A community arts and cultural development project offering employment for regional artists to lead community engagement arts projects.

September 2022-March 2024

Project Alchemy, spanned five Local Government Areas (LGAs) across three States and Territories including the ACT, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, Bega Valley Shire, Eurobodalla Shire and East Gippsland. Project Alchemy consisted of a series of innovative, inclusive and cross-disciplinary arts programs, building community connection and wellbeing across regions of south-east Australia affected by the Black Summer Bushfires.

Logo for Project Alchemy featuring stylized text, two blue hands holding a red heart surrounded by green leaves.

About Project Alchemy

In August 2022, Rebus Theatre Company put a call out for applications from artists residing in five Local Government Areas affected by the Black Summer bushfires of 2021/22. Three artists from each LGA where selected to develop and deliver community arts projects in their bushfire affected hometown regions. The artists came together with Rebus staff over two weeklong residencies to network, skill share and receive training in trauma informed practice and arts led community recovery projects. The residencies occurred in November 2022 (Eurobodalla) and February 2023 (East Gippsland). The effect of these residencies was profound on the artists and Rebus staff alike. It was clear to us all that this project had the capacity to make deep impacts in the communities that were still struggling two years after the fires.

Each artist received funding and a project budget for the development and delivery of community arts projects in their communities. Many artists decided to collaborate across regions with their colleagues. The artists reported great benefit from the resources and structured support from Rebus and ‘Project Alchemy’ in assisting them to create community art programs, events and performances.

As they delivered their programs, the artists built networks and developed new partnerships to attract future funding and ongoing investment by community stakeholders beyond the life of the project.

Project Alchemy wrapped up with a final residency and exhibition showcasing work from all the projects in Canberra and Queanbeyan in March 2024.

Poster for the Rebus Theatre and Project Alchemy presenting the Alchemy exhibition from February 23 to March 17, 2024, featuring a woman with face paint and moss, being examined by a person with a magnifying glass. It highlights arts-based projects responding to Black Summer Fires, and includes viewing hours, location details at The Queanbeyan Hive Gallery in NSW, and logos of supporting organizations.

The Artists

LGA of Eurobodalla Shire: Brinja-Yuin/Yuin Country

Val Moogz

Elise May

A woman with red hair and a wide smile, wearing a black sleeveless top, standing against a plain white background.
A woman with short hair, glasses, and tattoos playing an acoustic guitar outdoors at night.
A woman with short, blonde hair smiling outdoors with trees and bushes in the background, wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt and a dark vest.

Deb Cleland

LGA of QPRC: Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country and Walbanga Country/Yuin Nation

An older woman with curly gray hair sitting in front of orange flowers and a wooden fence, wearing a green patterned shirt.
A black and white portrait of a middle-aged woman with short, wavy hair, smiling, wearing a patterned shirt with a lace-up collar.

Cecile Galiazzo

Helen Ferguson

A woman with light skin, light brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a black shirt and pink overalls, standing in front of a piano in a room with wooden walls.

Kelly Sturgiss

LGA of Bega Valley Shire: Djiringanj Country/Yuin Nation

Robyn Williams

Mica Mahani

A woman with red hair in a red dress standing outdoors in a wooded area.
A woman with long brown hair wearing a blue top, smiling, with a background of scientific illustrations and photographs of various species.
A woman with short gray hair and a blue sweater taking a selfie outdoors near a window with a reflection of trees and the sky.

Sue Norman

LGA of East Gippsland: Gunaikurnai Country and Bidwell-Maap/Yuin-Monero Country

Sammy Hawker

Michele Grimstone

A man sitting on the ground outdoors surrounded by leaves and debris, holding a violin and bow, with a rusty metal tank in the background.
A man with gray hair and a beard smiling and looking down in a room with large windows, colorful abstract wall art, and shelves filled with boxes and art supplies.

Padma Newsome

Lee Nickless

A woman performing a dance move against a dark background, with her arms raised and her head tilted back.

Susannah Keebler

LGA of ACT: Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country

A woman with brown hair, wearing a floral jacket and a black shirt, standing in front of a gray metal wall.
A woman with long dark hair taking a selfie with a smartphone on a brick wall.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black top and an elaborate silver necklace, standing outdoors in front of a colorful mural of a row of payphones, with fallen leaves on the ground.

