Sigourney Young Poets Interview
What drives you to write/create?
I draw a lot of inspiration from the everyday situations and the world around me. I think that too often people let everything pass by while they’re caught up in work and stresses. In my writing I want to capture a moment or an image or scene and just slow it down. I want to appreciate details and the depth that can be found in ordinary situations
How would you describe your writing style?
My writing uses a lot of imagery and often concentrates on the rhythm and sound of sentences through structure and word choice. I’m fascinated with the way that these elements can create mood and so enjoy working with them in my writing. I write usually in the third person because it gives me the opportunity to explore a number of characters in depth…
Transformation Catalogue
Transformation exhibition catalogue is now available in the Collected Works Bookshop in the city and Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park.
Collected Works is at
Level 1 Nicholas Building
37 Swanston Street
Melbourne 3000
It will be available at more bookshops soon.
rrp $17.
Poets Interview - Sean M Whelan
Bunnies, broken hearts, line drawings, country music, trees at dusk, fifties dresses, skeletons, cowboy boots, rock and or roll, her handwriting, pushing back the waves of sadness, the memory of my father and a burning hole in my heart.
How would you describe your writing style?
I wouldn’t. Not unless I have to. I’ve never enjoyed trying to describe myself very much, perhaps because I don’t really have much of a plan to what I do. It comes mostly from a place of yearning, instinct and desperation.
Melbourne Transformed!
The Transformation Exhibition, the latest installment of the Moving Galleries travelling exhibition of art and poetry, was launched at Flinders Street station on a chilly morning in the middle of June. Peering through their winter woollies, artists and poets in attendance were able to view their work inside one of the trains that will usher the exhibition through the arteries of Melbourne.
The exhibition, the fifth in the Moving Galleries ‘Moving Melbourne through art’ series, features the musings of 23 poets and sublime creations of 26 artists on a series of posters dotting the walls of our city trains....
Transformation Media Release
MOVING_GALLERIES_TRANSFORMATION_Media_Release_17th_June_09.pdf
Transformation Launch at Flinders Street Station
The Transformation Exhibition was Launched at Flinders Street station on Wednesday morning the 17th June 2009. Artists and poets attended and were able to view their work on the walls of the carriages. Rob Hudson, Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts officially opened the exhibition and gave an enlighteing speech about the importance of the Moving Galleries Project for Melbourne. It was noted that projects like ours help make Melbourne the distinctive cultural capital of Australia, allowing a venue for artists to showcase their work and bringing art and poetry to a wider audience. Robbie Rowlands, an artist featured in the exhibition, spoke about the importance of projects like Moving Galleries to the arts communities of Melbourne and Victoria. In this instance, the ability for the ephemeral works that are within the exhibition to be able to “live on” and be seen by many more people than would otherwise be the case is of great importance to the artists in the exhibition.
Please Visit the on-line version of the exhibition on this website and don’t forget to Join, Vote and Comment on this website. Moving Galleries would love to know what you think and feel about the artwork you see and the poetry you read. Also let us know what you think of Moving Galleries?
Looking forward to your feedback....
Spring “Innocence” Launch Huge Success
The Spring Moving Galleries “Innocence” Launch was a wonderful success. The Launch was held at ArtPlay, Project Partners for the Innocence Artwork, in Birrarung Marr late November. The 18 junior artists’ panel paintings and the 23 poets’ poetry was displayed within the space and enjoyed by all.
Sally Capp, CEO of the Committee for Melbourne officially launched the new exhibition. An interesting speech was given by Rob Hudson; Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and the Arts and it was wonderful to hear of his enthusiasm for the Moving Galleries Project. Following was an equally engaging speech by Connex’s Executive Chairman Jonathan Metcalfe about how their support of Moving Galleries helps to captivate, amuse and engage the commuters that travel across the train network. Mr Metcalfe explained that supporting local communities and also the arts in Melbourne is of great importance to Connex.
Look out for the great chidrens’ artwork and inspiring poetry on your traintrips around Melbourne over the next few months. Connex is currently working hard installing the new exhibition onto another 40 trains in their network!
You can also peruse the new poetry and artwork on this website by clicking on the Artwork and Poetry links on the left side of this page and do not forget to vote for your favourite artist and poet!
Voting now closed for Autumn 2008 Exhibition’s Peoples’ Choice Award
The voting process has closed for the Autumn 2008 Exhibition’s Peoples’ Choice Awards.
Thank you to everyone who voted online. Winners will be announced in the near future.
Last chance to vote for Peoples’ Choice Award
Public voting will close in one weeks’ time on 12 Wednesday, November, 2008. Place your votes via the website before next Wednesday as one lucky member of the voting public to take away a prize, to the value of $500.
Follow the link to the Peoples’ Choice Awards, and follow the instructions to place your vote. Good luck to all artists, poets and Moving Galleries members! The winners will be announced in a few weeks!
Spring exhibition selection finalised and Moving Galleries appoints new project manager
The Moving Galleries Spring Exhibition selection is finalised and all the poets and artists are being notified. Moving Galleries is full steam ahead getting ready for the roll out of the new season “Innocence” exhibition on Connex trains and you should start seeing the exciting new exhibition on your way to work or play from late November. The art side of the exhibition feature’s children’s’ art made at Artplay in Birrarung Marr, and the poetry selections have been expanded to include longer form poetry in addition to the Rooku.
