ACCOMPLICE Annual Review 2019

2019

ACCOMPLICE Annual review

Britt Guy

Creative Director ACCOMPLICE years as we hit the

ACCOMPLICE would like to acknowledge the Larrakia Traditional Owners of the land on which we create, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.

We would also like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and future from across the Northern Territory where we spend time creating, developing and sharing.

ground at full speed in January creatively producing the Arafura Games Opening and Closing Ceremony that were presented in April and May. ACCOMPLICE took on this project in partnership with an amazing team and artists, as I wanted to create a largescale event that was of exceptional quality and showcased NT artists and arts workers, while presenting a program that was predominantly made of First Nation creatives.

To be honest part of me wanted to prove a point, I have sat in various rooms over the years listening to too many conversations about what cannot be achieved in the NT, whether it is due to a lack of experienced staff or the assumption that a community event showcasing community performers cannot also be of exceptional creative quality. I am proud to say in partnership with Artistic Director Ben Graetz and a stellar team we delivered what I believe was a beautiful event that truly captured the cultural diversity of the NT, highlighting Indigenous performers of our region, while employing a team

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of over 65 staff (all but 2 from the NT!).

Season commissioned experimental multidisciplinary artists to make work

I hit the road post Arafura Games to

in response to the Build Up under the

undertake the second leg of the NT

guidance of cultural advisor Uncle

Travelling Film Festival (NTTFF), how

Tony, a Larrakia man. A time of year

quickly it had grown from 2018 to

only experienced in the tropics in the

2019. We definitely felt some growing

lead up to the Wet Season. 14 artists

pains as we grew quickly and had to

contributed artistic rituals across a

learn many lessons from broken trailer

sweaty day in late November, across

axles to unknown river crossing that

community spaces in the suburbs.

required quick changes to tour plans.

It was a day committed to following

However, we delivered the cinema in

the pace and energy of the season,

all locations as planned and have a

embracing creating experimental site-

long list of communities keen for it to

specific community art experiences

visit in 2020. NTTFF is a really special

that saw artists, audience and

event, and it was fantastic to work

environment become entangled. It

with communities to identify specific

was bliss for me at the end of a year

programs for specific audiences

that had at times been a little too fast

including our Returning to Country

and loud, and left me wondering how

program that focused on presenting

to tell ACCOMPLICE to slow down.

films from particular places or about particular people in those places on the

However, that in essence is the

big screen. A highlight being the chance

interesting thing about ACCOMPLICE,

to premiere Top End Wedding on the

as an organisation it has held space

Tiwi Islands. The Football field was

for a significant number of projects

packed!

and artists, becoming a vessel to explore and also realise ideas over a

Finally, to close out the year was a

period of time. However, as the rain

new program that has been bubbling

arrives it often returns to just being

away in my head, heart and body since

me for a moment before the next

I moved to Larrakia Country. Sweat

cycle begins.

2019 Annual Review

2019 had a different pace to previous

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What Drives Us ACCOMPLICE is a nimble, responsive and culturally trusted creative company that is focused on creating high quality arts and cultural experiences in the Northern Territory that showcase and build capacity in our community, audiences and arts and cultural practitioners.

Community Capacity Building

We draw influence, energy and identity from Australia’s regions, providing space and time for community to cultivate cultural connections.

We cultivate a depth and breadth of sustainable cultural experiences and infrastructure for diverse communities to connect with.

Developing art with artists and audience

Cross Cultural Collaboration

ACCOMPLICE was born out of a desire to reimagine the structure of cultural organisations, moving away from the traditional format.

We build on cultural, geographic and social ties with Asian, Pacific and regional Australian practitioners, organisations and networks sustaining long-term relationships.

collaborate in new ways, dedicated

development, sharing, presentation

to creating outcomes that have real

and evaluation.

impact, measured through:

• A financially sustainable • Agile business model that allows for

to sustain the core operations, and

projects involving considered risk

drawing together business and

can be undertaken to continue to

not-for-profit partnerships and

grow and respond,

project basis to access the best skills and experience for the job, while also

• Innovative ways of working – we regularly ask why and how we do what we do, • Boundary crossing programming

Dedicated to creating outcomes that have real impact, measured through: • Qualitative artist and audience feedback, • Quantitative collection of key statistics, • Partnership brokerage mapping of development and maintenance of

committed to bridging experience

that captures current needs and

partnerships and relationships with

gaps for creatives living in the regions

utilises emerging and future

a focus on deep listening and long-

and those in cities looking to gain

partnerships.

term partnership growth.

experience in a regional context.

