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| Big hART | |
|---|---|
| Name | Big hART |
| Type | Nonprofit arts organization |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founders | Rhoda Roberts; Scott Rankin |
| Headquarters | Launceston, Tasmania |
| Area served | Australia |
| Focus | Community arts, social practice, participatory theatre |
Big hART
Big hART is an Australian arts company known for participatory theatre, community arts and social practice projects that engage marginalized communities across Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The organisation collaborates with Indigenous communities, regional towns and urban neighbourhoods to produce theatre, film, radio and exhibitions, working alongside partners such as the Australia Council for the Arts, the Sidney Myer Fund, the University of Tasmania and the National Film and Sound Archive. Its projects have involved artists, activists and officials from institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, ABC, Screen Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Council.
Big hART was established in 1992 by Rhoda Roberts and Scott Rankin, developing projects that intersect with Indigenous Australian communities, rural towns and prison populations. Early initiatives connected with organisations such as the Australian Council for the Arts, Arts Council England, the Tasmanian State government and the City of Launceston, while collaborating with artists and cultural leaders from institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne. Over time the company created relationships with media outlets and broadcasters such as the ABC, SBS, BBC and Channel 7, and engaged with policy and research partners like the Lowitja Institute, the Ian Potter Foundation and the Australia Research Council.
Big hART’s mission emphasizes creative practice that addresses social disadvantage, working through theatre, film, radio, digital media and community events. Programmatic collaborations have involved cultural organisations such as the National Gallery of Victoria, the State Library of Tasmania, the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne International Arts Festival, while training and development work has engaged tertiary institutions like the University of Sydney, the University of Tasmania and RMIT. Projects often intersect with advocacy groups and health services including Beyond Blue, Headspace and the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association, and with funding bodies such as the Australia Council, the Australia Research Council and philanthropic trusts like the Myer Foundation and the Sidney Myer Fund.
Signature productions and initiatives include long-form community works that have toured to festivals and venues such as the Adelaide Festival, the Melbourne Festival, the Sydney Festival and the National Indigenous Music Awards. Productions have collaborated with dramatists, directors and performers associated with the Belvoir St Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre Company and Black Swan State Theatre Company, and have been documented by broadcasters including ABC Television, SBS Television and the BBC. Specific projects have intersected with Indigenous artists and organisations such as Bangarra Dance Theatre, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence and musicians linked to the ARIA Awards and the National Indigenous Music Awards.
Evaluations of Big hART projects have been undertaken in partnership with academic and research institutions including the University of Tasmania, the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, and with policy bodies such as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the Lowitja Institute. Case studies have appeared alongside reports from organisations such as the Australia Council for the Arts, the Ian Potter Foundation and philanthropic evaluators linked to the Myer Foundation and the Paul Ramsay Foundation. The company’s work has been cited in discussions involving public health agencies, arts policy forums at the Australia Council, and community development programs run with local councils including the City of Launceston, the City of Newcastle and regional development boards.
Big hART has received funding from government and philanthropic sources including the Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria, Arts Tasmania, the Sidney Myer Fund, the Myer Foundation and Screen Australia, while also securing support from local councils such as Launceston City Council and Newcastle City Council. Governance involves a board and senior staff whose roles connect with broader cultural institutions like the National Gallery of Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and tertiary partners including the University of Tasmania and RMIT. Major commissioning and co-production partners have included the Sydney Opera House, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the State Library of Victoria and regional festival organizers such as the Darwin Festival.
Work by Big hART and its contributors has been recognised by awards and nominations connected to the Helpmann Awards, the Sydney Theatre Awards, the Australian Community Cultural Development Association, the Australia Council for the Arts Fellowships and the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards. Projects and collaborators have also featured in film and media awards administered by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, Screen Australia initiatives and broadcasting honours from the ABC and SBS, as well as national arts prizes associated with the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Category:Arts organisations based in Australia Category:Theatre companies in Australia