Autumn All Aboard!

Autumn has well and truly arrived and the Octapod Team has dusted off the winter woolies in ready for the creative, chilly seasons ahead. New staff members have now nestled in - we’ve such a dynamic, fun team with plenty of vision and excitement moving forward. Key projects are well underway including plans for This is Not Art (TiNA) 2012, which is chugging along, full steam ahead!

Octapod is currently on the lookout for new members to join its Board. Anyone interested in the arts, with a background in fields as diverse as business development, urban planning, marketing or communications is invited to get involved. If you’re interested please contact our Chairperson, Alli Hammett via board@octapod.org for more information.

Octapod is also currently accepting applications for Student Placements, Semester 2012. Positions are available across Octapod’s key projects including TiNA 2012, http://www.culturehunter.org and various organisational roles. Student placements offer real-world experience in a busy arts environment in areas including marketing, communications, event management, urban planning and data collection. This opportunity is open to final year students at the University of Newcastle, Hunter TAFE and qualified persons looking for voluntary work in the arts. To find out more please click here.

What else is happening? Here’s plenty more on that latest on arts and culture across the Hunter:

PODspace Gallery Exhibition

Landscape – recent works by Eliza Adam

Eliza Adam began formal studies in visual art with The Queensland college of Art, Griffith University in 2000. Upon graduating in 2003, Eliza was selected to show as part of the Craft Queensland annual ‘Unleashed’ exhibition of graduating artists. In the years following Eliza has maintained an artistic practice whilst focusing on professional activities in arts management, gaining experience in gallery administration, curatorship and festival management.

Whilst working within arts management, Eliza spent a three-year period from 2007-2010 living and working in the East Kimberly Region of Western Australia. Throughout this period Eliza developed a deep respect for the people and landscape of this region. It is from this experience that Eliza’s most recent body of work draws influence responding directly to the landscape of this region.

Eliza’s latest work is now on display at PODspace Gallery until 21 April – don’t miss it!

Latest News from Culture Hunter

For all the latest cultural news, events and opportunities from across the Hunter, click here.

Featured Reviews

The Culture Hunter editorial team have been busy this past month. Here’s just two of the latest reviews presented.

REVIEW: Hunter Writers Centre – Creative Writing Course

Are you trying to master a memoir? Struggling with a short story? Floundering with flash fiction? Or perhaps you would just like to know the difference between these works of fiction? Discover the author within you at the Hunter Writers Centre. Last Saturday I attended their creative writing course, this course includes: memoir writing, flash fiction and the short story. The course is open to members and non-members and is suitable for the absolute beginner through to the budding Ernest Hemingway. More

REVIEW: London Klezmer Quartet

In case you were wondering (I was) “Klezmer” is derived from a Yiddish word meaning “vessel of songs”. I think that is positively poetic and it also suits this lively and engaging group of women very well. More

2012 Newcastle Emerging Artist Prize (NEAP)

Presented by Newcastle Community Arts Centre (NCAC), 2012 NEAP gives emerging artists the opportunity to win funding to assist in the ongoing development of their art practice and also showcase their work to a broader audience. To download this year’s entry form, click here. Entries due 14 May 2012.

Real Film Festival – 27-29 April 2012

2012 introduces an exciting new film event to the Hunter region. The Real Film Festival has been created to foster and develop the art of storytelling. A combination of feature film, documentary screenings and a short film competition, all based on true stories. The competition categories comprise of Best Director, Best Film, Best Student Film and The People’s Choice. There’s also a series of industry workshops run by some of the best practitioners in the business. Be part of something ‘real’ – the Real Film Festival. More

Octapod e-News April 2013

Welcome to our April 2013 newsletter featuring the latest from Octapod and arts and culture in the Hunter.

Position Available: Octapod Access Officer
Octapod is excited to be partnering with the City of Newcastle to actively support participation in the arts by people with disability. As a real outcome from the recent Arts and the Individual Forum the partnership will focus on the Hunter Arts Access Network and the Hunter Artsworker Database.

