created their own time capsules and engaged a youth choir to perform at the burial ceremony at the event.

Salote Tawale worked with the local Fijian community whilst Bhenji Ra worked with local queer artists, the Slé. Girls to develop and perform her work.

Matthew Prest engaged a diverse group of people to participate in his Queen St Run, with teams sponsored by local businesses.

Funding: Australia Council for the Arts (Creative Australia)