Blog

"It's harder to hurt someone if you know their story"

Hear the stories of the artists, community members and people behind Big hART - making art, building community and driving change in rural and urban areas across Australia.

A Life Amongst the Tulips. Meet Tassie Tulip Farmer Dave Roberts-Thomson

My name is Dave Roberts-Thomson. I grew up at Table Cape. I’ve been drawn to, and trapped by the family farm my whole life, (laughs). I’ve also had a lifelong interest in the arts, science and community, and I’ve always. Read more

Cultural Healing in Songs of Peace

“Everyone knows that to feel better when they’re hurting is to talk about it. We need to write our emotions down and express it…The song I wrote for John Pat, it’s written in the wind forever. That’s what songs are. Read more

Paper on the Catwalk

“The process of making paper is so interesting. There’s something lyrical about paper, a little bit quieter, a bit more story related. Then there’s the lineage of paper and what paper means to humanity.” -Lyndal Thorne, Director paper on skin.. Read more

The Capoeira Road to Roebourne – Meet Aimee Kepa

“If we can move in different ways, we can also think in different ways”, says Aimee Kepa in this first-person piece, “The way I approach capoeira workshops in Roebourne – with young women and women in the prison – is. Read more

Burnie Beginnings and the Big Ears Club

“It was a simple way of giving people a voice. I think that was what it was for us. Because you’re young you don’t have a voice. It was us having a bit of a scream into small town conservatism”. Read more

NEO-Learning – Celebrating Roebourne’s Living Culture

“Everyone always said that NEOMAD was such a strong resource, that it should be in schools everywhere”, says Big hART Associate Artist Mark Leahy. “Young people of Roebourne would be the teachers, they were central to NEOMAD so they’d be. Read more

A Heart for Marrawah – Meet Artist Zoe Grey

“Marrawah is all of my art practice”, says Zoe. “Whether I’m here or away, I’m painting Marrawah, using memory to think back on it and returning to its familiar forms.” Growing up in Marrawah life revolved around the ocean.. Read more

Parity Wage, Empathy & Collective Care: Big hART Responds to COVID-19

With arts and cultural organisations collapsing, independent artists lining up at Centrelink as thousands of arts-workers lose their jobs, and 255,000 events are cancelled across the country, Big hART has chosen to respond differently. All staff across the country have. Read more

Frankston Girls – Don’t define us by your stereotypes.

“Some of you here might feel like you’ve heard about me before. Remember, ‘that naughty kid’. You know, one of those mouthy girls who really needs to watch her tongue. One of those girls who’s complicated because you know, she comes. Read more

Art as Protection – Diary from South Korea

“Using art as protection was such a great theme for our trip, it is so closely linked to a core belief at Big hART – it’s harder to hurt someone if you know their story. Jangsaengpo was a former whaling. Read more