Applications for a new position of Access Officer with Octapod are now open. This is a part time contract position for 7 hours per week for three months, with an expected start date in late April 2013. Applications close 5pm Friday, 19 April. MORE

Save the Dates – PODspace Gallery ‘Insert’ Series
Throughout May PODspace Gallery will be presenting a special series of three night-time art events slotted into a Newcastle laneway next to Caffestry. The program includes:

6:00-9:00pm, Friday 3 May
- Performance and live painting by painter Misha (Enrique del Val) (Robertson) and musician Luke Greenhalgh (Newcastle)
- Art market

6:00-9:00pm, Friday 10 May
- Film screening by filmmaker Neil Mansfield (Newcastle) and live music score performed by Fox Control (Newcastle)
- Art market

6:00-9:00pm, Friday 17 May
- Writers Mini-Fest hosted by David Graham
- Art market

MORE

TiNA 2013 Update
Artist applications have now closed for This is Not Art 2013. However, Electrofringe is still calling for proposals from a broad range of disciplines including electronics, kinetics, experimental interfaces, sound, music, video, film, projection, installation, data mapping, networked and online collaborations, locative technologies, mobile artworks, live art, software art, hacking, app development, research, culture jamming and all hybrid and new genres that haven’t yet been invented. Electrofringe will be holding a massive one-day showcase and an epic party, encompassing exhibition, performance, discussion, skills sharing, career information and networking opportunities.

National Young Writer’s Festival, Crack Theatre Festival and Critical Animals are currently assessing the applications over the next month and programming for TiNA 2013 will be announced in August, in the lead up to the festival.

Notice of AGM
Octapod’s Annual General Meeting will be held 7:00 – 8:00pm, Monday 15 April at Newcastle Community Arts Centre, 246 Parry Street, Newcastle West. Octapod members are welcome to attend. RSVP essential; please email admin@octapod.org by Friday 12 April.

Latest News from Culture Hunter
Visit culturehunter.org for all the latest cultural news, events, reviews and opportunities from across the Hunter.

Call for Board Members
Octapod is on the lookout for new members to join its Board. Anyone interested in the arts, with a background in fields such as business development, urban planning, marketing or communications is invited to join the Octapod Board. To get involved or learn more please contact Octapod Director, Christina Robberds on 0415 699 227 or admin@octapod.org.

Help Preserve Newcastle Printmakers Workshop (NPW)
NPW is a non-profit, community-based facility established in 1979 to provide printmaking access to artists, students and beginners, and to develop public awareness of printmaking. NPW is located in Adamstown in an old building, which is now in need of rewiring and plumbing to make it a safe place to work and meet. The association has launched a Pozible fundraising event in an attempt to raise the $5000 needed for the maintenance work.
If you would like to help preserve this invaluable local art making facility – please visit www.pozible.com/printmakers.

Enrol Now for Tantrum Theatre’s Treasure Hunt
Yr 3 -6 and Yr 7- 9 students are invited to join Tantrum Theatre and the Newcastle Museum these school holidays for an adventure beyond their wildest dreams! Students can spend the week devising innovative, pop up theatre that will be performed at the Newcastle Museum and gain a wide range of performance and collaborative theatre making skills in this very exciting and fun holiday workshop. MORE

Newcastle Poetry Prize 2013
Entries are now open for the Newcastle Poetry Prize 2013. Coordinated by the Hunter Writers Centre, the Prize is one of Australia’s oldest and most important literary competitions and boasts a distinguished list of past winners and judges. MORE

Octapod e-News March 2013

Welcome to our March 2013 newsletter featuring the latest from Octapod and arts and culture in the Hunter.

PODspace Gallery Presents INSERT
PODspace Gallery will be presenting a series of three night-time art events slotted into a Newcastle laneway next to Caffestry at 14 Pacific Street, Newcastle (Opposite Pacific Park). The special events running throughout May include:

6:00-9:00pm, Friday 3 May
- Performance and live painting by painter Misha (Enrique del Val) (Robertson) and musician Luke Greenhalgh (Newcastle)
- Art market

6:00-9:00pm, Friday 10 May
- Film screening by filmmaker Neil Mansfield (Newcastle) and live music score performed by Fox Control (Newcastle)
- Art market

6:00-9:00pm, Friday 17 May
- Writers Mini-Fest hosted by David Graham
- Art market

MORE

New Board Member Welcomed
Octapod is delighted to announce the appointment of our latest Board Member, Simone Sheridan.

