Information and Exchange Information Cultural | 26th Annual 26th Report | January to December 2009 26th January to Annual Report December 2009 ice.org.au 26th January to Annual Report December 2009 Contents Overview of ICE 4 Creative Enterprise Program (CEP) 29 ICEMAP: The Visual Guide to ICE 6 CEP: Create Media 30 Chairperson’s Report 8 CEP: Switch and Switch Academy 32 Executive Director’s Report 9 CEP: Artfiles 34 Cultural Development Program (CDP) 10 CEP: Connect: ICE’s Community IT Project 36 CDP: Youth Digital Cultures 11 Making Links 36 Project 5 15 CEP: Consultancy Services: Parenting Stories 37 SBS TV Campaign 15 “Raising Kids Together” Wins Award 38 CDP: The Urban Music Project 16 CEP: Consultancy Services: Refugee Legal Information DVD 39 CDP: Hip Hop Projections IV 17 CEP: Consultancy Services: Mt Druitt DV Campaign 39 CDP: Project Collaborations 18 Research and Policy Program 40 CDP: Arab Film Festival Australia 19 Lena Nahlous Named Creative Catalyst 41 CDP: Digitales 21 Cybermohalla 41 CDP: Western Sydney Screen Culture 23 People, Partners and Supporters 42 CDP: Tropwest 24 Financial Statements 46 CDP: DigiDiaries 25 Digital Refuge 26 CDP: East London West Sydney 27 KP11 Exhibition 28 Overview of ICE In 2009… With over 100 nationalities calling it home, Parramatta Council), and Artfiles, its Greater Western Sydney is one of the most artist support program and directory. culturally diverse communities in the world. ICE also has also had huge success in This complex region is currently exploding delivering digital media, community with stories, global influences, fresh development and arts programs that interpretations and new collaborations. It’s engage thousands of individuals, artists here that Australia’s changing multicultural and communities annually. It’s known and identity is being imagined and realised, and respected for projects with newly arrived ICE is at the centre of this process. migrants and refugees, and young people Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) at risk. works at the intersection of arts, culture, Now entering its third decade, ICE has technology and community. ICE projects expanded rapidly. It is a key producer for the engage diverse communities, build capacity Australia Council and a driving force behind in digital media and arts practice, and tell the successful Arab Film Festival Australia. the stories of this extraordinary place. It’s also a dynamic and committed team of From its new expanded premises in the people who stretch themselves and their heart of Parramatta, ICE manages its resources to the limit, delivering new, flagship programs — Switch, its digital arts exciting programs to meet the creative access centre (in partnership with needs of Sydney’s charismatic west. 4 5 ICEMAP: the Visual Guide to ICE 1 Innovation 2 Incubation 3 Capacity 4 Communication 5 Alliances 6 Continuity Generate fresh forms of Seed new arts, Build capacity of socially- Amplify Western Sydney’s Build strategic alliances Develop sustainable cross-cultural expression community and digital excluded communities to diverse and creative and partnerships to operations so programs GOALS and models of community media enterprises, share their stories, voices through the strengthen operations build momentum and digital engagement. projects and practices deepen participation and exhibition and promotion and boost creativity. provide genuine pathways to sustainability. effect change. of bold new work. for ongoing participation within and beyond ICE. Cultural Development Program 134 5 Creative Enterprise Program 123 6 With a program that includes hip-hop theatre productions, digital storytelling and a This program seeds new enterprises, develops employment and professional national film festival, the Cultural Development Program encourages collaborations development opportunities for artists and communities and supports creative and between diverse communities and the arts sectors, to develop new models for CCD entrepreneurial leadership. It manages projects such as Artfiles, Switch Digital Arts practice and produce exciting new digital works. This program also supports artists Access Centre and is overseeing the establishment of ICE’s Creative Enterprise Hub. and creative workers via a range of professional development initiatives. KEY KEY PROGRAMS 1 Supports and progresses cultural development in Western Sydney, developing new 1 Seeds creative social enterprises, and develops employment, training and professional models of practice development opportunities for creative producers and artists in communities 2 Produces high-quality community-led media projects with a focus on urban culture 2 Builds digital capacity of ICE and other organisations 3 Develops strategic interventions that connect