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allow us to share, experience, and

that provides authentic space for

instinctual business growth, so that

ACCOMPLICE employs staff on a

practices for creating environments

• An artistically sustainable program

harnessing commercial opportunities

funding to build large-scale projects.

ACCOMPLICE is interested in the best that can disrupt the norms, and

organisation.

We operate as a cultural enterprise,

We provide opportunities for professional artists to develop and produce work within a regional context.

ACCOMPLICE is committed to maintaining:

2019 Annual Review

Connecting Northern Australia

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Seven Seasons

November

Weaving workshops with Territory Schools for Arafura Games

The Inaugural Sweat Season, a day of durational performance works developed by the sweat collective and delivered across seven Local sites

March NT Travelling Film Festival Tour #1 commences in Central Australia

The Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) yearly calendar, which tracks the seasonal change of our home

Weaving workshops with Territory Schools for Arafura Games

in Garrmalang (Darwin), is divided into seven seasons that cycle through each year.

The seasonal change of the Top End, it’s lulls, explosions, gusts and buildups have been an echo to the ebbs and flows of our 2019, and the many seeds we have sown and seen grow throughout the year.

September Vibrant Polymer Clay Earrings workshop with Shona from Salvation Jewellery

Balnba º Rainy season

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April ARAFURA GAMES Opening Ceremony with event partner Party Passport NT Travelling Film Festival Tour #2 commences in Northern Australia

Dalay º Monsoon season Mayilema º speargrass, Magpie Goose egg and knock ‘em down season Damibila º Barramundi and bush fruit time

July Homemade tonics, tinctures, syrups and cordials workshop with Danny Crichton Nona and Me Development

Dinidjanggama º heavy dew time Gurrulwa º big wind time Dalirrgang º build-up

Darwin Fringe Festival The ACCOMPLICE shopfront transforms into an intimate theatre, presenting three LGBTQIA+ performance works from across Australia: The Measure of a Man, Pussy Play, Wank Bank masterclASS

May June ‘Handbuilding with clay’ and ‘Building a Collection’ pottery workshops with Bonnie Hislop RAIIN Queer Blak Performance development Formation of the Sweat Collective

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ARAFURA GAMES closing ceremony Intentional Venues presentation as part of MAP conference Vibrant Polymer Clay Earrings workshop with Shona from Salvation Jewellery Dtown Sings with David Garnham

2019 Annual Review

ACCOMPLICE in 2019 focussed on NT stories and artists as we delivered programs across the Northern Territory.

February

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Connecting with Northern Australia Whether it’s connecting physically across vast distances, or artistically across cultures, ages and languages, this year’s program was all about celebrating NT artists and communities.

2019 saw the return of the Arafura

groups that call Larrakia Country home.

country. Internationally renowned

Games to Darwin, an event that

Producing an event that captured the

film The Songkeepers was screened

historically had been a community

joy of our multicultural community.

in Areyonga and Ntaria, home of the stars’ family and friends, who had

highlight, connecting local residents with the regions and people

The Closing Ceremony was a tribute

not yet had the opportunity to see the

surrounding the Arafura Sea.

to the Arafura Sea and its people,

film. In Ngukurr the exciting growth of

ACCOMPLICE, in partnership with

with beautiful under the sea artworks

Ngukurr Story Projects, a community

Party Passport, won the tender to

created by eight local schools in

film project, meant we were able to

deliver the Opening and Closing

partnership with Aly de Groot and

showcase completely local talent on

Ceremonies.

the Groote Eylandt Weavers. Original

the big screen. While in our tourist

music was scored and sung by Shellie

locations we continued to share NT

The Opening Ceremony began

Morris, Leah Flanagan and Stevie Jean,

stories and culture in our incredible

with a 45min Larrakia Welcome

wishing visiting athletes safe travel

landscape.

and smoking ceremony designed

home while showcasing the talent and

in partnership with members from

culture of the Top End to audiences of

Through our ongoing Queer Blak

all eight Larrakia families, creating

thousands for each event.