Simone graduated from Fine Art at the University of Newcastle only a few years ago, but has been instrumental in organising a number of effective artistic interventions in Newcastle. Simone is a committed member of the Newcastle community whom has established herself as an independent community arts organiser, creating a professional bridge between business’ and the creative industry, offering a unique service to assist on brokering a variety of creative projects.

Anyone interested in the arts, with a background in fields such as business development, urban planning, marketing or communications is invited to join the Octapod Board. To get involved or learn more please contact Octapod Director, Christina Robberds on 0415 699 227 or admin@octapod.org.

Notice of AGM
Octapod’s Annual General Meeting will be held 7:00 – 8:00pm, Monday 15 April at Studio 22, Newcastle Community Arts Centre, 246 Parry Street, Newcastle West. Octapod members are welcome to attend.

TiNA 2013 Call Outs
Crack Theatre, Critical Animals and National Young Writers are currently calling for artists to take part in respective festivals as part of TiNA 2013, running Thursday 3 – Sunday 6 October 2013. To get involved, visit the following pages for more:
Crack Theatre Festival
Critical Animals
National Young Writers Festival

culturehunter
For the latest cultural news, events and reviews from across the Hunter, go to www.culturehunter.org.

Screen NSW Announces Applications Open for EFF
Screen NSW has announced that applications are now open for a new round of the Emerging Filmmakers Fund (EFF). The EFF, run by Screen NSW assists aspiring filmmakers by providing career development pathways in the screen industry. The Fund goes to support talented emerging filmmakers in NSW by funding the production and post-production of short films. There is one round of EFF per year, and in 2013-14 funding will be provided for up to three projects, with grants of up to $30,000 for production and/or post-production. Projects can be drama, factual, animation, experimental, or online/transmedia, and must be a maximum of 30 minutes in length. MORE

Street Art Walking Invited to USA
Street Art Walking (SAW) have been invited by Project for Public Spaces (PPS) to go to Detroit, Michigan for an inaugural event, ‘Placemaking Leadership Council Meeting’ 10-12 April.

The inaugural Placemaking Leadership Council Meeting will allow participants to network with others who are passionate about revitalising city centres and compare ideas on the planning, management and design of public spaces.

To help SAW take part in this event and get Newcastle on a global placemaking map visit, http://www.pozible.com/sawinthed.

Renew Newcastle Project Applications Open
It’s on again! Renew Newcastle is again calling for proposals for projects to take place in otherwise empty spaces in Newcastle CBD. Deadline for applications is Thursday 4 April 2013. MORE

Mini Shot Doco Competition
ABC2 invites budding filmmakers, keen to tell the world their stories, the chance to enter the ‘Mini Shot Doco’ Competition. It’s a shot at showing your film making stuff with a 3 minute doco on Australia today that also features the numeral ’2′ in the film. Entries go into the running for $2000 cash and what’s more, it may even be broadcast on ABC2. MORE

Octapod e-News February 2013

Welcome to our February 2013 newsletter featuring the latest from Octapod and arts and culture in the Hunter.

NDIS Forum: Arts and the Individual
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will bring big changes to the way funding is allocated to people with disability. How that will impact on artists with disability will be explored in a free forum on Thursday 28 February at the Newcastle Museum. Presented by Accessible Arts in partnership with The City of Newcastle and Octapod, the ‘Arts and the Individual’ Forum’ will provide an opportunity for artists with disability, carers and service providers in the Hunter to explore issues and develop an approach to advocacy during the roll-out of the NDIS. MORE 

PODspace Gallery – Call for Artists
The PODspace team are busy putting together a pop-up style exhibition program in cafes around Newcastle. The team is currently looking for artists to exhibit work at Caffestry in Newcastle East. For more information or to get involved please email, podspace@octapod.org.

