Meet Brooke Newall
We chat with Brooke Newall (Program Coordinator for Creative Pathways in the Central West) about her primary school aspirations and her current expectations of life after death. Brooke works (and plays) as an actor, theatre director, creative producer and theatre workshop facilitator for children and young people. Her life began in Tasmania as an actor of independent theatre and artistic director for PCYC Youth Theatre.
How long have you been part of the Human family?
4 years as an arts worker
2 years as program & festival manager
What did you want to be when you were in primary school?
A singer, like my idol of the time… Gloria Estefan (gold)
A ballerina, who didn’t believe in lessons
What inspires you?
Children who explore and share their imaginations in ways I only wish I still could.
Older people who live like they’re 21.
What is your vision for the future?
To live in a society that likes to talk with each other, has vegetables on our nature strip instead of grass, let’s children roam free without fear and doesn’t need channel 7 to get the ‘facts’.
What would you like to be reincarnated as?
Maybe a meerkat? They have pretty curious and fun little lives.
Why is creativity important?
Without it nothing new would happen.
What is your favourite creative activity?
Singing – followed closely by acting.
Are there any upcoming art events you are looking forward to?
The Soweto Gospel Choir at QPAC, Gob Squad at the World Theatre Festival… and my favourite Shockwave Festival in Blackall in May!
What do you like best about being a Human?
Every day I come to work to combine my love for creativity, young people and working in regional areas…. every day.
Since arriving in Brisbane in 2007 Brooke has facilitated for companies including Backbone Youth Arts, BRAINways Education and Human Ventures before the appointment of Program Coordinator. She has taught classes in film and TV performance for children and adults and established ZooKidz Acting & Modeling Agency.
Brooke has directed theatre with young people independently and for Backbone Youth Arts, PCYC Youth Theatre, BRAINways Education and Human. Her theatre performance credits include Holy Guacamole (09), Sushi Wooshi Woo (09), Hitchcock Blonde (07) and Up For Grabs (07), The Golden Age (07) plus Brooke appears in a number of ongoing TV commercials, short films and commercial photographic work.
In 2010 Brooke worked as a producer on Red2 for Metro Arts & Brisbane City Council and Changing Habitats, the YPAA National Symposium for Young People and the Arts Australia. Brooke has also coordinated the Valley Fiesta, theatre program 09, Shockwave Festival theatre program 09/10 and the QLD Youth Arts Market 09 and 2high Festival 07,08.
Brooke has a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts (theatre) from the University of Tasmania, was a 2009 YAMP recipient and a member of the Young People Creating Queensland initiative.
There are no visible scars on Brooke’s neck from the removal of her second head.
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Creative Pathways: young coordinators get down to business
The Shockwave Festival is delighted to announce the formation of its young coordinators’ crew for 2013 and the success of the community supporters’ business breakfast.
A group of ten dedicated young people from Blackall, Longreach, Barcaldine and Winton are meeting fortnightly, with the aid of technology, to plan this year’s Shockwave Festival. They will plan and deliver the festival with support from Human Ventures, youth workers, schools and other volunteers from their communities.
Each coordinator has a different part of the festival that they are responsible for and are given mentors to help them develop a written plan to deliver it well. So far, coordinators have brainstormed the 2013 theming and tagline, designed fundraising activities such as a car wash and trivia night, decided to host another Chalk Walk, agreed to be part of a Woolscour concert, discussed performers and workshops for the festival and workshops and also spoken about how to involve other towns.
Visitors who come to Blackall for the festival can register to camp at the showgrounds again this year, with young coordination crew member, Geordie Heard responsible for planning all of the logistics for the camp site such as activities, camping areas and supervision. Geordie is being mentored by Alison Mobbs, who, as a teacher, has run many school camps in the past and who is keen to pass on these
skills.
The community supporters’ business breakfast, held at the Coolibah Motel in Blackall last Friday, was a great show of support for the Shockwave Festival with bookings at capacity and some interesting guest speakers skyping in to the breakfast from the Birdsville Race Club, Tourism Queensland and Human Ventures.
Kerrylyn Parfitt, from Smith Bros Blackall, was very impressed by the morning.
