Carnarvon Shooting Stars participants engaged with local artist, Bonni Ingram for Shooting Stars’ inaugural Art with the Stars project.
Proud Badimia Yamatji woman, Ingram mentored 15 participants as they created individual pieces that speak to each participant’s understanding of their cultural, Aboriginal and local identities.
Through the Art with the Stars project, Shooting Stars uses arts-based and Indigenous research methods to evaluate the program. The artworks will be used alongside yarning circles as data to explore participant attitudes toward their Aboriginality and cultural/local identities.
Shooting Stars Research Manager, Dr Rose Whitau said the form of research was chosen as art making is a fundamental part of Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and doing.
“By providing our participants access to Aboriginal artists, we not only teach them a skill, but rather provide them with a space and a means to connect with themselves, their communities and their country,” said Whitau.
“I would like to thank Bonni Ingram for being an exceptional role model for our participants.”
The participants’ artworks will be exhibited in Carnarvon for the community to view in Term 4.
Shooting Stars is set to roll out its Art with the Stars project to all sites in 2022.