Digital Storytelling Project Kicks Off
Through the support of Australia Council for the Arts, Octapod has engaged Tara Jones, a documentary filmmaker to work with African refugees at Penola House to produce digital stories about their experience of migration and life in Newcastle. After an initial series of 10 workshops, Tara will act as a mentor, assisting participants to engage with their own community to tell their stories. The Memory Room Narratives project kicks off this month.

Hunt for New Digs
Octapod is currently looking to rent a space (100m2 total) for both office and/or gallery in Wickham, Islington or Newcastle areas. We are open to sharing a larger space with a likeminded business or group/s. For more information please contact Christina Robberds on 0415 699 227 or email admin@octapod.org.

42nd Muswellbrook Art Prize 2013 – Entries Close 22 February
The 42nd Muswellbrook Art Prize includes three sections with total prize money of $30,000. Entries to this year’s competition close 22 February. MORE

Electrofringe Community Feedback Survey
Electrofringe turned 15 years old this year, and they’re taking the opportunity to step back, reflect and reconsider their role in Australia’s electronic and new media arts scene. If you’re part of the Electrofringe community you’re invited to complete a quick survey. MORE

Creating Spaces – Community Renewal Conference 12-14 March 2013
Newcastle will be home to Renew Australia’s community renewal conference, Creating Spaces between 12-14 March 2013. Creating Spaces will be the largest gathering of creative space activation enthusiasts to date where attendees will learn the impact and potential of creative activation of empty spaces with real-life examples from the people behind Renew Newcastle, Gap Filler (NZ) and Empty Shops Network (UK) and leave with the resources to begin similar schemes in their home towns. MORE

Autumn ART BAZAAR
Autumn ART BAZAAR 2013 is being held 10:00am – 3:00pm Sunday 10 March on the foreshore and grounds of Lake Macquarie Art Gallery. Visit the ART BAZAAR website for more including a full list of stallholders.

Archibald Prize 2013 – Entries Closing
The Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (the Gallery) invite artists to submit paintings in competition for the Archibald Prize 2013. The prize will be awarded to the best portrait painting, preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics. The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art prizes. Entries close 8 March. MORE

Octapod e-News January 2013

Home Sweet Home
Happy new year everyone! After relocating to Newcastle Community Arts Centre (NCAC) late last year and taking a well-deserved break, Octapod is now back and settling into our new home. This is a temporary arrangement while we seek long term accommodation for our office and PODspace Gallery. In the meantime we are thoroughly enjoying being surrounded by so many talented artists!

Our new contact details are: Suite 22, NCAC, 246 Parry Street, Hamilton East NSW 2303 Phone: 02 4021 1139

PODspace Gallery About to Pop
During Octapod’s period of transition to a new home, PODspace Gallery will be experimenting with a pop-up style exhibition format. The team is currently checking out possible sites including cafes and shopfronts. You can stay up-to-date with the latest news, including how to get involved as an artist or venue by liking the PODspace Gallery Facebook page.

Digital Storytelling Project to Commence Next Month
Through the support of Australia Council for the Arts, Octapod has engaged Tara Jones, a documentary filmmaker to work with African refugees at Penola House to teach them film production skills and then mentor them for six months to further boost their skills. We’re super excited about this project as it has been a long held dream of Octapod’s Director, Christina Robberds to facilitate such a program.

NDIS Forum: Arts and the Individual, 28 February
In partnership with Accessible Arts and The City of Newcastle, Octapod is working to deliver a forum about the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on artists with disability. This free forum is open to anyone with an interest in this area – whether as an artist with disability, artsworker seeking to develop their professional skills, carers, or representatives from arts and disability organisations. For more information or to register, visit the Accessible Arts website.

Critical Animals Co-Director Call Out
The Critical Animals Creative Research Symposium is looking for a new Co-Director. The successful applicant will work alongside current Directors, Beau Deurwaarder and Sophie Lamond and Festival Manager, Tulleah Pearce. Interested researchers, thinkers, artists and organisers should send a CV and covering letter to criticalanimals@gmail.com. Applications due Friday, 1 February. For more information, visit the Critical Animals website.