“It was good to hear about and understand more about the Shockwave Festival and how it is put together”, she said. “I was impressed that you could skype in guest speakers and I was impressed with Lachlan May. We got to experience what Shockwave has given him and what it does for the young people. Young people need guidance from the older people and it makes a good mix when you put them together.”
Blackall Tambo Regional Council Mayor Barry Muir was the first to sign up at the breakfast as a community supporter for Shockwave. He recognised the call for support and now proudly holds a sign that reads “Young People are Our Future – we support the Shockwave Festival” and a satchel of Shockwave goodies.
Shockwave sponsorship coordinator, Alison Mobbs, announced the community supporter program at the breakfast and is keen to sign up individuals and businesses across Central Western Queensland.
More information on the Shockwave community supporter program is available at the Human Ventures website or by calling Alison Mobbs on 07 4657 4442.
Shockwave Festival dates are Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th 2013!!
A FREE Event for the whole community!
The Shockwave Festival is proudly supported and co-presented by the Blackall Tambo Regional Council & Human Ventures. Creative Pathways creative workshops and enterprise program is currently supported by: The Australia Council for the Arts, Tim Fairfax Foundation, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council, Tourism and Events Queensland, the Queensland Government, and Human Ventures.
For more information about Creative Pathways or the Shockwave Festival, contact Human Ventures on 07 3229 8055, email Brooke, check out our website or become a fan of ‘Creative Pathways’ and ‘Shockwave Blackall’ on Facebook.
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Shockwave update! Slam poetry, circus and call for support
The Shockwave Festival is set for the final weekend of May… and programming is off to a flying start!
We’re ecstatic to announce partnerships with the State Library of Queensland and CIRCA . Both organisations will be bringing world class artists to this years festival to share their skills in the areas of slam poetry and circus!
The new Shockwave Arts Leadership Ambassadors Program is currently in development. Our aim is to support selected students from across Central West Queensland to participate in a quality program of leadership development that includes event planning and delivery as well as public speaking. The program will include a virtual workshop series that culminates in a five day ‘Arts Leadership’ camp during the festival.
Shockwave Festival will also take a strong enterprise approach this year with the addition of young people’s original art, craft and creative wares for sale both at the festival and in selected tourist venues across the region. Participants will learn valuable business and creative production skills and contribute to regional cultural and economic development.
Lastly, due to high demand the Shockwave Art Gallery will be open for one week following the festival in 2013 to coincide with the Blackall Heartland Festival Art Show. The Shockwave Art Gallery will feature an exhibition of work by selected young and emerging regional artists. Works will also be for sale.
Shockwave could not happen without our dedicated supporters. Human are currently seeking sponsors, partners and members to support the future of the Shockwave Festival. Help empower our young people to see a future for themselves in our rural communities. Please email Alison for more information on alison@human.org.au
Shockwave Festival is on May 25 and 26 at the Memorial Hall and Skate Park, Blackall, Queensland.
IMAGE: David Stavanger aka Ghostboy, world class Slam Poet will be delivering workshops and performing thanks to the State Library of Queensland’s Poetry Slam program.
Creative Pathways: last workshops for 2012, skate parks, and BIG showcases!
Brisbane arts workers Sue Loveday and Thom Browning made up the creative team for this delivery. Sue facilitated block printing, stencilling and organic sculpture making workshops. Thom, who is new to the team, facilitated VJ and performance workshops.
In Winton, over 60 young people attended workshops at the Youth Centre and Winton State School and 130 people came to celebrate the first BIG Showcase at the Winton Shire Hall. The Winton BIG Showcase contained dance, drama and music by students from Winton State School and live VJ’ing, photography, sculpture and original greeting cards made by Creative Pathways participants.
With our delivery in Blackall happening on the busiest weekend of the year, we were stoked to attract over 50 young people to workshops at the Memorial Hall and Blackall State School and 50 people to the Blackall BIG Showcase at the Skate Park. This event was unlike any in the history of the Creative Pathways program. The skate bowl turned into the stage as young scooter riders, skateboarders, hip hop dancers, beat boxers and VJ’s combined their acts into one athletic art extravaganza.
Both BIG Showcases also had fundraising elements run by young people in the form of original greeting cards for sale and a BBQ to help pay for their involvement in Shockwave Festival 2013
We farewelled Bonny on this trip and welcomed Alison Mobbs to the team as the Shockwave 2013, Regional Marketing & Event Coordinator. Alison is a Blackall local with years of experience in event management, youth engagement and creative practice.
