Now 18 months in development, the Bundanon Local Project: NO TIME LIKE NOW draws to a close for 2014. No Time Like Now is a series of short art films capturing the everyday here and now of people’s lives in the Shoalhaven district. It brings together participants with diverse abilities, local community and health services and artists in an integrated dance / video / site project.

Since 2013 Philip Channells and Sam James have worked closely with Bundanon Trust’s community engagement officer, Regina Heilmann to develop a creative process based on respect and a desire to share ideas and stories. Other artists who have also come on board at different times are Jianna Georgiou, Daniel Monks, Jesse Rochow and Candy Royalle.

Participant: Quinn Patterson

The project was designed to create opportunities for people who are not normally seen in or heard in mainstream arts projects. Participants that have so far engaged in the project have a broad range of life experience and include people across different generations (aged 7 – 65), cultural background, people living with physical and sensory impairment and mental health conditions.

Through using movement as the initial creative modality, the collaborators established a nurturing and safe space for people to express their individuality without judgment. This sensitivity in the initial stages of the creative process provided fertile possibilities from which ideas were drawn from their imaginations and real life experiences.

Participants: Melissa Bushby & Jianna Georgiou

Sam James uses a compositing technique in his filmmaking. He said this about his creative process…

The ideas often began in the studio and were filmed on a blue screen. Editing the film begins from collage and relationships are developed through associations made in linear editing. Sam James

The project will now take a break for the summer period before resuming with a new collaborator – local illustrator, Jack Tuckerman (a recent Nowra High School graduate). Jack brings his exceptional eye and expertise to the visual dramaturgical solutions in the post-production process.

I’m personally excited to contribute an extra layer of different medium to the project that may be able to augment the final result. Jack Tuckerman

For more information about the project visit the latest Bundanon newsletter.

Video stills: Sam James / Main photo: (dancers L – R) Todd Hawthorne, John van Doorn & Melissa Bushby

This project has been funded by the Community Partnerships section of the Australia Council for the Arts.