Creative Writing for Newcomers
Have you always wanted to write or been writing at home alone for years? Do you want to write your life story or family history in an engaging way? Then join Hunter Writers Centre’s newcomers’ writing course on 6 February.

Membership with the Hunter Writers Centre for 2013 is also now open. If you’re interested in supporting the organisation to help nurture and promote writing culture in the Hunter, as well as receive some great perks, join HWC today.

Design Contest to Brand Nobbys
Newcastle NOW and L!vesites are calling for Expressions of Interest from local artists and graphic designers to identify a brand for Nobbys Lighthouse. The brand will be used on the Newcastle NOW website, signage on the grounds, and all marketing collateral, which includes weddings and paid for events. Applications close 11 February – brand designs, which will be publicly exhibited from 17 February before a winner is announced early March. For more details, visit the Newcastle Now website.

Art Appraisal Day, 13 February
Ever wondered what your most loved piece of art is worth? Join Senior Art Specialist, Merryn Schriever at Newcastle Art Gallery and uncover the history of your work of art and its potential value. Presented by Deutscher and Hackett Auction House, the appraisal day will consist of 15 minute consultations held from 10:00am; bookings essential. MORE

Push for Funds to Help ‘Struggling Artists’
The Greens are calling for room in the federal budget to help young artists make a living and support risk-taking art. The Greens arts policy includes a $3 million a year Artists Fund, “to assist in the payment of artists’ fees and help artists make a living from their art”; $5 million a year for an Art and Research Development grant program to support experimentation and risk-taking; and $2 million for Playing Australia – the body which administers grants for performing arts tours. MORE

Summer Cinema at the Lighthouse
The Other Film Society (TOFS) is proud to announce its much anticipated, Summer Cinema at The Lighthouse. TOFS will host three outdoor cinema events at one of Newcastle’s most beautiful and iconic locations, Nobbys Beach Lighthouse. Enjoy breathtaking views as the sun goes down and the stars come out! The season will be held across three Saturday dates; 19 January, 16 February and 16 March. MORE

Newcastle Belly Dance Festival, 15-17 February
The Newcastle Belly Dance Festival is a fantastic weekend offering workshops in Oriental, Tribal, Fusion Belly Dance and Drumming with many of Australia’s most highly acclaimed and innovative teachers. Visit the Newcastle Belly Dance website for more.

Octapod e-News December 2012

Season’s Greetings
The Octapod team wishes everyone a joyous, safe and restful holiday season and all the very best for the new year ahead. Our office is now closed and will reopen Wednesday, 16 January 2013.

Octapod On the Move
For the first six months in 2013 Octapod will be based at Newcastle Community Arts Centre (NCAC) during which time PODspace Gallery will be experimenting with a pop-up style exhibition format. We are excited about our relocation and very grateful to Wendy Peacock at NCAC for offering us a temporary home. Our new contact details are:
Suite 22
NCAC
246 Parry Street, Hamilton East NSW 2303
Phone: 02 4021 1139

Australia Council Backs Digital Storytelling Project
Octapod is super excited to announce that we have received funding from Australia Council for the Arts for ‘Memory Room Narratives’ – a digital storytelling project involving African refugees. Tara Jones, a documentary filmmaker, will facilitate a series of 10 workshops to teach filmmaking skills, and will then mentor participants for six months to encourage them to further develop their skills and confidence.

Cause for Celebration
This year Octapod celebrated its 15 Year Anniversary. Founded in 1996, the organisation continues to play an integral role in supporting the Region’s internationally-recognised arts community. We have more than our 15 year milestone to celebrate however with the recent reinstatement of Arts NSW funding.

Octapod extends a sincere and heartfelt thank you to Newcastle MP Tim Owen for his support in facilitating the restoration of funding through Arts NSW - which enables us to continue to deliver our key projects planned for 2013.

culturehunter.org
For the latest cultural news, events, reviews and opportunities from across the Hunter, go to www.culturehunter.org. Membership to the site is free, so join today and start building your profile.

PODspace Gallery – Next Chapter
PODspace Gallery has enjoyed a full calendar in 2012 at 401 Hunter Street. It has been a lovely little hotspot involving a strong succession of high-calibre artists, great art and a surprising increase to visitor numbers and sales.