Hangama Obaidullah

The Projects

Colorful poster advertising school holiday workshops for kids and teens, including activities like dance, art, yoga, creative play, connection, mindfulness, and resilience, hosted by Rebus Theatre's Project Alchemy.
Event poster for 'Wonder Walks with Cecile Galiazzo' on Saturday, October 28, from 10 am to 4 pm at Dog Leg Farm. The background displays a garden with pink and purple flowers, trees, and branches.
A flyer for Rebus Theatre's Project Alchemy presents Movement Jam, a drop-in session happening Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Batemans Bay Foreshore, opposite Headspace. The event runs from November 16, 2023, and features hula hoops, silk fans, sock poi, juggling balls or BYO props. The flyer shows a person hula hooping outdoors with a blue sky background and colorful text overlays.
A person dressed in a costume made of plastic and lights, holding a pink glowing ball in one hand and a blue glowing ball in the other. The costume includes a white curly wig and a flowing dress illuminated with LED lights, set against a dark background.
Flyer for the East Gippsland Winter Festival featuring a large moon with black moth silhouettes, neon outline drawings of two moth dancers with costumes, and text about event dates, times, and activities.
A colorful poster for a garden party event titled 'Radical Hope in the Garden,' featuring floral graphics in purple and blue, hosted by Rebus Theatre and Project Alchemy, with details about the event date, time, location, and sponsors.
Colorful illustration of a person in a boat on a river, with mountains in the background. Text reads 'Nye on the River of Life' and 'Understanding Trauma and the Brain.'
Event poster for "Princesses of Planting," organized by Rebus Theatre and Project Alchemy. Features a woman in costume with raised arms, standing in front of a group of people in a forest. Text indicates details for a secret location event on June 18 from 11AM-2PM, with hot meal provided. Sponsored by Australian Government and other organizations.
Event flyer for Project Alchemy's one-day exhibition and workshop titled 'Nature Stories.' It announces the event on Saturday, 11/11/23, from 10:30 am to 4 pm in the supper room at Cobargo SoA Hall. The flyer includes details for morning tea and two workshops: a slow stitching workshop with Michele Grimston from 12 to 2 pm, and an eco-dyeing workshop with Robyn Williams from 1 to 4 pm. The background shows craft materials, newspapers, and images related to the event.
Colorful poster for a forest-themed theatrical event featuring children, bears, and a lush forest background. Event details include date, time, location, and performers.
The poster features a person sitting in a lavender field with two people standing and embracing in the background. The title reads 'No Dancing No Singing No Minding,' and it promotes a production by Rebus Theatre and Project Alchemy.
Event poster for a performance titled "The Children of Destiny and the Tiger of Doom" by Rebus Theatre's Project Alchemy and Candelo Arts Society, scheduled for 3 PM on April 22 at Candelo Town Hall during Candelo Village Festival. The poster features a vibrant, multicolored tiger face surrounded by flowers and depicts children dancing in a line.
Flyer for beginner drum and guitar workshops for kids and teens, including schedules, locations, and prices, with musical instrument illustrations in the background.
Poster for a poetry arts and literature event organized by Rebus Theatre and Project Alchemy featuring a woman speaking into a microphone while reading from a paper, with a woman in the background, outdoors with greenery and purple flowers.
Poster for 'Hidden Sonics,' an interactive performance/workshop by Rebus Theatre and Project Alchemy, scheduled at various halls from January 16th to 19th, free to attend, no musical experience necessary, with a website link and logos of supporting organizations.
Poster for 'Think & Create Outside the Square,' an art exhibition and competition from October 12-28, 2023, with recycled art theme, hosted at The Queanbeyan Hive, promoting prizes, and sponsorship details.
A promotional graphic for a weekend immersion in yoga and creativity, featuring six images: hands shaping clay, a sunset over the ocean, a woman practicing yoga on the beach, ocean waves on the shore, a woman practicing yoga indoors, and a person writing in a journal. The text includes 'Weekend Immersion Yoga & Creativity,' with logos for 'Wellbeing in Motion' and 'Project Alchemy'.

The Exhibition

The Residencies

 

 The Project Alchemy Project Alchemy artists came together with Rebus staff over two weeklong residencies to network, skill share and receive training in trauma informed practice and arts led community recovery projects. The residencies occurred in November 2022 (Eurobodalla) and February 2023 (East Gippsland). The effect of these residencies was profound on the artists and Rebus staff alike. It was clear to us all that this project had the capacity to make deep impacts in the communities that were still struggling two years after the fires.