National Indigenous School in New Media Arts (NISNMA)

As a part of its ongoing commitment to training and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, ANAT co-ordinated the second National Indigenous School in New Media Arts.

Michelle Blakeney, Still from 'Starr' 5 minute Drama, 2002

Michelle Blakeney, Still from 'Starr' 5 minute Drama, 2002

The aims of NISNMA 2002 were to:

  • provide the opportunity for artists who participated in the inaugural NISNMA to build on their existing skills and develop new skills
  • provide some entry level training for participants who are new to the School
  • provide networking opportunities for the participants
  • provide an open and comfortable space for communication between participants, tutors and guest lecturers
  • provide information about exhibiting and promoting new media art, including galleries, festival, awards
  • create opportunities for ongoing opportunities, projects and collaboration between participants

The School was held in Adelaide at Ngapartji Multimedia Centre and provided an intensive learning experience in a variety of digitally based mediums such as multimedia, the internet, world wide web, video and sound.The school catered for a wide range of skill bases and experiences, from artists with a small amount of experience to those artists more familiar with the technologies.

The entire NISNMA ran for three weeks, and was divided into three sections:
Weeks 1 & 2: Beginner students
Week 2: All students
Weeks 2 & 3: Advanced students

An Indigenous Project Manager from Adelaide, Gina Rings was employed by ANAT between the months of July and October 2002 to coordinate and manage NISNMA. Participants were selected following a national call for proposals and came from both regional and capital centres:
William Ah Chee (NT)
Kathleen Arbon (NT)
Michelle Blakeney (NSW)
Jenny Panangka Fraser (Qld)
Stephen Goldsmith (SA)
Patricia Ingram (SA)
Jessica Johnson (ACT)
Brenton Lugnan (NSW)
Frank Mcleod (NSW)
Charmaine Morton (SA)
Jason Ramp (SA)
Glenn Scott (SA)
Christian Bumbarra Thompson (Vic)
Michael Torres (WA)
Douglas Watkin (Qld)

With the school based in South Australia, most tutors were based in Adelaide with guest tutors coming from interstate, providing a broad range of new media and web-based skills: Francesca da Rimini (SA), Claudia Raddatz (SA), Jason Davidson (NT), Cameron Goold (Vic), Patrick Tarn (SA), Elendil (SA), Martin Thompson (SA).

A free forum program was held at Tandanya (Grenfell St, Adelaide) on Saturday 5 October 2002, featuring the following speakers:
Artist Talks: Cameron Goold (Vic)
Jason Hampton (NT)
Jenny Fraser (Qld)
Christian Bumbarra Thompson (Vic)

Funding and Support for Indigenous New Media Practice:
Kerri Mcllvenny (NSW) from ATSIAB
Jared Thomas (SA) from Arts SA
Jenny Fraser (Qld) from New Media Arts Board

NISNMA 2002 was made possible through the support of the following:
Steering Committee – Linda Cooper, Jared Thomas,Troy-Anthony Baylis and Gina Rings; Jenny Fraser and the New Media Arts Board; ANAT Board and staff especially Caroline Farmer; Ngapartji Multimedia Centre – Samara Mitchell and Alison Lei Mot; Tandanya – Michael Diorio and Stephen Goldsmith; Media Resource Centre; Warraparinga Kaurna Cultural Centre – Karl Telfer; Brenda L. Croft and NISNMA Project Officer Gina Rings.

Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, South Australian Film Corporation, Queensland Government through Artworkers Alliance, NSW Ministry for the Arts, Adelaide City Council, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute and Ngapartji Multimedia Centre.

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