Thank you to all artists who have had their shows with PODspace Gallery this year. A great big thank you also to the artists who donated work at the beginning of the ‘401 leg’ to help raise money for renovations! A special thank you also to Ahn Wells for her ongoing dedication to the Gallery.

It is now time however to move onto a new chapter. Following the Christmas recess PODspace Gallery will be appearing in the Newcastle City area as a series of unorthodox ‘pop-up’, or temporary events held at various locations including laneways, parks, bunkers, beaches and even car parks.

PODspace Gallery is keen to broaden its horizons over the next six months and would love to hear from you regarding what you’d like to see happen in Newcastle on the way art is presented and experienced. In early February 2013, the Gallery will host an ‘ideas-fest’ involving the discussion and planning for proposed pop-up events. If you are interested in being a participating artist or are passionate about art in Newcastle and want to be involved, please email podspace@octapod.org.

Octapod e-News November 2012

Welcome to our newsletter featuring the latest at Octapod and arts and culture in the Hunter.

Announcing New Octapod Board Members
Octapod has the pleasure of announcing the appointment of two new Board Members, Ainslie Crabbe and Martin McKenzie.

Ainsley comes from a media production background, producing TV, film, content for the web, radio and assorted ephemera. She continues to dabble in all forms of media, for money and for art’s sake, and enjoys watching (and making) good ideas get better.

Martin is currently an Assistant Regional Manager for AusIndustry in the Federal Department of Industry & Innovation and holds a Bachelor of Arts/Visual Arts. His background includes tenures as Installation Officer of the Newcastle Contemporary Artists, Education Officer at the Newcastle Region Art Gallery and project roles in environmental/sustainability, visual arts and capital works funding programs. Martin has been involved in many levels of creative arts in the Hunter including keeping his hand in as an exhibiting artist.

Ainsley and Martin join the Board bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation, further complementing Octapod’s vibrant family.

pARTicipate Art Exhibition
Octapod is pleased to support the Disability Network Hunter’s annual art exhibition, pARTicipate.  The art exhibition celebrates and showcases art of all mediums by people with a disability and carers. An Art and Craft Fair will officially open the exhibition on Tuesday, 20 November. Throughout the exhibition you are welcome to join painting and drawing, zine magazine making and theatre and drama workshops. MORE

Latest News from culturehunter.org
Visit culturehunter.org for all the latest cultural news, events, reviews and opportunities from across the Hunter.

PODspace Gallery Exhibition 
PODspace Gallery presents, ‘Glancing’ an exhibition by Peter Lankas. This series of paintings continues a fascination with the ordinary and mundane everyday glimpses. The work is an eclectic mix of service stations, airport terminals and shopping centres with a sprinkling of urban and suburban imagery. The painting capture a moment in time, simple and ordinary that we often take for granted, with social or personal narrative arising from each individual scene. The exhibition is running until Saturday, 17 November 2012. MORE

Hunter Artsworker Database Call Out
The Hunter Artsworker Database is a resource that can be used by organisations that wish to employ an artist who has experience working with people with disability. It will be housed online on culturehunter.org, the cultural database for the Hunter region under the ‘Cultural Resources’ section of the Directory. The database will list artists according to artform, with a link back to individual artist profiles on culturehunter.org, outlining their arts practice and experience working with people with disability.

The database is expected to launch November 2012 and we are now calling for artists who have experience working with people with disability to register. MORE

NEO 2012 Design Graduate Exhibition
Design Centre Hunter is showcasing the work of graduating Hunter TAFE Design Diploma students with an exhibition at Newcastle Art Space until 18 November. The display of student works includes graphic design, typography, illustration, animation and photography. This year students have also created a website to promote their portfolios online, which can be viewed at www.neo2012.me. MORE

AFTRS Creative Marketing Bootcamp – Newcastle, 5 December
Marketing is one of the most important aspects of creative work, and often requires more focus and attention than it’s given. This one-day workshop delivered by AFTRS covers the basics of marketing, and gives you the opportunity to devise a practical approach for your own marketing needs. Ideal for freelance creatives, solo practitioners, and anyone working for themselves in the arts. MORE

