Afloat – An arts led recovery project responding to the flood disaster 2010/2011 Region What is Afloat?

AFLOAT is an arts project that aims to capture the stories of the flood from those directly affected by the rising waters to those who helped strangers scrub floors and walls. These stories will be conveyed through ephemeral public art, theatre, music, digital media, photography and interactive smart phone technology. This multifaceted project aims to bring the community together once again to commemorate a significant moment in local history, celebrate the resilience of our region and engage in an arts--‐led recovery process. 5 events unite under one banner

1. Footprints Project 2. Woven Stories 3. Afloat Stories Trail 4. Afloat Digital Stories 5. Afloat Community Event Footprints Project

The Footprints Project is a way of introducing the concept of ephemeral public art to the Broader community. Fraser Coast artist Sue Berry will go into 12 communities in the (Bundaberg, Elliott Heads, Coral Cove/Innes Park, Bargara, Burnett Heads, Moore Park, Baffle Creek, South Kolan, Gin Gin, Childers, , Apple Tree Creek).

In each community she will ask members of the community to bring along sentimental items that will be placed along with other found objects to create a large footprint.

These footprints symbolically link the region. Woven Stories

Woven Stories is a series of 20 ephemeral public artworks created for the Afloat Community Event and placed at 20 designated sites of significance to the floods of 2010/2011.

Artist Sue Berry will work with members of the community, listening to their stories, and jointly constructing works utilising crazy weaving techniques combined with “found objects” which tell a story of the site during the floods. Afloat Stories Trail

The QR Code trail will be developed as a permanent record of the AFLOAT project.

It is proposed that these QR Codes be attached to street signage in 20 significant places affected by the floods (the same as the Woven Stories).

When scanned on a Smartphone, The codes will link to photographs, footage and/or voiceovers of the floods and those affected. Afloat Digital Stories

As part of a healing process, it is proposed that a series of digital Stories be captured by Human Ventures.

This organisation has recently completed a similar project in the Rockhampton Region and have a wonderful way of engaging with communities that allows for creative storytelling and skill building.

As part of the process, training in the field of digital stories will be offered.

These stories will be screened as part of the Afloat Community Event. Afloat Community Event

All of the activities involved in this project culminate in a large scale event held on a weekend in May. It will include: • Bus Tour – during the day, guided bus tours will occur taking People who book to the 20 designated QR Code and Woven Stories Sites around Bundaberg. • Community Event-this will include: o Boat Stage – the construction of an ephemeral public artwork by Kris Martin that is a large scale boat with sails. The boat is a metaphor for the floods and will be set up at Kendall’s Flats – which you needed a boat to get around on during the floods. The sails will be used as projection screens. o Digital Stories – projected onto the screen o Stage performances – a curated program of performances highlighting the flood and community spirit o Other event components – food stalls, community organisations/support services displays exhibitions of local artwork that relate to the theme

Community Consultation

∗ The flood disasters of 2010/2011 affected all 17 local government regions that Creative Regions services in South West and Central , including the Bundaberg Region. Their work across the state and ties with state and federal government have led to many community discussions around how the arts can be utilised to assist communities in recovery. The concept for this project was developed throughout the course of many conversations that Creative Regions Ltd have had with the creative industry across Queensland. It was recognised that all the flood recovery work was orientated towards the physical recovery while the human side had not been addressed. Once the basic environmental and physical needs of the community were met who then would help address the community development side?

∗ Creative Regions staff then liaised with key stakeholders such as Community Services – Bundaberg Regional Council, Uniting Care (represented on the Creative Regions board), Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, artists one on one, ABC Open and event management business – Event Networx to pull the program concept and methodology together.

A community owned event

∗ Cr Judy Peters – Bundaberg Regional Council ∗ Susan Scarr - Bundaberg Regional Council ∗ Bruce Green - Bundaberg Regional Council ∗ Roana ONeill – Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery ∗ Trudie Leggo - Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery ∗ Jenny Gilbertson - Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery ∗ Rod Ainsworth – Creative Regions ∗ Shelley Pisani – Creative Regions ∗ Jess Hall – Creative Regions ∗ Ainsley Gatley – Event Networx ∗ Pamela Fisher – Artist ∗ Sue Berry - Artist ∗ Mal Brown – Radioactive Entertainments ∗ Rep from Counselling service ( To be confirmed upon funding approval)

How will Afloat benefit the Bundaberg Region?