Project, Ben Graetz’s residency saw

neighbours to Larrakia land, while

For the second year it was a privilege

Australia to spend time on Larrakia

also producing a significant cultural

to pull into NT communities with

Country as he developedRAIIN, a new

experience for locals. This was

the Northern Territory Traveling

cabaret work for bush footy fields

followed by a dance showcase of

Film Festival. In 2019 the program

and big city Spiegeltents about being

the diverse community and cultural

committed to taking stories back to

Queer and Indigenous in Australia.

“Darwin is my birth place and my home. It has shaped who I am as a person and an artist. Many of my most cherished memories involve the numerous community events that I was a part of while growing up in Darwin. This included the Arafura Games Opening. and Closing ceremonies. I am so thrilled now, as an adult, to come full circle and to be the Artistic Director of this extraordinary event.” ben graetz 8

2019 Annual Review

five Indigenous artists from across

a special opportunity to welcome

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Community Capacity Building Partnering with communities and artists as their creative accomplice continues to forge new possibilities and build creative futures. was designed to create uniquely local

ambitious film scene, and we’re proud

content while also connecting remote

to support it with our Northern Territory

creatives with Territory organisations

The ACCOMPLICE workshops

Travelling Film Festival community

that can act as future clients.

program, that partners with artisans and creative makers to offer bespoke

workshop program where we work

“Incredibly rewarding and humbling, I was given access and insights into culture and trusted with stories, it was overwhelming the positive response and openness from the community film makers to be involved”

in partnership with local arts and

In Ngukkur we supported a writers

opportunities to share craft and

community organisations, filmmakers

room by supporting a translator to

process, included Brisbane ceramicist

and schools to create capacity building

be part of the process produced

Bonnie Hislop, and enabled locals

opportunities that are responsive to

by Ngukurr Story Projects crafting

Salvation Jewellery and Lucky Bat’s

each community and aim to build upon

pilot scripts for a new comedy serial

Danny Crichton to deliver workshops

skills each year..

based in the community called The

to the public for the first time. This

Shady Ladeez. We visited schools in

program is loved by participants

In partnership with Power and Water

Tennant Creek, bringing experts into

who sign up to learn a new skill

we commissioned creative partners

the classroom, and in Gunbalanya and

while connecting with like-minded

Tangentyere Artists and PAW Media

Maningrida we supported the creation

community members, and for the

to create ads with key messages

of 10 new short films involving

facilitators is an opportunity to

identified by local artists/filmmakers

the Barbara Women’s Art Centre,

translate a passion into another

which will be utilised by Power and

Indigenous Rangers program, and

creative entrepreneurial outcome.

Water across the NT and will travel

school and youth programs where we

with the 2020 NTTFF. This project

taught young film makers camera and

2019 Annual Review

Amy hetherington

recording skills.

Regional and remote NT has a vibrant,

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Developing art with audiences and artists Our inaugural Sweat Season program

We formed the Sweat Collective, an

D*town Sings was a moment of

matched the pace, locations, and

interdisciplinary group of Darwin

community togetherness, a place

activities of our local audiences during

artists, to explore this time of year

where pub goers, community

a sweaty, complicated, vibrant time

with us and to create considered, risky,

members, and performers from

of year, when the Build Up morphs

new experiments that involved the

Darwin’s many community choirs

into the Wet. This durational day of

convergence of audiences, the weather,

came together to sing as one, hosted

participatory experiments involved 35

culture, and site. ACCOMPLICE will

by local musicians David Garnham

artists across 7 locations, and was

support and provoke this collective to

and Broadwing at the Darwin Ski Club.

the presentation of cross artform and

continue to utilise and investigate new

Together we sang Rain by Dragon, an

site-specific works that celebrate and

ways of being and creating alongside

Australian classic.

interrogate the multicultural rituals of

each other in the environmental, cultural,

the Build Up on Larrakia country - new,

and community melting pot of Darwin

old, and impossible.

over coming years..