The move to longer forms is part of Moving Galleries ongoing commitment to keeping the project vibrant and introducing a broader range of forms of poetry to the community. Over the coming exhibitions we will have everything from sonnets to free verse and we encourage those submitting to be innovative in their work (as long as it will fit on a decal). Also, we remain faithful to our original beginnings with short form poetry, or rooku, even as we expand into different forms. Our aim is to be as representative as possible of the type of poetry that is being read and written by Victorians.
Due to the long absence of a Project Manager for the Moving Galleries recently, the Autumn 2009 Creative Spaces short-listed artists and poets’ selection process has had to be put on hold. Jessie Doring the newly appointed Project Manager would like to state her many apologies to all artists and poets who are awaiting the results of the selection process. The new Project Manager is working hard at bringing all projects up to date. Final decisions for the Autumn 2009 selection for Creative Spaces will be announced in the new year of 2009.
Autumn 2008 exhibition Launch
Art transforming trains seemed a recurrent theme as we launched the Moving Galleries 2008 exhibition last Thursday night at Art Play, the historical red-brick railway shed now converted to a cultural precinct. Located at Birrarung Marr Park along the Yarra, just a short work from the hub of trains at Flinders St Station, the launch was yet another reminder that art and poetry need not confine themselves to traditional spaces.
The party mingled around the 36 hanging rooku and 18 artworks – little lightning bolts of Melbourne inspired moments – soon to be scattered and dispersed throughout 40 Connex trains for the next 6 months.
Moving Galleries in collaboration with established art programs
In line with Moving Galleries’ incentive to support and strengthen Melbourne’s art community, its upcoming exhibitions will draw artwork from two established programs creating opportunities for artists. ArtPlay and Creative Spaces, in their differing approaches of assistance, will also reflect the diversity of Melbourne’s art organisations.
The spring 2008 exhibition will select it artwork from children’s pieces produced at ArtPlay, located in Birrarung Marr at Federation Square. In accordance to the theme of ‘innocence’, this exhibition will aim to inspire its audience through poetry and art that considers or reflects a sense of wonder at the world, new beginnings and fresh perspectives.
Connex finds beauty in the most unexpected places
Connex is well known for moving people around Melbourne, but did you know that they are also helping to move the profile of the arts in Melbourne?
The Australian Poetry Centre
Coming up to its first birthday this June, the Australian Poetry Centre (APC) is feeling excited about its future, even though it is really only funded to the end of this calendar year, as part of a 2 year start up grant from CAL.
How to write poetry
A few suggestions:
• The sound and rhythm of the words – the MUSICALITY – is important. ‘The sound should seem an echo to the sense’ (Alexander Pope).
• Write about what MATTERS most to you, right at the centre of yourself.
• AVOID clichés.
• DISTIL the language.
• SHOW, don’t tell, i.e. rather than saying “I feel happy”, describe the feeling (“I have a bird dancing in my chest”…)
• You can write poetry about ANYTHING.
• READ good poetry.
• Then forget all the rules and just WRITE.
Click here to go to the Moving Galleries Submissions page for information on how to submit your poem.
Experiences, influences and advice
A writer of poetry, short stories and novels, Michael de Valle’s poetry has featured in both the Moving Galleries pilot and the Spring 2007 Exhibition. Moving Galleries editor, and poet, Lea Hills, approached Michael to discuss his influences.
LH: What sort of experiences do you draw on in your writing?
MdV: Sometimes I draw on my own experiences as a starting point, but more often my writing comes out of human observation and circumstance - being open to those moments and details that make us truly human:
terminal
she starts to rewrite
her diary
nativity play
an angel
picks her nose
Supporting young, emerging and established artists: Kings ARI
Artists Siri Hayes and Victoria Bennett are representing Kings ARI in Moving Galleries Spring 2007 Exhibition
Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, Kings Artist-run Initiative aims to present the best in contemporary arts practice. The gallery on the first floor comprises two large exhibition spaces, plus a purpose built video projection room with surround-sound. Kings ARI promotes ideas-based practices and curated projects. Proposals are accepted on artistic merit with a preference for showcasing emerging talent and providing a venue for established artists to experiment and take risks.
The iconic Melbourne Poets Union
Melbourne Poets Union (MPU) was formed in 1977 as the ‘Poets Union’, and other branches were subsequently formed throughout Australia. A non-profit organisation, staffed by volunteers, MPU promotes the writing of poetry by providing a meeting place for poets - through poetry workshops and readings - and a forum for news, discussion and publication via our newsletter POAM, our website and other publications.
History blesses Moving Galleries
If an idea has a future, it often has a past.
The first decorated tram in Melbourne was painted for a First World War recruitment drive in around 1914. Trams have been painted for advertising purposes since then but poetry and art boarded the public transport system last.
What is rooku?
Rooku is an Australian variant of the short Japanese form called haiku, but without the usual rules. Rooku also lends itself to humour. Want to learn how to rooku? Melbourne poet Myron Lysenko has created a wonderful guide to writing rooku.
