Artworks by First Nations People will be projected onto Geelong’s City Hall and the Barwon Water forecourt as part of the City’s National Reconciliation Week celebrations.
The artworks were completed by artists living in Barwon, Marngoneet and Karreenga correctional facilities, along with in-community artists with connections to Wadawurrung Country.
The project is a partnership between City of Greater Geelong, projection artist Matt Bonner, and the Torch program, which supports First Nations artists currently imprisoned or recently released from prison in Victoria.
Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio Chair, Councillor Jim Mason, said the projections are one of many ways the City is celebrating National Reconciliation Week.
“Reconciliation Week is a time for us to reflect on our shared histories and cultures and exploring what actions each of us can take to contribute to reconciliation in Australia,” Cr Mason said.
Barwon Water Managing Director Tracey Slatter said Barwon Water was proudly participating in Reconciliation Week by supporting the City’s projections program at the water corporation’s Ryrie Street HQ.
“This public demonstration reflects our commitment to reconciliation and building respectful partnerships with Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who demonstrate great generosity in sharing their knowledge and culture with us,” Ms Slatter said.
The artworks can be viewed at the Confined 13 virtual exhibition. The exhibition aims to draw attention to high rates of First Nations People incarcerated in Australia.
Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed down its report in 1991, incarceration rates for First Nations People have doubled. First Nations People make up three per cent of Australia’s total population but represent more than 30 per cent of the national prison population.
The Torch Art Manager Sarah Barrow said artworks in the exhibition can be purchased online, with 100 per cent of the artwork price going directly to the artist.
“The projections are a fantastic way for people across Greater Geelong to connect with The Torch and understand how we’re trying to create change by helping artists to build their confidence and artistic expression,” Ms Barrow said.
The City has installed 50 banners across the region to raise awareness of National Reconciliation Week.
A video featuring Councillor Jim Mason and Julie Saylor-Briggs, the City’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy Officer, will also be released about National Sorry Day and the legacy of the Stolen Generations in greater Geelong and Wadawurrung Country more broadly.
The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme is ‘Be Brave. Make Change’ The projections will be on display from Thursday 26 May to Sunday 5 June. National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June 2022.
