The striking chrome-finish Tiny House on its trailer is the centrepiece of the UNSEEN Arts Hub. Set in one wall, is a large glass gallery window where artworks can be exhibited. The other side is designed to represent a traditional house. A projection screen can be mounted on one end for evening viewings of slideshows and short films. At the rear, a traditional verandah can accommodate small displays or performances.
The chrome-covered cars represents the temporary shelter many homeless women and their children have to resort to. On the car windows are images of women who have experienced homelessness. Written in chalk on the ground around the cars are quotes from the women.
The chrome-finish couches represent 'couch-surfing', whereby women often stay with family and friends, until they wear out their welcome, as an alternative to living on the streets. Equipped with sound, the setting can be used for a range of activities such as podcasts and poetry readings.
'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' by UNSEEN artist Fiona consists of many pairs of shoes laid out on the ground, each accompanied by a tag sharing the owner's story. The shoes are owned by women from many walks of life, including human rights advocates and women with lived experience of homelessness.
The performance space is variable in size to maximise the potential of each location. Equipped with speaker and microphones, it can be used for a wide range of performances including spoken word, yarning circles, poetry slams, theatre and community choirs. Including, local Artist in residence, Aunty Jacqui's Trauma informed Yoga session, Jai's Poetry Slam Competition and Gina's LGBTQI Millinery workshop and Fashion Parade.
Four marquees are available, suggested usage is as follows. An Arts marquee featuring travelling UNSEEN artists and a Local Artist marquee featuring an artist from each locality visited. At the Workshop marquee visitors can interact with artists and participate in Yarning Circles with UNSEEN's Aunty in Residence. The Information marquee provides details about UNSEEN, the artists and women's homelessness services.
DAY 1
Evening 1
DAY 2
Evening 2
DAY 3
Evening 3
DAY 4
The ‘Weaving Stories’ workshop is led by local First Nations women.
Underpinned by the philosophy of Aunty Dixie Link Gordon, the founder of ‘Breaking Silent Codes’, this workshop offers women a safe space to share their stories of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness.
Together they will collaborate to create a single and united weaving artwork.
This multi-media art project offers women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds the opportunity to share their stories of what home means to them.
CALD women often have difficulty seeking support, navigating the service system. The ‘What does home mean to you?’ workshop enables them to use art to share their concerns and express what home means to them.
The ‘Belonging’ photographic workshop invites women who identify as LGBTQIA+ to express through photographic representations what belonging means to them.
LGBTQIA+ women are more likely to experience homelessness at a younger age and this is driven by family rejection.
This workshop encourages families to be proud and loud about sexual diversity in their community.
The ‘More than a Dot Point’ creative arts workshop enables women with disability to showcase their creativity in their local community.
Often reduced as a dot point in reports on mainstream social issues, women with disability are not usually well served by existing services readily available in most parts of Australia.
This workshop empowers participants to highlight that they are far more than ‘dot points’.
