Page 22 - Luce 2020

S enior C o mmon Ro om

Director of the importance of community. I think
growing up in a regional area
Development, produced this, and once in Melbourne
Shelley Roberts, I began to seek out art opportunities
that really embraced community,
talks to JCH alumna such as my work volunteering with
c3 Contemporary Art Space at the
and Resident Tutor Abbotsford Convent. Volunteering is
Miranda Williams such a fantastic way to experience
different career areas and try them out!
(2016)
Once I finished my degree, my
I understand, Miranda, that you are partner Henry and I lived in Vancouver.
currently a Resident Tutor at JCH and I was keen to get some practical work
are also studying for a master’s degree. experience. My job was running
What subject are you tutoring and what a children’s art studio, teaching
is the focus of your master’s? classes and managing the day-to-day
operations of the space.
Yes, I have been a Resident Tutor since
last year with my partner Henry. As I My school, Bright P-12 College, was one This solidified my interest in studying
majored in Art History and Indigenous of the only schools in Victoria teaching either Arts and Cultural Management
Studies in my undergraduate degree, Indigenous Language Studies, but my or Curating, both of which I am very
these are often the subjects that I teach timetable always clashed so I could passionate about. Ultimately, I felt that
at JCH. These include subjects such as never take the classes. It would be great Arts and Cultural Management had a
Art and Indigenous Voice, Art History: if these courses were compulsory in stronger community focus and would
Theory and Controversy, and Australian school. When I had the chance to do allow me to work towards a career in
Indigenous Public Policy. I also enjoy Indigenous Studies at uni I jumped at Community Arts. Ideally for me, this
teaching subjects that a background in it, knowing that I needed to educate means working in local government
these areas lends itself to, such as those myself about colonisation, and what it and council-run art spaces, helping to
in the Sociology and Development means to live on stolen land. These are strengthen cultural opportunities and
Studies fields. such critical conversations to be having, options for different communities. I
which can hopefully inform meaningful knew Arts and Cultural Management
I’m completing my Master of Arts and action moving forward. would be a challenge, as it includes
Cultural Management (it is coursework subject areas such as economics and
rather than a thesis) with a Community I had engaged with the colleges mostly finance (not my natural gift!), but
Arts focus. online, due to living far away from I wanted to push myself and learn
Melbourne – but once I saw JCH in difficult skills that will really benefit
Let’s go back to your original decision person, I just knew it was the one! The me in my career.
to apply to be a resident at JCH. How website is so important for prospective
did that come about? What did you students who aren’t able to physically I understand you have been working
study? At that early stage, what were see the colleges, and it looks so at the Wangaratta Art Gallery. Please
your career aspirations? fantastic at the moment with all the hard tell us about that and how you landed
work staff have been doing! that job. Has that impacted on or
Wow, it feels like such a long time ago clarified your thoughts about your
– but also as if it was just yesterday! My passion for Community Arts future career?
I definitely feel that lockdown has definitely developed and flourished
exposed these funny tricks of time. whilst I was a resident in JCH, Yes, I have been working there since
through organising events as the Arts 2019. The Wangaratta Art Gallery is
I come from Bright, which is in North and Cultural Representative on Exec. very close to my hometown of Bright,
East Victoria. Growing up in a rural College was such a great opportunity so it’s great to have that connection
area was lovely. It was very Gilmore to find out what I loved to do, in to the community. Wangaratta has a
Girls, with lots of festivals and small- such a supportive and encouraging very strong textiles history and identity,
town shenanigans! However, I knew environment. which is reflected in the Gallery
since I started high school that I wanted collection of historic and contemporary
to come to the University of Melbourne Upon achieving your degree, what textiles and fibre works. Shearing the
and expand my horizons. were your plans? Had your career Rams by Tom Roberts was displayed at
aspirations changed in any way? the Gallery for the month of February
I wanted to study journalism, but after I 2021, which was very exciting!
travelled to Europe with my family at the I think finding out what I wanted to do The famous scene is set in Corowa,
end of Year 12, dragging them around to evolved over the course of my degree. a town within the Wangaratta region.
every art gallery, I realised that I had a I just knew how I felt when I looked at It’s wonderful for those who live
passion for art history. Incidentally, I took works of art, and I wanted a job where rurally to be able to experience such
a media class at uni and absolutely hated I could feel that way all the time! I have significant works.
it, so I think I made the right choice! also always had a very strong sense of

22 LUCE Number 19 2020