Curatorial Clinics
Support was received from the Myer Foundation towards the continuation and expansion of ACCA’s extremely successful Curatorial Clinics. In 2006 ACCA conducted four clinics with curatorial panels that included ACCA staff alongside invited international curators. International visitors included curators from The Netherlands, Slovenia, China, Phillipines, Italy, Lithuania and the UK. Some 46 artists participated in the program and several artists were invited to participate in later exhibitions and events as a result of discussing their work with the panels.
Education
In 2006 ACCA’s schools program achieved increased attendances across Victoria and interstate in all sectors of the community. Overall ACCA held 267 free student floortalks for secondary and tertiary students as well as teacher groups that year. The number of school visits was significantly up on 2005, and there was a notable 200% leap in attendance during the exhibition Barbara Kruger.
Go West
In 2006, in direct response to research reflecting low student attendances to ACCA from Western suburbs schools, and with support from the Besen Foundation, ACCA launched Go West. This unique program provided schools with free bus travel to and from ACCA, a guided tour and resources to support learning about contemporary art and ideas.
Art in Your Ear
ACCA’s successful online program of sound files continued with 27 downloadable MP3 sound-files of artists and curators recorded and uploaded onto ACCA’s website, providing knowledge resource and international online access for students, teachers, artists colleagues and the general public. In 2006 ACCA also provided visitors with the opportunity to borrow iPod Nano’s with pre-recorded audio files for visitors to listen to artists discussing the ideas behind their work, while viewing exhibitions.
Arts Immersion
Following the successful pilot project Arts Immersion: Starting Points in 2005, ACCA continued to work with the Malthouse Theatre and Chunky Move dance company on this innovative program. Eighteen creative workshops were presented during the course of the year, giving Year 11 and 12 students the opportunity to work directly with practicing contemporary artists within each of the three organisations. The program’s success in 2006 saw it attract triennial funding from the Ian Potter Foundation for 2007-2009.
Regional Program
In collaboration with the Victorian Arts Centre, ACCA continued its involvement in the Victorian Regional Arts Program in 2006. Regionally-based Year 9 students had the opportunity to visit ACCA to engage in a range of talks around contemporary art practices and ideas.
Resources
ACCA’s resource table, developed in 2005 to accompany each exhibition season, remained a successful and positive addition to ACCA’s foyer. Resource material, including catalogues, press releases, brochures and other information relating to exhibiting artists was provided for study and research purposes.
Internships
ACCA continued to support Year 10 students who demonstrated a particular interest in the arts with annual work experience internships, mentoring 2 students from Bairnsdale Secondary College and St Leonard’s College, Melbourne in 2006.
In Conversations
During 2006 ACCA presented five In Conversation after-hour events. These events provided the opportunity for teachers and the broader arts community to hear ACCA’s Artistic Director and curators in conversation with exhibiting artists and special guests, discussing and exploring issues and ideas about contemporary art practice in Australia and overseas:
In Conversations – Juliana Engberg in conversation with Louise Adler, publisher
13 February 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Barbara Kruger.
In Conversations – Juliana Engberg in conversation with artists Helen Johnson, Natasha Johns-Messenger and Laresa Kosloff
3 April 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
In Conversations – Juliana Engberg in conversation with artists Michael Leunig and Lida Abdul
29 May 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Unquiet World.
In Conversations – Rebecca Coates in conversation with artists Hany Armanious and Alex Pittendrigh
14 August 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Uncanny Nature.
Look Who’s Talking
ACCA’s popular weekend Look Who’s Talking program, presented for each exhibition season, continued in 2006. Twenty-six talks were presented featuring a diverse range of speakers including:
Talk – John Daly
12 February 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Barbara Kruger.
Talk – Louise Adler, publisher
19 February 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Barbara Kruger.
Talk – Juliana Engberg, curator
26 February 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Barbara Kruger.
Talk – Anna MacDonald, curator
19 March 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
Talk – Natasha Johns-Messenger, artist
26 March 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
Talk – Helen Johnson, artist
2 April 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
Talk – Shaun Wilson, artist
9 April 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
Talk – Giles Ryder, artist
23 April 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
Talk – Laresa Kosloff, artist
30 April 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition NEW06.
Talk – Michael Lunig, artist
4 Jun 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Unquiet World.
Talk – Peter Tyndal, artist
18 June 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Unquiet World.
Talk – Callum Morton and Marco Fusinato, artists
25 June 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Unquiet World.
Talk – Susan Norrie, artist
16 July 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Unquiet World.
Talk – Juliana Engberg, curator
23 July 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Unquiet World.
13 August 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Uncanny Nature.
Talk – Daniel von Sturmer, artist
20 August 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition The Field Equation.
Talk – Alex Pittendrigh, artist
27 August 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Uncanny Nature.
Talk – Richard Giblett, artist
10 September 2006
Held in conjunction with the Uncanny Nature.
Talk – Rebecca Coates, curator
24 September 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Uncanny Nature.
Talk – Dr Daniel Palmer, academic
8 October 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Gillian Wearing: Living Proof.
Talk – Max Gillies
22 October 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Gillian Wearing: Living Proof.
Talk – Sue Ford, artist
12 November 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Gillian Wearing: Living Proof.
Talk – Dr Anne Marsh, academic
19 November 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Gillian Wearing: Living Proof.
Talk – Kate Daw, artist
26 Nov 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Gillian Wearing: Living Proof.
Talk – Juliana Engberg, curator
3 Dec 2006
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Gillian Wearing: Living Proof.
Fundraiser – Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart
26 April 2006
ACCA’s annual fundraiser for 2006 in association with the Melbourne Jazz Festival was a soiree of contemporary music and art featuring the award winning musicians Marshall McGuire and Genevieve Lacey.
Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart invitation
Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart program
Tour – ACCA at the 2006 Biennale of Sydney
15 – 16 July 2006
ACCA took visitors on an exclusive two-day tour of the 15th Biennale of Sydney, Zones of Contact, Curated by Charles Merewether. The tour was led by Artistic Director, Juliana Engberg.
ACCA at the 2006 Biennale of Sydney invitation
Pop Up Exhibition – If, Then, Maybe…
21 – 24 September 2006
ACCA joined with architecture students from RMIT, the Urban Design branch of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, and the City of Melbourne to present If Then Maybe, a weekend display of future focused urban design schemes, focusing on the possible rejuvenation of Grant Street/Southbank Arts precinct. Architecture students presented a range of re-invented environments including a sequence of playing fields giving onto a tadpole of commerce and a boulevard of boutiques and gardens. Grant-street-of-the-future was imagined as a place for community, environment and commercial revitalization. This special exhibition, which included the work of eight students, was presented in the ACCA foyer from September 21 to September 24 2006.
Curator: Simon Drysdale
Venue: ACCA Foyer
Lecture – Mike Nelson, artist
25 October 2006
UK Artist Mike Nelson presented a lecture on his practice and 2006 ACCA exhibition Lonely Planet to students and members of the public at RMIT.