Creative Recovery Arts Corps Pilot Project

In August 2011, Arts Queensland partnered with the Australia Council for the Arts and engaged the Creative Resilience Alliance to carry out a pilot project to assist recovery through arts and cultural activities led in the three communities most affected by disaster in Queensland - Cassowary Coast, Ipswich and Lockyer Valley, While the pilot project is being conducted in three communities, the learnings from the project, any resources to assist communities and the stories and vignettes will be available to all.

The Arts Corps will consist of artists and arts and cultural workers who are able to assist in arts based community responses to disaster recovery to complement local community recovery efforts. Specifically the Creative Recovery Arts Corps Pilot Project will:

• work with local communities to plan and deliver high quality arts and cultural activities and events in three areas in Queensland - Cassowary Coast, Ipswich and Lockyer Valley
• build the skills and capacity of local artists, arts organizations and arts and cultural workers (Arts Corps)
• develop an Arts Corps toolkit/resource for artists, arts organizations and communities that can be used for future training in arts led community development and disaster recovery
• document the processes, projects and outcomes throughout the pilot to capture key vignettes, successes and stories that demonstrate how the Arts Corps model is integral to disaster recovery programs.

The Creative Recovery Arts Corps initiative will complement and link with existing disaster recovery arrangements in communities to improve community recovery and well being of individuals.

More Information about the Project

If you want to know more about Creative Recovery Arts Corps pilot project and local projects or read some of the stories from these three communities or want to be involved with the Arts Corps, go to the Creative Resilience Alliance website or telephone Creative Resilience Alliance (Contact Inc) on 07 3255 3900 or email info@contact.org.au

Additional information

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the benefits of the arts to personal and community wellbeing, such as increased self-confidence and resilience; improved physical and mental health; reduced feelings of isolation; new personal and creative skills; strengthened connections to place; and a sense of shared optimism. Following a disaster, these are all critical factors to positive recovery at an individual and community level.

Arts Queensland has developed two resources to support arts led community recovery, in collaboration with the Local Government Association of Queensland and the Local Government Arts and Culture Reference Group:

• The arts in community recovery, rebuilding and renewal (an introduction to the role of the arts) (PDF, 101 KB)
• Tips for initiating an art-led recovery projects (PDF 237 KB)

Arts Queensland also responded quickly to provide information to Councils with the opportunity to administer Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grants in a simplified and responsive way as part of disaster recovery, until it was practical to return to the usual RADF processes.

Useful web pages

Queensland Reconstruction Authority

Queensland Government - details of community recovery well being package

Australian Government

Local Government Association of Queensland (arts and culture page)

Australia Council for the Arts