The Sydney Olympic Park community cultural development program consists of projects and activities designed to encourage active participation in arts and culture by our stakeholder communities. These include people working at the park, communities of users, and neighbouring communities. Through the ccd program, those living, working and visiting the park gain opportunities to actively shape the community and cultural life of the Park.
Filmmaking Skills Workshop
In conjunction with Cinewest, the Authority will deliver two rounds of Youth oriented film-making workshops at Newington Armory in March, April and May. These are free community workshops open to young people aged between 15 and 23.
For further information please contact Vahid Vahed, Artistic Director, Cinewest via director@cinewest.org.au or ph. 02 8756 5035
Tracking Time 
Auburn and Penrith have large established and emerging Islamic and Indigenous communities facing some similar social challenges. 'Tracking Time' is a partnership between CINEWEST, Penrith City Council, Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Bhanin Association of El Mineh, bringing together extensive local, regional, national and international networks.
'Tracking Time' is a gender-specific cross cultural and cross generational survey that brings together two generations of Indigenous and Islamic women to share their experiences of integration – exploring social, cultural, political, economic and historical dimensions through a series of forums, workshops using new technologies and film for self-expression and self-representation, and screenings. The project takes place at Sydney Olympic Park, Auburn and Penrith.
For further information please contact Vahid Vahed, Artistic Director, Cinewest via director@cinewest.org.au or ph. 02 8756 5035
In partnership with Cinewest, the Sydney Olympic Park Authority conducted a skills development in digital filmmaking project with Shine for Kids, an organisation which advocates for and supports the children of prisoners, and is based alongside the Newington Armory precinct in Silverwater. Young people in the program created short films presenting many of the issues facing the children of prisoners from their own point of view. End It (pictured at top) created by Kristy Ann Chater, Jamie Lee Chater and Isabella R Tamborini was subsequently screened at the Entrée session of the Short Soup International Film and Food Festival (link to event listing) at the Overflow (link to venue listing) in September 2005 and was voted best film by the Audience on the night. The Film was also runner up at the 8th Auburn International Film and Video Festival for Children and Young Adults. In 2006 it was selected for the 23rd Chicago International Children's Film Festival, and the 1st Wordless International Short Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia and Maybod, Iran.
TaikOz, the unique Australian Percussion group using amazing Japanese instruments hosted a free workshop in conjunction with their free concert at Newington Armory in 2006, and a 6 week community class on Thursday evenings. Negotiations are underway to run these classes again after April 2007. Numbers are strictly limited.
'Electra Graffiti/GRAB’ was a project comprising a series of mentored graffiti art workshops that commenced in April 2006. A public exhibition phase ran until 13th August in the Armory Gallery. The project brought together local, national and International graff artists to work with young people from Concord West, Auburn and users of the Monster skate park facilities at Sydney Olympic Park. The project demonstrated the vitality and validity of the form, and declaimed the negative stereotyping caused by vandalism and tagging activities in the area.
Art in the Park was a two-week action research project conducted in Bicentennial Park in August 2005 with the assistance of consultant Kate Croll. The research focused upon the development of ‘user’ or stakeholder-identified priorities for future arts and cultural activities in the Parklands.
The action research project targeted the various community groups and families currently making use of facilities within the Park. They were engaged through a range of survey-based and participation-based arts activities.
The primary objective of the Action Research Project was to:
For more information please download the Art in the Park Research Report ( 1.5 MB PDF )
A program of community based arts and cultural activities is being planned for the new Blaxland Riverfront Park and Newington Armory precinct in 2007. These activities will respond to the interests identified by the community of park users through the Art in the Park project. The first round of activities will include:
Taikoz will return to the Armory Theatre, Newington Armory, for their community classes in Japanese Drumming after April.
A second round of youth film-making workshops will be delivered by Cinewest in April and May.
For more information on planned community cultural development activities please contact Scott O’Hara, Director Arts Development, via scott.ohara@sopa.nsw.gov.au
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