Samara Cunningham - Community Artist

09/09/2024

I haven't wasted a minute this past month! From discussing equity in the workplace at the Australian Womens Leadership Symposium 2024, to exploring the current state of the arts at APAX with my darling Danielle Micich, to the HESTA Excellence Awards, followed by the magnificence of rawcus's latest show Interior, to being a panelist at Regional Arts Victoria's Change Makers event in Colac talking about making work in regional areas with people with diverse lived experiences. I think it's fair to say I've earned myself a quite couple of days of reflection.

26/08/2024

I'm thrilled to be directing a new and inclusive community performance project in Fishy in the coming weeks. If you're feeling curious and brave, and want to connect with your community in a creative and fun way, then please join me and a team of professional artists, designers and disability arts support workers on a Wednesday 4-6pm in the Fish Creek Memorial Hall. All welcome.

**This is a free community project**

Project starts October 9 with a public performance at the end of March, 2025.

Photo credit: Lauren Murphy Photography

Image Description: a photograph of legs and feet taken from behind. The image is bathed in a green light with shadows of the legs on the ground.

This project is proudly supported by Regional Development Victoria through the Tiny Towns initiative, and the Mercy Foundation Australia's social justice program.

24/04/2024

With her custom made retro pinny hot off the ironing board, Hannah Bradsworth is all set to lead her fabulous Go-Go Dance activity at the 2024 Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival.
Join Hannah for a boogie in the Fish Creek Village Green on Saturday 25 May at 1pm. The session will last no longer than 15 minutes.

Image Description: Hannah is looking at the camera, smiling and holding up a garment bag with a colourful, flowery dress inside.

30/01/2024

Creativity knows no bounds at (it's no) drama. Here's a look at our most recent work, 'No Sudden Moves'.

07/11/2023

Earlier this year I was fortunate to receive support from Creative Australia to develop a community performance project in my town with a group of local artists and residents brave enough to participate.

Two public performances of FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT were presented in the Fish Creek Memorial Hall in September. Here's a little snapshot. https://vimeo.com/881331408/7414bed242?share=copy

Filmed by Joel Sharpe

This is "FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT - Social Edit" by Joel Sharpe on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

25/09/2023

It's never just about the show. There's always the bits in-between.

Behind-the-scenes snaps of FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT captured by Lauren Murphy Photography who lurks like a ninja.

23/09/2023

It may come as no surprise that we have extremely talented artists, designers and technicians living right here in South Gippsland!!
Costume designer and creator Mayumi McPhee is one such local designer who brings considerable skill to all of the projects she works on.
For FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT, Mayumi drew on concerns around the climate emergency to inform her design.

Images by Lauren Murphy Photography

Image description: A series of photographs of white shirts hanging on coat hangers and on peoples bodies. The shirts have different coloured paint on them in various patterns. One shirt has an orange sun on the back, behind a black smudge and another has a a print of a wedgetail eagle. The final image is a portrait of Mayumi looking at the camera and smiling while simultaneously hanging a shirt on a rack.

19/09/2023

Today FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT is acknowledging two performing powerhouses; Amanda McVilly and Wing Yi Chan. Both are local gardeners, and exquisite dancers.

I never know precisely who's going to sign up to my community performance projects. But I've discovered along the way that we have incredibly skilled people living amongst us. Amanda and Wing Yi are two of them and I'm immensely grateful for their contributions to the FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT project!

Images: four photographs of Amanda and Wing Yi dancing with their arms outstretched.

18/09/2023

These five women are movers and shakers, carers, connectors and creators. They contribute selflessly to our community and it was wonderful to see them in the spotlight on Saturday night doing what they love - MOVING, PLAYING and PERFORMING!

Thank you MARG WATSON, ELIZABETH COLLINS, TIFFANY FRIDAY, LYNDEN COSTIN, KATE RUSSELL!!

Image description: Five photographs of different individuals dancing, reaching, leaning, and gesturing. Each image has a different coloured light - green, pink, amber and white.

17/09/2023

THE CAST!! WOOP WOOP!!

CONRATULATIONS to Hannah Bradsworth, Lynden Costin, Wing Yi Chan, Bev Cowan, Elowen Costin, Jamie Friday, Marg Watson, Kate Russell, Tiffany Friday, Bridget Nicholson, Amanda McVilly, Jasmine Susic, and Elizabeth Collins. You were all spectacular.

At the heart of FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT are these beautiful people. They came together over several months to play, move and share stories. They were brave, generous and fun to be around.

Participation in the arts contributes to small regional communities in so many different and wonderful ways, including physical and mental wellbeing, and social connectivity. More of this please!!

Image credit: Lauren Murphy Photography

Image description: A series of portraits of people wearing white shirts and leaning on an inside wall.

17/09/2023

Last night in our small regional hall, a magical thing happened. A group of people of all ages, genders, cultural backgrounds and abilities, came together to perform an original dance work for our community of Fish Creek.

As the director of the project, I had the great privilege of assembling an A-Team of local professionals in sound, costume, technical stage direction, lighting, and documentation. Humongous thank you to Michael Shirrefs, Lauren Murphy Photography, Mayumi McPhee, Jasmine Susic, Mark Harrison, Joel Sharpe, Will McCarthy and Kate Russell for your hard work and limitless talent.

The FRONT FOOT*BACK BEAT project was proudly made possible with support from Creative Australia, South Gippsland Shire Council, Manna Gum Community House and Fish Creek Memorial Hall.

Thank you to everyone who came along to the show!!

13/09/2023

The FRONT FOOT*BACKBEAT community performance is on this Saturday evening in the Fish Creek Memorial Hall.

The 6:15pm performance is full but there's a handful of seats available for the 7pm.