Soft Skills for the Home Front
Soft Skills for the Home Front
History
Location
The Waterfront Gallery, Deakin University, Geelong.Start date
2023-04-26End date
2023-05-14Research statement
Background Curated by Shelley Hannigan & funded by Geelong Arts & Cultural Heritage, this new research outcome responded to an invitation by the curator Shelley Hannigan to research heritage stories from the Geelong Heritage Library & respond through practice-based research methodologies. Heritage is a troubled term in light of Australia’s history of colonisation and Indigenous genocide. This curated exhibition invited artists to engage consciously on the deep history of the Country on which we work and make art, whilst also storying aspects of post invasion history, with a particular focus on textile arts in Australia and in particular the Geelong region. Contribution My work ‘Soft Skills' engaged with specific stories held by the Geelong Heritage Centre, specifically the way women adapted crafting skills to make objects of war (blackout curtains & camouflage nets) in Geelong. By applying practice-based research methods, these stories were reimagined and shared with the public in new ways that extended beyond the walls of the library; revitalising local knowledge and fostering a greater understanding of the layered narratives that contribute to the present cultural landscape. This research also considered the traditional skills indigenous Australian's contribute to these technologies through net making. Significance This work created dialogue with the local community about the value of women's 'soft skills' to society, invited a broad audience to reflect on their connection to the history of the Geelong region & the broader issues of heritage and colonisation, through an expanded textile practice. The work highlighted crossovers that exist between domestic craft skills & indigenous knowledges that are often overlooked, showing how they were utilised during WWII. The work significantly contributed to the field of textile practice by specifically engaging with a heritage collection and through methods of installation-art practice which expanded art and heritage audiences.Publication classification
JO4 Original Creative Works – OtherScale
NTRO OtherExtent
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Geelong Arts and Cultural Heritage and Shelley HanniganPlace of publication
The Waterfront Gallery, Deakin University, Geelong.Usage metrics
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