The Snake Run | Vancouver Arts Centre
Regional Arts WA
The Snake Run was a large-scale community arts project delivered by Vancouver Arts Centre in partnership with the Perth International Arts Festival 2016 Great Southern Program. The project celebrated the 40th anniversary of one of the oldest skate parks in the world, and the incredible support generated within the Albany community during its creation in 1976 by a bunch of surfers and high school students.
The Snake Run went on to become infamous amongst the skateboarding community, and to this day is recognised world-wide as a track that must be done. The Snake Run has been heritage listed by the state of Western Australia.
The project delivered multiple-streams of activity, amongst them: oral histories of the park’s creators and first skaters; urban art project with Chad Marwick that saw the creation of 164 stencils that ‘inked the skin’ of the snake slithering the length of the run; short documentary by Matt and Tim Zaffir that investigated the international significance of the Snake Run and the role of the community in its creation; contemporary dance performance combining locals interspersed with professional artists.
Project Name: The Snake Run
Funding Recipient: Vancouver Arts Centre
Amount Approved: $50,000 per annum
Funding Program: Core Arts Fund Peak Category and Regional Arts Legacy Grants
Region: Great Southern
“The project delivered paid employment for a total of 27 artists, of which 17 were regionally based. Due to the partnership with PIAF, substantial resources made possible a three week creative development period for the team that directly contributed to a high-quality artistic outcome. Almost all artists live in the Great Southern and the skills development achieved through this project has already had an impact on their future work.” Amber Perryman, Vancouver Arts Centre Coordinator
