Images echo voices

A community digital arts project to express experience

A LOT is being said about drought just now, but for Barcaldine that conversation has gone on for eight years.

That’s a truly long dry spell, and sometimes words for such a long event can run out. This is where images step in.

Professional photographer and community builder Anne Smith, in collaboration with Barcaldine Regional Council and a group of keen Barcaldine residents, have worked to build an exhibition – both online and in real space in The Globe’s Galillee Gallery – that articulates Barcaldine’s drought experience: Our Strength During the Drought.

The drought resilience and community arts project, also a PhD project for Anne, builds around the immediacy of modern images, easily captured on digital devices and quickly shared on social media.

“It’s powerful: we have a whole community taking images and sharing their story, even schoolkids; this is the voice of Barcaldine region through images,” Anne said.

“To collect data (for the PhD) I’ve been interviewing volunteers, and it’s quite fascinating that everyone I’ve interviewed say that going out and taking images makes them feel better, even though

some of the things they are seeing are not good.

“But they start focusing on other things that will make them feel better, so it becomes a really positive experience for the person taking the image.”

She said that council had welcomed the project.

“Rob Chandler and the council really wanted to participate in this research, because potentially it may give communities tools that they can use to build resilience and capacity during crisis events,” she said.

Barcaldine Region Mayor Rob Chandler said council would continue to support projects like this.

“The drought is wearing on the community: people move away for work, everyone is affected, the community is just tired,” Cr Chandler said.

“Projects like this help us focus on a bright future, to build social connectivity.”

Aaron Skinn is the local baker, and a developing photographer who has participated in the project.

“The project actually got me really talking to pastoralists; because I’m stuck in town all the time, I see what happens to the town, like 10 years ago, every shop had a business in it, but now we’ve got multiple empty shops, so you can say that people are spending less, and that is causing people to close businesses,” he said.

“I knew all that, but as part of the project I started talking to graziers, finding out how it directly affects them.”

PHOTO: KYLIE OWENS QUIET SHED: Kylie Owens’ image from the Barcaldine community arts and drought resilience project Our Strength During the Drought.

PHOTO: LEAH NEWTON Leah Newton’s image of her farming father’s hands at work.

PHOTO: JANE WHITFIELD Project volunteer Jane Whitfield captured long lonely spaces.

PHOTO: JOHN FISHER John Fisher captures our drying environment.

PHOTO: AARON SKINN LEFT: Brett Walsh has focused on moments of life going on with this image for Our Strength During the Drought. HOPEFUL CRACKS: Aaron Skinn’s image from Barcaldine community arts and drought resilience project.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED Attending the Our Strength During the Drought exhibition opening at The Globe, Barcaldine were (from left) project volunteer Aaron Skinn, project co-ordinator Anne Smith, Associate Professor Janet McDonald (USQ), volunteers Leah Newton and Jane Whitfield, with guest Norma Jackson.