“Artists such as myself working on the creation of experimental work often lack a community in Darwin, as our work has no particular key organisation for hard and soft infrastructure. Sweat Season provided the unique opportunity to work with and alongside other artists from disciplines very different from my own and to forge new relationships that I think will bear creative fruit in new endeavours in the future.” matthew van roden

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2019 Annual Review

Partnering with communities and artists as their creative accomplice continues to forge new possibilities and build creative futures.

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Cross Cultural Collaboration

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Larrakia Elder and traditional owner

tapestry of the Top End. ACCOMPLICE

Nona and Me, a theatre work in

Tony ‘Duwun’ Lee, is a painter,

invited local cultural leaders and

development supported through our

printmaker, carver, musician and

performance groups hailing from

Stories for Young People program,

conceptual artist. Tony was our

the Pacific Islands, Thailand, Bali,

underwent a further development this

cultural advisor on two major projects

China, Kiribati, Sri Lanka, Tonga,

year, pairing writer Claire Atkins with

this year, the Arafura Games, where

the Philippines, and Papua New

Yirrkala actor and co-writer Rarriwuy

he was instrumental in realising our

Guinea in partnership with Territory

Hicks as they adapt Claire’s young

Larrakia Welcome and Smoking

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

adult fiction novel for remote Territory

ceremonies, and Sweat Season,

to share their cultural dances and

stages. This project has been born

where he advised and collaborated

music. This invitation of sharing

over a commitment to producing

with ACCOMPLICE and the Sweat

laid the stage for us to also work

work for young Indigenous and non

Collective , sharing his knowledge of

collaboratively, creating new dances

- Indigenous Territory audiences that

the season and the sites of the work.

together that fused, complemented,

authentically reflect their lives. We

and showcased traditional stories

look forward to presenting this on

Our Arafura Games celebrations

and skill, whilst also performing in

basketball courts in 2022.

highlighted many of the diverse

harmony as a multicultural ensemble

cultures that make up the rich

and community.

2019 Annual Review

Community celebrations are a powerful conduit to sharing across cultures. As we celebrate alongside each other, the space between differences melts into opportunities for togetherness and shared experience. Creating celebrations this year has started so many conversations.

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Looking Forward Looking towards 2020 and beyond, we’re following the natural ebb and flow of what was a very busy year into calmer, slower waters, filled with deep listening and reflection. We’ll fortify relationships, and create space around programs and projects that nourish our community and ourselves.

Up rituals to round out the year. We’ll

with hundreds of artists, performed to

also be spending time researching and

thousands of audience members, and

dreaming with our creative and cultural

Working with partners across multiple

employed many more staff than ever

partners, and brewing up new ways of

projects and years allows meaningful

before. This scale and pace thrust

building, connecting and collaborating

and reciprocal relationships to naturally

us into a deeply up and down, fast

together.

grow. ACCOMPLICE’S methodology,

delivery, which, much like the local

NTTFF hits the road early in the year

creates fertile ground for collaborations

seasons, was both exhilarating and at

with a new tour team to roll out the

and associations to mature into long-

times exhausting.

program, and the Sweat Collective will

term exchanges. This in turn creates

be sharing and learning together in

the space and trust often needed when

NTTFF hits the road early in the year

anticipation for another day of Build-

creating work across multiple cultures.

with a new tour team to roll out the

Up rituals to round out the year. We’ll

We look forward to working and growing

program, and the Sweat Collective will

also be spending time researching and

with Tony across our future projects,

be sharing and learning together in

dreaming with our creative and cultural

and to continuing to explore the daring,

anticipation for another day of Build-

partners, and brewing up new ways of

tricky, humorous, and ambitious creative

building, connecting and collaborating

conversations we have together.

2019 Annual Review

of focussing on process over outcome

and slow cycle of project design and

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together.

