Blue Mountains Women's Health and Resource Centre (BMWHRC) has partnered with creative producers Illuminart to launch a unique public art installation that supports violence prevention and gender equity.
The project, entitled Blue Mountains Says NO to Violence, is a projection on to the foyer windows at Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub, Springwood, that opens on Thursday, November 25, with a special launch event scheduled for Friday the 26th.
The projection is in recognition of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign launched by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership, that runs November 25 to December 10 (also the duration of the exhibition), and marks its 30th anniversary this year.
The projection will feature portraits of prominent community members, taken at the Enough is Enough Rally at Katoomba in June. The creators of the artwork, Illuminart, are a team of artists known for transforming places and buildings through projected community art and storytelling.
"The project was born out of the March4Justice, Enough is Enough rallies, which took place around Australia earlier this year calling for an end to gender-based violence," said Cherie Brandon, health promotion worker with BMHHRC. "We at BMWHRC understand what an important issue this is.
"We support women who have experienced violence and we also work actively in primary prevention - working toward preventing violence from occurring in the first place. We frequently hear from community, particularly young women, that they do not feel safe doing everyday activities, like walking to and from school. We are interested in cultural change and working at a local and grassroots level.
"Rallies and other public actions are important opportunities for community to come together and express shared passion for change. But while powerful in the moment, they do not always lead to the kind of change we seek. We aim to give people the opportunity to stay connected beyond the rally through other activities, such as the portraits and this project."
The portraits in the projection feature a number of recognisable local faces, including Aunty Carol Cooper, educator and mentor Chandu Bickford, artist and activist Ailie Banks and councillor Suzie von Opdorp.
"We are really proud that the portraits feature local grassroots community members who are passionate about change," said Ms Brandon. "The images represent the diversity of the local community. Every image has its own personal message, but collectively they declare the Blue Mountains says no to violence.
"The project intentionally uses images of women and other community members in positions of power and positivity in response to violence."
Speakers at the launch on November 26 include Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman, State Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle and Aunty Carol Cooper. The event starts at 7.15pm at the Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub in Springwood.
"The objective is to illuminate public space at night, in places where women often feel unsafe, with positive, strong images of the Blue Mountains community standing together against gender-based violence," said Ms Brandon.
