Footscray Community Arts Centre

Case Studies – Enable/Inspiration

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Artistic Partnership with the Arts Centre

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This case study is an example of Footscray Community Arts Centre as Enabler and the partnership outcome providing Inspiration.

The partnership between Footscray Community Arts Centre and the Arts Centre exemplifies the aspiration of Footscray Arts to be the organisation of choice for the state’s major arts organisations in engaging with communities.

As well as being physically located in the heart of Melbourne’s cultural precinct, the Arts Centre functions as the centrepiece of performing arts in Victoria. It is an arts and cultural institution that is owned by the people of Victoria and thus this partnership will provide deep and sustainable community engagement to reflect this sense of ownership.

The partnership will include a range of joint programming and audience development initiatives for the benefit of both organisations and their associated communities and audiences, and joint staff development opportunities to build the capacity of both organisations. In particular, leading national and international artists and arts organisations associated with the Arts Centre’s program will create outstanding art with communities. Some of these artists will be situated in community contexts via formal residencies at Footscray Community Arts Centre. On a broader level, Footscray Arts will lead and guide the Arts Centre by meaningfully embedding community engagement into its ongoing planning, artistic outcomes and organisational culture.

This partnership draws from research into the acclaimed affiliation between New York art organisations P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It will combine the Arts Centre’s excellence in performing arts with Footscray Community Arts Centre’s excellence in community engagement. Each partner organisation is strategically positioned across a range of sectors, audiences, artistic networks, and regions.

Ultimately, this partnership will ENABLE communities in need to engage with the Arts Centre and thus claim their stake in this institution. This will not only INSPIRE the future development of these communities – by connecting such communities to this major arts organisation – but will cross artistic and social barriers, thus catalysing long term change.

For more information on Footscray Community Arts Centre partnerships click here.

This Arts Centre partnership case study provides an example of Footscray Community Arts Centre as Enabler, facilitating communities in need interacting with art through an artistic relationship that will Inspire.

Click here for an explanation of the Footscray Community Arts Centre artistic model.