If 2012 is anything to go by we can’t wait to see what the West has to offer in 2013. Merry Christmas from all of us!!
Shockwave 2013 Needs You!
Shockwave Festival is currently seeking sponsors to support the long term growth and sustainability of this multi-award winning, nationally recognised event.
We are looking for local and national businesses and organisations who are interested in partnering with Shockwave Festival for 2013.
The Shockwave Festival was born out of Human Ventures and Blackall Tambo Regional Council’s Creative Pathways in the Central West initiative. Shockwave is a festival for the young and the young at heart. The annual event creates opportunities for young people in Central West Queensland to showcase their relative arts talents, learn from established and professional artists, be exposed to creative industries opportunities and youth services and express themselves using a variety of art forms to the Central West community.
The Shockwave Festival aims to provide a space for community celebration, a meeting place for young people from across the region, using an event designed, produced and evaluated through the leadership and creativity of regional young people. The festival supports emerging and established young artists to showcase their work on a variety of platforms, to their peers and to the broader community. The festival also supports creative exchange between emerging and established artists, and allows young people to develop enterprising approaches to how the festival is produced and how they are involved.
In 2012, over 450 people attended Shockwave Festival from 30 communities across Queensland and Nationwide. The majority of people in attendance each year are from Central Western Queensland including Blackall, Tambo, Longreach, Ilfracombe, Winton, Barcaldine and Isisford.
Partnering with us guarantees you new audiences, increased visibility and enhanced brand awareness.
To discuss sponsorship opportunities please contact Creative Pathways Regional Coordinator, Bonny Lawrence.
Ph: 4657 4442
Email: bonny@human.org.au
Or Shockwave Producer, Brooke Newall on
Ph: 3229 8055
Email: brooke.newall@human.org.au
SHOCKWAVE CURRENTLY HOLDS THE FOLLOWING TITLES
Winner of Outback Queensland Tourism’s ‘BEST FESTIVAL/EVENT’ for 2011 plus,
National Runner Up for the Music Council of Australia’s ‘Music In Communities Award’ for 2011
Exclusive interview with Andrew Gibbs, Creative Director for Human Ventures
Ever wondered what happens in the mind of creative leaders? Andrew invites us into the depths of his consciousness for a five minutes.
Of the art events you have attended so far this year, which one did prefer?
That’s a tough one, Liquid Architecture 13 at the Powerhouse was an amazing sonic journey. Ferment Collaborate’s fundraiser for their Venesa Program was a fantastic night of grassroots visual art and music. And of course I was totally inspired and uplifted (and a bit exhausted) by this year’s Shockwave Festival in Blackall.
What do you like best about being a Human?
Heaps of things! Working with a bunch of other great Humans and the flexible, open and creative work environment. Seeing first hand the impacts of our programs, tackling a problem with creativity, working in regional Australia, Friday afternoon tag-team DJ jams…
What inspires you?
My family, art, magic tricks, business, travel, food, music, video, friends, ideas, video games, soldering, gardening, the beach, the bush, old people, young people, synthesisers, comics, rainforests….I could keep going….
What is your vision for the future?
An inclusive world, without fear, full of love.
What would you like to be reincarnated as?
The internet… That, or a sloth.
Why is creativity important?
I’m actually convinced that nothing has ever happened without creativity. Look at everything – someone or something created it. I just created that sentence.
What is your favourite creative activity?
At this point it would be producing audiovisual compositions using video and sound synthesis. I also have large degrees of love for projections, AV remixing, field recording, drawing, sampling and circuit bending.
What do you like best about technology?
It’s flexibility, the fact it is becoming more accessible and affordable, happy accidents, plugging things into things.
Andrew has been involved in all things entrepreneurial and creative since 1999. He has a passion for the arts, enterprise and exploring innovative production techniques. He has extensive experience managing creative projects in the realm of digital and community arts. He is often invited to speak on topics such as entrepreneurship, creativity, youth and community engagement.
Seeking new Regional Program Coordinator – Creative Pathways
Human Ventures is seeking a dynamic, enthusiastic and dedicated person for the role of Regional Program Coordinator for Creative Pathways, an arts and enterprise development program for young people in Central West Queensland.
