Hi, my name is Annie Edney, and I’m a Melbourne-based artist, inspired by the natural environment and social harmony.
Through a bit of yummy serendipity, I have an amazing opportunity to work at the esteemed Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, at the same time as being offered an arts residency in Ireland where the Convent project can be the focus of my research and experimentation.
Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders challenges the way we value elders in our community and encourages awareness of the ripple affects our thoughts and actions have on our fragile natural world.
Further information about my work can be found on www.annieedney.org
This is me … and some images from my ecclectic arts practice
In January of this year the prestigious Abbotsford Convent secured a partnership with me, as independent artist, to research and develop the pilot project for a program of Community Engagement arts projects. This project is separately funded.
Abbotsford Convent
It is such an honour. Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders encourages thoughtfulness about how we value our elders, and provides safe spaces for participants to consider the worth of our elders to the broader community. A strong focus of my work over the past twenty years has been building resilience within communities via educative engaging arts projects.
And then I was offered the chance of a lifetime – an arts residency at the Burren College of Art in Ireland!
Burren College of Arts
I get to talk with faculty staff across a four week residency, have accommodation at the College, 24/7 access to a studio, to faculty resources, talks and events … all in the incredible historic Newton Castle that houses the Burren College of Art, set in the hauntingly beautiful Burren landscape.
I’ll be able to research ways of bringing the wisdom of our elders into everyday life. It seems entirely appropriate to be preparing, studying and researching in a historic building in Ireland, for working in a historic building in Melbourne, on a project about Eldership!
Elders take the long view on culture and the world, offering perspectives honed by experience and strengthening community for facing critical emerging challenges. Communication across generations holds the energy and wisdom for a vibrant future, and it is through the inclusion of our elders that a restorative cultural resilience can grow in the heart of our community.
I will be making individual artworks of each participants thoughts which will be installed across the Convent site as I make them. Towards the end of the project we will show all the work made for Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders so that participating tenants and artists can show friends and family. I will also give a series of talks for the public.
By sharing stories in public places the sense of belonging is enhanced, and community capacity is strengthened. It’s important work, and Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders will be evaluated to assess the outcomes we set out to achieve, providing valuable evidence based documentation for the Arts sector.
This Pozible campaign is to support my arts residency at the Burren College of Art in Ireland, and enable me to research, fine-tune a robust project design, and experiment with video making and projection installation methods. It ensures that Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders is as magnificent as it can be.
Timeline of key events
Aug-Oct 2017 Annie to Burren College of Art residency in Ireland
Jan 2018 Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders funding announced (for Convent project)
Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders project announced via Convent media.
Curated dinner for Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders participants and team
Feb-July 2018 Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders continues including monthly installations and artist talks
July 2018 Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders community celebration
Aug 2018 Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders artworks in exhibition beyond the Convent
How The Funds Will Be Used
To take up the residency I need to get there!
The Pozible campaign covers air fares, accommodation, residency fees and living expenses.
Air fare Melb-Galway and Transport to Burren College of Arts $2500
Accommodation at the Burren College of Arts $1000
Residency fees and Living expenses $4250
Pozible campaign fees $ 250
TOTAL: $8000
Extra funds will be fed into Valuing The Stories Of Our Elders to hire bigger projectors, allow more paid time for the artistic team, more detailed evaluation of the project, increased promotional opportunities, develop exhibitions outside the Convent deepening the experience for participants and audiences.