Lisa Havilah – Chief Executive, Powerhouse MuseumAcknowledgement of Country and welcome

Deborah Vaughan, Regional Program Producer, Powerhouse Museum Welcome and introduction to speakers

SESSION 1: CONNECTING TO PLACE

Brett Adlington, CEO Museums & Galleries of NSW
Building regional digital capacity This presentation will discuss two key digital initiatives being delivered by Museums & Galleries of NSW. One, a longer-term project a few years in the making; and the other emerging out of enhanced digital capacity evident in the sector since the onset of the pandemic. Three video presentations by Let’s Get Digital successful applicants

Chris Franks, President, Montreal Goldfield Wallaga Lake Inc.
Voices of the Goldfield The Montreal Goldfield reflects on introducing a sound design to their guided tour. Creative Director Greg Lissaman and Goldfield President Chris Franks share insights to the collaboration between volunteers and professional artists, introducing volunteer guides to technology, and the value of the project to the concurrent visioning of the Goldfield’s future.

Kathleen von Witt, Gallery and Museum Director, Hawkesbury City Council
11 Stories from the river digital project A sound and storytelling project, researching and collecting audio interviews of varied aspects of the Dyarubbin/Hawkesbury River. Interviews have been recorded and an original musical work written by composer/producer Oonagh Sherrard. QR codes will be placed in site specific locations for access to each story — hosted by Hawkesbury Regional Museum.

Vanessa Keenan, Managing Director, Acorn Creative Group
Greater Museums: reconnecting locals with community museums in Greater Hume With lockdowns the new norm and regional tourism on hold, six community run museums across Greater Hume Shire are working towards bringing locals back to explore their own history through a series of short films.

Joan Kelly, Project Officer, Arts Northern Rivers
Volunteer Museum – Residencies Yaegl artists, Frances Belle Parker and Blake Rhodes (Mr.Rhodes) engage with the Maclean and Yamba Museums to imagine new works to engage creatively with visitors. Each work incorporates neglected voices and perspectives into existing narratives. This Arts Northern Rivers residency project is an outcome of the VAMP program initiated by Orana Arts that seeks to strengthen connections between museums, their community and visitors.

Tim Kurylowicz, Executive Director, Eastern Riverina Arts
Drivers of RecoveryAn arts festival in the middle of a burned-out forest. Creative pop-up businesses in a pandemic-ravaged main street. Showcasing two creative projects led by Eastern Riverina Arts in 2021, this presentation reveals the roles artists and creative entrepreneurs can play to help their communities recover and renew.

CONNECTING TO COMMUNITY

Liz Martin, Interim CEO, Accessible Arts Ensuring
Accessible ConnectionsTo facilitate inclusive connection, there are achievable and cost-effective ways to enhance your access and strengthen your connection. This presentation outlines simple ideas to improve your Museum’s accessibility and achieve a big impact on a small budget.

Hayley Lander, Digitisation Project Officer, Murray Region Digitisation Hub, Albury LibraryMuseum
Strength in numbers: regional digitisation partnershipsAs our audiences rapidly move online, the impetus to promote collections through digitisation has grown. Getting started can seem like an overwhelming task for regional collecting organisations with limited resources. This presentation will demonstrate how pooling resources and sharing knowledge can grow capacity through a case study of the Murray Region Digitisation Hub.

Arianna Deer, Education & Public Programs Officer, Hurstville Museum & Gallery, Georges River Council
Reminiscing with your community Arianna will discuss how to develop a meaningful reminiscing therapy kit using objects and stories from your Museum collection, with practical tips for creating your own kit.