This position is based in the Central West Queensland region and would suit those interested in Youth, Community, Arts and Culture.
A bit about the role of Regional Program Coordinator – Creative Pathways
Reporting directly to the Creative Pathways Program Manager and Human Ventures Creative Director the Regional Program Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of the Creative Pathways workshop programs, events and projects, communicating with current regional partners and identifying new partnership opportunities, collaborating with the Program Manager to identify and develop funding opportunities, evaluating all areas of the program effectively and actively supporting the sustainability of the program’s future.
Ultimately this position will play a key role in the development and implementation of the transition phase for the Creative Pathways Program into Central West Queensland.
Applications close Friday 5 August 2011.
Application Kit
Regional Program Coordinator – Application Kit
Creative Pathways continue this September
The Creative Pathways team are back in the Central West in September with brand new creative workshops, including computer games development, digital DJ, film making, illustration, music production and graphic design.
The team will be collaborating with Blackall State School to present the second annual Arts Appreciation Evening.
“Contributing to local events is really important to us,” said Creative Pathways Coordinator, Brooke Newall. “It is a way of connecting our program to the wider community and to demonstrate to young people the value of partnerships.”
The whole community is invited to the Blackall State School Arts Appreciation Evening that will happen at the Blackall Cultural Centre on Thurs 9 Sep, 6pm. The event will include an art gallery, music and theatre performances, a film display and more. All work created by Blackall State High students, Creative Pathways participants and the wider community.
“This event will not only be about celebrating the work on display,” suggests Brooke, “but about encouraging more young people to explore the arts and creative industries.”
On Monday 6 September, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, young people in Blackall can come to the Memorial Hall to get involved in workshops in computer games development, digital DJ, film making, illustration, music production and graphic design. The workshops then continue on Tuesday and Wednesday from 3.30pm until 5.30pm.
In Blackall, young people can also participate in graphic design workshops from Friday 10 until Sunday 12 September. Through the employment of a local designer and client liaison the Design Hub endeavours to deliver professional design services for clients in Central West Queensland. The Design Hub initiative is currently being developed by Creative Pathways, in collaboration with Blackall-Tambo Regional Council and CICADAS.
The Creative Pathways team then makes their way to Longreach where young people can similarly participate in computer games development, digital DJ, film making, illustration, music production and graphic design on Friday 10 September at Longreach State High School and on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September at the Longreach Youth Club from 11am until 4pm.
In addition to workshops, Creative Pathways will continue with the Young Entrepreneurs Program, supporting young people’s ideas for enterprise projects.
“We’re really keen to continue working with young people who have a vision for some form of community project, event or even a micro-business,” outlines Brooke. “Even if you don’t have your own concept, you can still participate and learn great skills to develop and launch a business idea.”
Young Entrepreneurs is about helping young people to better understand and develop skills in enterprise by focusing on social enterprise opportunities that can provide some benefit to the Central West.
Creative Pathways creative workshops, enterprise program and showcase series is currently supported by: The Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council, Blackall State School, Longreach State High School, Regional Arts Fund, CICADAS and Human Ventures.
For more information about Creative Pathways or the Young Entrepreneurs Program, contact Human Ventures on 07 3229 8055, email cpcw@human.org.au, check out our website at or become a fan of ‘Creative Pathways’ on Facebook.
Human Ventures (Human) is a leading creative and social enterprise. We develop community programs and provide creative services to help grow innovative and sustainable businesses and communities. Human Ventures acknowledges the assistance of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Creative Pathways back in the Central West
The Creative Pathways team are heading back to the Central West for more creative arts workshops, including graphic design, drama, film & multimedia, zine-making and stencilling.
The team will also be holding community events, in both Blackall and Longreach, to share stories about this year’s Shockwave and to talk about next year’s festival.
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Shockwave hits Central West Queensland!
The Shockwave Youth Arts Festival has come and gone for 2010, leaving in its wake great memories for young people and adults alike who attended the event in Blackall over the 22nd and 23rd May.
Under a clear Central West Queensland sky, Shockwave 2010 began with a busy program of workshops and activities. Circus-themed, the colourful event promoted young people’s interaction with creative arts as a means of self-expression and collaboration.
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