Evolve: Pilbara Public Artists Development Program is a wholistic, capacity-building program for Pilbara artists and creatives, to empower and upskill them to further their practice into public art realm through a series of presentations, workshops, and skills development sessions. The program will see participants be able successfully respond to public art EOI’s and deliver large scale, complex projects, that reflect local community, culture and landscape. 

Starting in May 2021, the program will form two parts; the first component of the program will consist of a series of online learning modules, introducing public art, the regional needs and constraints, in a pandemic/post- pandemic environment, agreements and contracts, copywrite, how to respond to EOI’s, sector membership opportunities, and insurance requirements.  The second component is a series of multi-day workshop sessions, delivered across the region, giving participants an opportunity to work alongside a facilitating artist, using real time briefs in partnership with LGA’s, industry and developers. 

Evolve will also deliver community engagement sessions, including community workshops, and meet + greet sessions with the facilitating artist practitioners, to connect artists with the community, stimulate ideas for future public art projects, and share and grow the benefits of public art with stakeholders.

The Jury Art Prize Submission 2021

The Pilbara Fashion Festival, coordinated by The Junction Co. is a celebration of runways, arts, ideas and creative endeavor to engage, grow and empower northwest communities. Centered at Port Hedland’s Courthouse Gallery+Studio, with satellite activities across the Pilbara, the fashion festival explores the notion of consumption and renewal in a new decade.

The festival takes place over two months commencing on Friday 26 March with an exhibition opening and culminating in a headline finale on Saturday 29 May 2021 with a Runway Gala event.

This will be a ticketed event taking place in the West End precinct of Port Hedland with food, drinks and music available for attendees creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Expressions of Interest has now closed, we thank everyone for their participation, and will be in touch shortly with the details to those that have applied.

Successful entrants will be provided with the following by The Junction Co.:
• appropriate stage and lighting
• music for the entirety of the event and runway
• opportunity to select your own models at a model casting call being held in Port Hedland in early February
• hair and make up for the models
• opportunity to sell your items after the runway show

The Junction Co., managers of the Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery+Studio, are hosting the 2021 Pilbara Fashion Festival (26 March – 28 May) to provide opportunities of learning and engagement for our regional community. The theme of the festival is consumption and renewal, with feature exhibitions, markets, workshops and a final community gala runway event.

As part of the Pilbara Fashion Festival’s Maker’s Market, a large scale public art installation will highlight the festival’s theme, whilst giving the participants an opportunity to be part of a dynamic project.

The Junction Co are seeking the youth of the Pilbara to manipulate a T-shirt, using two different dyeing and colouring techniques, to create a unique pattern on each garment. The vision is to create a mass number of T-shirts for the installation, which will be showcased in proximity to the Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery+Studio.

School’s are invited to book their students into a session with Project artist and facilitator, Jane McGowan. She will guide the students to learn about the chosen dyeing and colouring technique, and each student will manipulate and upcycle a plain Tshirt garment. This project provides an opportunity for students to better understand place, and their footprint on this land. The group are given an opportunity to talk about connections, colours and their impact on the environment.

If you’re a school or teacher wanting to participate, email Jane@thejunctionco.com.au with your completed booking form.

You are invited to immerse yourself in the wonders of Karijini’s rich history, deep in Kalamina Gorge, between the ancient rocks and running waters, for a unique fashion experience. This Indigenous Fashion Showcase highlights the dynamic emerging and established Western Australian traditional and contemporary textile art and designs.

Directed by one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal art curators, the Runway Show is a celebration of innovation and a new frontier of Aboriginal fashion.

The event features the Runway Show and a live concert from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra strings. Parking and transport are available, please check for details when booking.

Friday 9 April, from 3pm
Kalamina Gorge
Karijini National Park

Conceptual Ceramics is a three day intensive exploration into forms made with clay and the meanings and messages they create.
In these workshops we will experiment with a range of hand-building techniques to create abstract and representative forms and reflect on how creative work can be interpreted in this exciting medium.