Waste Knot – Call for Expressions of Interest
L!vesites/Newcastle NOW is currently calling for expressions of interest from artists interested in exhibiting their work at the annual outdoor Waste Knot event being held 1-2 December 2012. This year’s theme is ‘Rethink, Reuse, Remake, Recycle’, which easily translates to the many environmental issues that are relevant our region’s rivers and harbour: water, wastewater, recycling, sustainability and storm water management. Entries close 19 November. MORE

Newcastle Italian Film Festival
Hand in Hand Art House is proud to present Newcastle’s annual Italian Film Festival to be held 16-18 November at the Tower Cinemas, Newcastle. The Festival is about celebrating the traditions and embracing Italy’s way of life through Australian eyes. MORE

Launch of Animal Encounters
Several members of Hunter Writers Centre have their writings published in Animal Encounters, the latest book from Catchfire Press to be launched 6pm Thursday, 29 November at Newcastle Art Gallery. From hippos to hump-backed whales, from chooks to crocodiles, from suburban backyards to far-flung places, animals, real and imaginary are everywhere, Animal Encounters is a wondrous collection: dramatic, happy, sad and contemplative stories and poems to suit all tastes and moods.

Octapod e-News October 2012

Welcome to our latest newsletter. TiNA has wrapped up for another year and wow, what a festival! Thanks to all festival goers and our supporters for helping make TiNA 2012 possible. Keep reading for more on the latest at Octapod and arts
and culture in the Hunter.

TiNA 2012 Feedback
With another fantastic TiNA festival under our belt it is now time to reflect and look back on what was a “beautiful whirlwind of art, learning and fun”, which provided opportunities for artists and the like to share and inspire each other through focused performances, workshops, panels and discussions.

For emerging artists, TiNA festival, with its open-access model, is always seen as a “great platform to present a participatory work and gain audience feedback”, amongst the “culture of friendly sociability; everyone keen to chat and be introduced, talk about shows, share knowledge and strike up friendships.”

For many first timers to the festival this year, it has definitely made it onto their annual cultural calendar and Octapod and the creative TiNA team are already looking towards a more digitally developed festival model for 2013, including a curated visual art stream, more digital sounds and overall achieving a broader-audience experience for the people of Newcastle.

Hunter Artsworker Database Call Out
The Hunter Artsworker Database is a resource that can be used by organisations that wish to employ an artist who has experience working with people with disability. It will be housed online on culturehunter.org, the cultural database for the Hunter region under the ‘Cultural Resources’ section of the Directory. The database will list artists according to artform, with a link back to individual artist profiles on culturehunter.org, outlining their arts practice and experience working with people with disability.

The database is expected to launch November 2012 and we are now calling for artists who have experience working with people with disability to register. MORE

PODspace Gallery Exhibition 
PODspace Gallery presents, ‘Cut and Paste’, an exhibition by Mandy Robinson. Cut and Paste is an exhibition of collages in various forms. As a basis for these, Mandy has used a variety of found images and objects, in combination with her own drawings, to which scissors and paste, needle and thread, and some digital assembly techniques have been applied. The exhibition is running until Saturday, 27 October. MORE

Latest News from culturehunter.org
Visit culturehunter.org for all the latest cultural news, events, reviews and opportunities from across the Hunter.

UoN One Minute Movie Competition
What would a new student need to know about using technology at the University of Newcastle (UoN)? Create a short movie that is positive, fun and helpful that can be used as a resource to assist new students with technology at Uni such as Facebook, Twitter, Blackboard and Mobile Learn, MyHub, The University web site, the Library, computer labs, WiFi etc. Your movie needs to include the competition signature item (a seahorse) and accessible from YouTube. 1st Prize $1,500, 2nd Prize $1,000, 3rd Prize $500. Entries close 5pm, 29 October 2012. MORE

The Big Draw
The City of Newcastle is calling for expressions of interest from local artists and educators to run public drawing activities at The Big Draw Newcastle, on 25 January 2013, from 10am – 4pm. This is an opportunity to have fun, develop skills and get paid. