Setting Sun Film Festival 2019 – My Art, My Culture Webseries
A new series from Barkly Regional Arts, My Art, My Culture looks into the local artists of the Barkly region.
Interview with Director/Editor William Thomson
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The My Art, My Culture series was an initiative by Barkly Regional Arts as a way to promote our various artists of the Barkly region in the Northern Territory.
We were to make short simple films that are quick to watch and easy to share on an online platform that would capture the style and the personality of our Artists of the Barkly.
So Barkly Regional Arts is a not-for-profit art centre located in Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, we have a few different sectors, Our Visual Arts department, focuses on giving a place for local artists to go and paint or create artworks. We have a music centre called the Winanjjikari Music Center, which focuses on musicians of the Barkly (and also created the music to these videos), Media Mob which is responsible for spreading the stories and document what happens to a wider audience. Along with that, Barkly Arts hosts the annual Desert Harmony Festivals and also hosts various other events that come through Tennant Creek.
The My Art, My Culture webseries was pitched by our then Artistic Director Kathy Burns and was fleshed out by Barkly Art's Visual Arts Coordinator Georges Bureau and myself as a Media Mob Operative.
George, who works very closely with the artists, is great at communicating with them, making sure they're comfortable and understanding of what we intend to do with the videos in the end. With up to seven videos released and a few other videos in the works, the process has become a lot quicker and easier to explain.
The aim is to get a video on as many artists as we can, living in a range of place, from Tennant Creek to remote communities, such as Elliot, Epenarra and Mungkarta.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It would come from a few things I would imagine, people interested in the works of aboriginal artists, people who have previously purchased the works of the artists or anyone that's interested in the life of Tennant Creek or the Barkly region.
It's about having people aware that there are many different people doing different things amongst the Barkly region and giving the artists a voice to the wider world.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This question would be better off asked the artists themselves, after all, it's about them.
But I imagine the most consistent thing would be deep connection within your own work, I think a lot of people can relate to that at least, or just our ability to share stories.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The idea from the beginning is to make the video in the quickest and the least taxing way on the artists' time. So far what we do, when the artist is ready and has picked out a work they wish to talk about or give the story behind, we go out and quickly film the artist somewhere related to their work. Then we record the artists' voice, talking about their work, and then I go somewhere on my own and record the artwork in a separate place.
I'm pretty much just a one man crew on this production, carrying the camera, editing, recording the interview, etc, so keeping things simple just produces less stress.
We've evolved to become very adaptive to the artists’ needs and wants and just work around them, after all, they're the star.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far the film hasn't been too widespread to receive a lot of outside feedback, hopefully, this article will get people to comment more on it, I'd love to hear how we can improve our work.
We always try and get the artist to comment on the film before we ever release it. So far, the families and the artists are really pleased with the videos, and sometimes we have screenings at work with the artists, to which they laugh and giggle amongst themselves.
We've also received a few compliments for having such content come from such a small operation from our neighbouring cities of Alice Springs and Darwin.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Nothing yet, but I guess nothing is set in stone.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Well, the bottom line, I would just like people to be aware of the Barkly Region and positive stories surrounding it. If we can make at least one person aware of the positives here, I'd consider that a success.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
If anyone is a good marketer, we'd be happy to hear how we could get these stories out to a further reach. We just want the film to be easily accessible.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I think I've already mentioned what impact I'd hope these videos would bring. We'd just like to spread a positive message about the Barkly Region.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Are people aware of life in remote Australia, or what artists from Tennant Creek are like?
As long as it brings light to the positives that are happening here.
Would you like to add anything else?
I want to acknowledge all my co-workers at Barkly Regional Arts, we're a small operation and it's important that we support each other.
Georges Bureau, who really has made these videos possible just by having a close relationship with all the artists. It has to show that even if you're not the one doing anything technical on the video itself, without him, it wouldn't nearly have been easy.
Also mention the music is created locally from our Winanjjikari Music Center Jeffery 'Dr Flouride' Mclaughlin, along with Dirk Dickenson and Reggie O'Riley who are our Winanjjikari Music Managers.
And of course Alan Murn, our Executive Officer who stresses out, so we don't have to.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Barkly Regional Arts is still kicking, with a whole heap of things, I'm currently working on a documentary briefly talking about our Easter Gospel exhibition with our local artists work, along with a gospel album that has been recorded locally by Jameson Casson, a man involved with the Tennant Creek community.
We've got a music video in the works from the Barkly Drifters that we'll be filming in a remote area, and of course, we'll have the Desert Harmony Festival ready to document and produce videos on. Along with that, we're still hosting events coming through the region.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
My Art, My Culture Webseries
A new series from Barkly Regional Arts, My Art, My Culture looks into the local artists of the Barkly region.
Length: 2:12
Director: William Thomson
Producer: Barkly Regional Arts
Writer: Various
About the writer, director and producer:
WILLIAM THOMSON is a filmmaker currently residing in Tennant Creek in the center of the Northern Territory in Australia and currently works at Barkly Regional Arts as a Media Mob Operative. Will grew up in rural Victoria on a dairy farm and went to Swinburne University in Melbourne for an Advanced Diploma in Screen and Media (Film & TV) and A Bachelor in Film and Television. He has since developed skills to bring to the Northern Territory.
Each episode is narrated by the artist and the writing is in their control.
BARKLY REGIONAL ARTS is the regional hub for the arts in the Barkly region. Its remit to deliver arts programs and initiatives in the region as large as the region itself. BARKLY REGIONAL ARTS has evolved from a project-driven to a program-driven arts organisation. Critical to these programs is that BRA provides an interface between mainstream and Indigenous cultures that reaffirm core BARKLY REGIONAL ARTS values including a celebration of and respect for cultural diversity and recognition of a unique Indigenous demographic.
Facebook: Barkly Arts
Instagram: @barklyregionalarts
Hashtags used: #myartmyculture #tennantcreek #barkly #artistsofthebarkly #IVAS
Website: barklyarts.com.au
Other: Vimeo
Made in association with: Barkly Regional Arts
Funders: Australian Government: Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Setting Sun Film Festival/Sun Theatre, Melbourne - Sunday 5th May 12:15pm, Youtube or Vimeo/Ready to view