Ground swells breaking on a future shore

One year from today the doors will open to the Regional Arts Australia Summit in Kalgoorlie.

A year before today in Goolwa, scented smoke drifted across the waters of the mouth of the mighty Murray river as the Ngarrindjeri nation welcomed us to their land. The 2012 Big Wave-Kumuwuki event, envisioned by Steve Mayhew and the Country Arts SA team, was an timely exploration of resilience amidst change.

In the past year, so much has changed nationally and internationally: three different Australian Prime ministers have stood at the helm of our good ship Australia, waves from Hurricane Sandy quenched the lights in the city that never sleeps and a series of angry summer infernos swept across Australia including the 2013 Tasmanian Bushfires that surged, flared and smouldered for an unprecedented six months. Earth, air, fire, water and our stories are on the move.

This morning I read a wonderful article that inspired me to write this post: How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses ( Via Cory @Doctrow ). This story is about a way of teaching by holding the space for people to learn. By maintaining a safe and information-rich environment we allow people to take control and responsibility for their own learning. “For the time being, we can see what the future looks like…  … We can also see that change will not come easily.”

The Country Arts WA team are working in preparation to curate, set up and hold the space for people who join the RAA Summit, 16-19th of October 2014. Today, a year out, I am so excited about the event we are imagining and building for you: it is ambitious and hopeful. We are working to create a shared future where people who live in regional communities can get a piece of the action. Remember, we who live in the regions make up a third of Australia’s population; we are a substantial voice.

So here we go, like no business I know, the Summit is rising. It is 364 sleeps until our ground-swells from the mouth of the Murray arrive in Kalgoorlie, breaking on the future shore. I look forward to welcoming you there.

Thanks to Kate Fielding for the image of the Sydney heads.