The PARK LANDS PROJECT was a free one-day family friendly art, music and citizen science meets nature festival, located in Tuthangga / Park 17 on the 16 May, 2021 as part of the 2021 SA History Festival. This project continues with OSCA’s focus on creating innovative art events that connect people to places, history, community, and the local environment.
The Park Lands Project invited the public on a micro and macro journey of discovery, to creatively explore the biodiversity significance and adaptive nature of the flora and fauna living in the Adelaide Park Lands Bush For Life sites. The one day event also showcased the music of Naomi Keyte.
SA artists – Laura Wills, Rosina Possingham, Louise Flaherty & Belinda Gehlert, were commissioned to create a series of multi-media and audio artworks. Their outcomes offered new perspectives of the patterns, habitats and landscapes of the local flora and fauna. Each of the artists involved local schools and community groups in the development of their outcomes.
Kaurna elder Michael Kumatpi Marrutya O’Brien addressed how Indigenous people build their empirical knowledge of the natural environment through action and stories and acknowledged the recent cultural burn that had taken place in Park 17 in the lead up to this event.
The site-informed art installations, citizen science workshops plus nature walks and talks provided the public an opportunity to increase knowledge and skills in monitoring, conserving and protecting native plants and animals as well as bring greater recognition to the important and at times invisible local research and nature conservation work being undertaken in the area.
IN CONVERSATION…LAURA WILLS AND GERRY BUTLER
HERDING CATERPILLARS PERFORMANCE
IN CONVERSATION…LOUISE FLAHERTY AND VICKI-JO RUSSELL
IN CONVERSATION…ROSINA POSSINGHAM AND JENNY DEANS
The Park Lands Project is a collaboration between Nature Conservation Society of South Australia, Trees For Life, Hunter Gatherings and OSCA. Project event partners included Nature Play SA and Save Our Wildlife Foundation Inc.
The PARK LANDS PROJECT is proudly supported by Inspiring South Australia, the City of Adelaide, Green Adelaide and the Commonwealth of Australia as represented by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