This is the perfect workshop series for anyone wanting to use ceramics in their art practice.

For more information contact our ceramics coordinator caitlin@thejunctionco.com.au

Session One: Thursday 8th April 5pm – 8pm

Session Two: Friday 9th April 5pm – 9pm

Session Three: Saturday 10am – 2pm

Tickets $230pp, bookings essential
Ceramics Studio
16 Edgar Street,
Port Hedland

Finding Home is an exhibition based on the Engaging Youth in Regional Australia Study led by Dr Candice Boyd from the University of Melbourne and funded by the Australian Research Council. The research took place in three regional towns – Griffith NSW, Hedland WA, and Port Lincoln SA. Each of these towns is experiencing net youth outmigration despite their strong local economies. The research sought to better understand the reasons why young people leave these areas but also why some choose to stay, and others return.

The exhibition includes work by researchers and participants involved in the study and features handmade textiles by artist-activist Tal Fitzpatrick, and a collaboration between mother-daughter, Aboriginal artists Lorna Dawson and Kimberley McKie.

Exhibition Opening
Friday 26 March, 6-8pm

Artist Talk | Candice Boyd
Saturday 27 March, 11am

Free Admission
Courthouse Gallery+Studio
16 Edgar Street, Port Hedland

This exhibition corresponds to the opening of the Pilbara Fashion Festival 2021. For more information on the full program follow the link below.

The Junction Co. advocate and connect regional creatives with workspace, learning opportunities and networks, to uplift their endeavors and create an environment which both local community and creatives can support each other. Our on the ground team are located in Hedland and Karratha, and is made up of creative entrepreneurs, artists, strategists, graphic designers, place activators, facilitators, teachers and lovers of art and craft.

Our aim is to bring people together, to actively improve community membership and engagement, to encourage a balance of work and play, and to help strengthen a sense of identity that is recognisably ‘Pilbara’.

The Pilbara Fashion Festival brings together creatives and the community, to celebrate the extensive local talents, and explore a raft of learning opportunities, fashion events and consider the overarching Festival theme of consumption + renewal.

Regional Arts Network Residency + Touring Program

North Midlands Project is proud to manage the residency program for the Network.

KAYA. NǏ HǍO. G’DAY!
The Network Residency + Touring Program is an interregional multiyear program that has been adopted and activated by the Regional Arts Network.

Year one (2021) includes a series of residencies throughout 2021. The residencies are four weeks long, paid opportunities for creatives of any medium to develop new skills, advance their practice, research projects and create a co-designed work with the communities of the North Midlands in WA’s Mid West region. The co-designed works will form the start of the ‘Ebb + Flow’ collection.

Year two (2022) will see the ‘Ebb + Flow’ collection toured to each of the artists communities with a series of workshops delivered and a new co-designed work created to be added to the ‘Ebb + Flow’ collection.

In year three (2023) the works created by artists in the North Midlands and in their home communities in year two will come together and be showcased in Perth as part of a regional biennale. As part of the showcase, a series of artist talks and workshops will be undertaken by the artists.

We understand things change! Even though we would love all artists to be part of the program for all three years, we understand that this may not be possible. A creative being an artist-in-residence in 2021 doesn’t lock them into a three year commitment. Please note a different contract will be used for each phase (year) of the program.

slump+hump is a social ceramics night for adults. This workshop will be an aged 18+ only ticketed event so you can come and have a cheeky drink (or two) and use a range of moulds to create some functional ceramic pieces. Each month there will be a different object in focus, and we will learn a new ceramic construction and decorative technique, but the design will be up to you! You’re only limited by your imagination. All work made will be glazed and fired and be available to be picked up from the Ceramic Studio approximately one month after the class.

Cost per session: $40pp, 18+ only
Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Where: Courthouse Gallery+Studio
16 Edgar Street, Port Hedland

Up+coming session: Thursday 18 March, 2021
Object in focus: Woven style platter
Technique: Slab construction