Stirling St Arts Centre: Bunbury Summer School
Regional Arts WA
Over two weeks in January 2016, Stirling St Arts Centre co-ordinated Bunbury Summer School—a program of over 200 workshops including arts, craft, health, sport, culture, food, music and dance. The workshops were attended by participants of all ages and abilities from the South West region, and were made accessible to all with some workshops offered free of charge.
Participant feedback indicated that a very high percentage rated their Summer School workshops as an excellence experience, and a 40% increase from 2015 participant numbers shows the continual growth of the program. A major highlight from the fortnight included the cultural activities run by local Noongar artist Troy Bennell (Nglang Wongi), who shared the history, stories and traditions of the region in an engaging and interactive way.
The Bunbury Summer School is grounded in the surrounding community, forging partnerships with local artists, community groups, businesses, local government and the Indigenous community to further enhance Stirling St Arts Centre’s ability to provide opportunities and artistic development to participants.
The Bunbury Summer School creates a fun and interactive artistic environment, contributing to participant’s sense of worth and the mental wellness and connectedness of the wider community.
Project Name: Bunbury Summer School
Funded organisation: Stirling St Arts Centre
Amount approved: $12,050
Funding program: Regional Arts Fund: Project Fund
Region: South West
“The social impacts of Bunbury Summer School cannot be overstated. One of the recurring statements from participant feedback is how much fun people have learning as a group. This social aspect is as important as the learning itself. As a direct result of Bunbury Summer School 2016, some participants have gone on to join existing groups or form their own”.