communities and cultural institutions 3 Strengthens capacity for ICE to become sustainable, providing revenue-generating services, including producing media products and campaigns, running digital arts and 4 Provides access to digital media and technology to communities who typically lack media training and hire of Switch centre and equipment. access 4 Identifies and develops new markets, business and sponsorship opportunities to 5 Skills and builds capacity through professional development, mentorship and support ICE’s growth and sustainability partnerships 5 Enables professional development, profile, pathways and opportunities for Western Sydney artists Research | WORKS ACROSS PROGRAMS Operations | WORKS ACROSS PROGRAMS Synergy Positions ICE as a key generator and repository of new knowledge and innovations for the ICE is underpinned by its operations team, which ICE programs work together to cultural sector. Generates dialogue and research within ICE and across the sector around supports all programs, strengthens organisational mutually reinforce and support intersections of culture, arts, technology and community in Western Sydney and spearheads infrastructure, develops efficient systems, and outcomes, fill gaps, break new innovative research and development. ensures our sustainability and economic viability. ground and make connections. 6 © Information and Cultural Exchange, 2010 7 Chairperson’s Report Executive Director’s Report As Chair of the Board of ICE I am very pleased to take the chance, in this report, to celebrate and reflect on ICE’s extraordinary achievements, not only during the past year, As a grassroots and independent arts brilliant work. Highlights of the year included but also across two and half decades of organisation, ICE has an important role to staging hip-hop theatre work-in-progress creative and cultural development work in play in the complex ecosystem of social East London West Sydney with the British Western Sydney. creativity. Our work fosters vibrant, diverse Council (p27); Vietnamese Stories, which In recent times, while maintaining our and cosmopolitan voices in our society. brought generations together through digital fundamental commitment to all our In 2009 we expanded our vision of being storytelling and our powerful new screen collaborators in Western Sydney, ICE has a digital arts hub for Western Sydney to one work in Penrith’s Koori Youth Yarn-Up (p14). spread its influence to the national and internationally in the next few years. that not only produces outstanding work but Meanwhile the Arab Film Festival Australia international level. For example, over the past This year ICE has moved to larger can also physically host media makers, (p19) took its celebration of Arab stories to a 12 months, we have developed exciting premises. The new building is, admittedly, screen producers, sound and music artists national audience for the first time. projects with creative communities directly something of a “renovator’s delight”, but the and communities. We moved into larger Our dedicated and hardworking Board connected to the Middle East, London, Hong terms of tenancy are extraordinarily premises in the heart of Parramatta and have provided the backbone and support to Kong and Vietnam. Also, our continuing generous, and we are indeed delighted to received a substantial capital works grant ICE to enable this growth. Thank you to all involvement with the Arab Film Festival report that we have secured a significant of $1.5 million from the Federal Government’s the Board, and particularly our committed Australia has seen us consolidating Federal Government infrastructure grant to Department of Education, Employment and dynamic Chairperson Ross Gibson. partnerships around Australia, with the assist us with the costs of making the new and Training. Growing up in Western Sydney I was Australian Centre for the Moving Image and building exactly fit for all our purposes. With We also secured three significant State constantly told that you can’t make a “real” the National Film and Sound Archive these improvements to be implemented in the Government grants towards this work and living from your art. So it’s now a great becoming partners in the nationwide tour of first half of 2010, we look forward to entered a partnership with the Parramatta privilege to lead an organisation that is the festival. delivering exciting new programs and Catholic Diocese who have subsidised supporting artists to realise their creative In recent years we have developed intensified engagement with all our partners our tenancy. dreams. important new agreements with our major and communities over the coming years. In 2010 our new premises will house a funding partners, enabling us to plan more Working with ICE, my gratitude