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES To acknowledge and record the physical, Digital stories (Copies will be kept in the environmental and social impacts that the floods Bundaberg Regional Library), QR Code and had on the Bundaberg Regional communities. Woven Stories Help residents express their sense of loss, grief Digital Stories, stage performances, AFLOAT and make meaning of what has happened. Community Event, Footprints Project, Bring communities back together and celebrate AFLOAT Community Event, Boat Stage, the community achievements during and after Footprints Project the floods. To provide an avenue for residents to share Digital stories, QR Code and Woven Stories, stories and capture an important story of the Footprints Project. region.

Flexible Funding Guidelines

∗ Pilot project for building community resilience through arts led recovery projects. ∗ State Government are keen to promote Bundaberg as the shining example of effective use of the flood recovery money. Building Community Capacity and Resilience

∗ These projects give residents an opportunity to share their story of rebuilding their lives and homes and to share the challenges, hearing these stories can help strengthen an individuals connection to the region regardless of whether they have been directly affected by the flood waters.

∗ Through the inclusion of a counsellor there is the opportunity to reach individuals who may not actively seek support.

∗ These projects give individuals and the community an opportunity to work together in a number of arts mediums.

∗ It is very important to ensure that skills are passed on to the local community therefore projects such as the digital stories will include the opportunity for a local to be mentored throughout the process and therefore encouraging skills and experience to remain within our community for future projects.

∗ This project has the potential to generate arts and cultural activity that will contribute to the sustainability of our region.

Healing and Community Support

∗ An arts experience can result in intrinsic impacts such as spiritual awakening, emotional resonance, personal and professional development. Through direct hands on experience with projects such as Woven Stories, Footprints and Digital Storytelling individuals are given the opportunity to develop new creative skills.

∗ As mentioned earlier the inclusion of a counsellor in this project is integral to provide the emotional support that individuals may need.

Community Connectedness and Identity

∗ These individual arts projects can individually help the participants directly involved and then brings these projects together in a public celebration. The flow on effect to the wider community brings social impacts such as a shared celebration, community cohesion, shared empathy because it is close to home, social bonding and community engagement.

∗ To date the flood recovery process in this region has focussed predominantly on the physical restoration of buildings, roads etc. It is now time to acknowledge and work with the social aspects of this disaster and build a stronger community identity.

∗ The AFLOAT community event is a way to involve the wider community so that they can ‘hear’ and emphasise with the personal stories.

Communication and Planning for the Community’s Future and Disaster Preparedness

∗ Throughout this process and through the culmination of each of these projects the community will be having direct input into identifying what their needs were and what could be put into place to help manage this regions recovery in the future. As this is an unknown for this region it is an important process to identify what was unique to us. This will also allow us to be better prepared in the future on how to manage the social impacts and requirements and not just the physical elements of disaster recovery. Bundaberg Regional Council

Bundaberg Region 2031 - A Connected Community Full of Life ∗ Community Priorities – Safeguarding our wellbeing, Connecting our Community, Enhancing our quality lifestyle. ∗ An Empowered and Creative Place Goals – A community that values the arts and culture, Our culture, identity and heritage being valued, documented and preserved, A culture of learning.

Bundaberg Regional Council Corporate Plan 2009 – 2014 Key Outcomes and Strategies – A vibrant, inclusive and caring community. A safe, active and healthy community, a culture of learning, a community that values the arts and culture and our culture, identity and heritage being valued.

Enhancing and Celebrating our Lifestyle and Creativity – Bundaberg Region Cultural Plan Key issues: Developing a creative region and economy, facilitating effective communication and co-ordination, enhancing the cultural values of our natural and built environment and defining and promoting our image, identity and lifestyle.

Bundaberg Region Social Development Plan Key Outcomes: Safer and secure communities, strong local communities and our heritage valued.

Thank You

∗ Afloat is a multi-faceted project to allow individuals, groups and the community as a whole to use creativity through a number of mediums to commemorate a significant moment in local history, celebrate the resilience of our region and record these thoughts, feelings and stories for generations to come. ∗ Economic, social and cultural benefits to our region.