ARTnode was relocated from the first chosen site because Professor John Maynard found it to be an Awabakal burial ground. Negotiation for the second site was the first time the Awabakal people had been asked permission to use their land. This aspect of the project was concerned with the development of new protocols and to initiate approval processes through precedents. Trees in Newcastle, a landless Landcare group, were also provided with access to council managed land for the first time. The wide-ranging support applied pressure to Newcastle City Council to the extent that: the Public Art Advisory Committee was restructured to include practising artists; a public art position was created; and the Access Committee was given a more formal role in the development of new Council initiatives.

Cindi Hankinson conducted research with participants to investigate the relationship between community creative activity and health where people were engaging in a community project rather than activity in a therapeutic context. Three main themes were identified from the data; ‘being engaged in creating’, ‘creating a stronger sense of self’ and ‘developing connectedness with others’. These themes indicated creative activities provide unique experiences of absorption through creative engagement, choice through creation and the expression of identity. Additionally, they provided opportunity for connectedness with others. These experiences, in turn, enhanced participants’ sense of control, self-esteem, identity, enjoyment and motivation as well as capacity to cope with stress, pain and negative emotions.

Living with Hope by Tim Hodge with Waratah / Mayfield Living with Memory Loss Group. In workshops the group explored words to be carved on the work.

Spring by Marianne Ireland with Willi Haas. Marianne’s design was selected from a call to artists with disabilities.

Creation of Unity by Indigenous artist Georgina Moran with Graham Wilson

Access elements