2019 was a big year for us. We worked

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Accomplices Partners and Funders Airnorth Artback NT Australia Council for the Arts Barkly Regional Arts Barkly Regional Council Borroloola School Browns Mart Theatre Casuarina Senior College City of Darwin City of Palmerston Colemans Printing Darwin Film Society Darwin Fringe Festival Darwin Middle School Darwin Production Services Darwin Ski Club Darwin Waterfront corp.

Deckchair Cinema Djilpin Arts DMK Beauty studios Dreamedia e3 productions

Goalpost Pictures Gove Film Society Groote Eylandt Weavers Injalak Arts Jeremy Conlon from Left of Elephant Sound Kakadu Tourism Katherine Regional Arts KC’s Fireworks Displays Lakeside Drive Community Garden Lucky Bat Cafe Macdonnell Regional Council Areyonga Marrara Christian School Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel Millner Primary Ngukurr Arts Centre Ngukurr Story Projects Nightcliff Primary School Nitmiluk Tours Nook

NT Travelling Film Festival NT Airport NT Major Events Corporation NT Tourism Ntaria Youth Centre Off the Leash Palmerston College Parap Pool Party Passport Power and Water Provenance Rapid Creek Markets Screen Territory Semi Pro Brewing Co Shadeworks St John’s Catholic College Tangentyere Artists Tennant Creek High School Tennant Creek Primary School Tina McCourt from Dance World Tiwi Council Waralungku Arts Centre West Arnhem Regional Council

Andreas Heikaus and the Rite of Passage creatives and crew Daniel Wilfred and the Top End Wedding creatives and crew Grant Thomas and the Lil Bois creatives and crew Jane Hampson and the Sunset creatives and crew Kathy Burns and the Which Way RIght Way creatives and crew Lexie Gregory, Thomas Midena and the You Do You creatives and crew Mark Watjana Ashley and the Ŋambi creatives and crew Naina Sen and the I Am Numamurdirdi creatives and crew Naina Sen and The Songkeepers creatives and crew Tangentyerre Artists Film Collective creatives and crew Tim Parish and the Spectrum creatives and crew Wilf Watson and the Arrears creatives and crew

Kelly Beneforti Kenbi Dancers Kingsley Oldmeadow Kiribati Cultural Group Kultura Dance Collective Leah Flanagan Leanne Scott-Thomas Lee Harrop Liam Stansfield Lisa Pellegrino Lorraine Williams Loto Taha Lynette Fejo Madelon te Lintum Mary Williams Matthew Van Roden Maureen Family Michael Tan Michael Trikilis “Triki” Moale Dance Group of Papua New Guinea

Naina Sen North Wind Didj Orchestra NT Dance Company NT Thai Association Inc O’Laughlin Catholic College Choir Passion of the Pacific Patricia Kurnoth Richard Fejo Rix Kix Arts Salvation Jewellery Scott Campbell Shaun Kerinaiu aka Shaniqua Shaun Lee Shellie Morris Skinnyfish Sri Lankan Multicultural Dance Academy Stevie Jean Strawberry Siren Tamara Howie

Creatives and Collaboraters

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David Garnham David Kurnoth Denique Stewart Dj Lani Tsunami Djolpa Mckenzie Dotti Fejo Duane Preston Express Studios Eytahnyia Scott Gary Lang Gavin Roach Georgia Beach Guy Simon Haneen Martin James Mangohig Jenelle Saunders Jess devereux Joel Bray Julie Blyth Kaine Sultan-Babij Kay Villafor

Tara Hobbs Tarzan Junglequeen Tessa Leake Tibby Quall Tony Lee Tracey Bunn Trent Lee Troy Woodcroft True Colours Chorus Tunas Mekar Balinese Cultural Collective

2019 Annual Review

Adam Seymour - Rural Ranga Adriana Andrews Alicia Scobie Aly de Groot Amina McConvell Amy Hetherington Anokai Susie Baker Boy Ben Andrews Ben Graetz Bernd Neumann Brynn Wackett Callan Power Chung Wah Society Ciella Williams Cj Fraser-Bell Courtney Collins Crystal Love Dale Woodbridge-Brown Danny Crichton Darwin Gymnastics

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connect /creative accomplice E: britt@creativeaccomplice.com.au

@creativeaccomplice

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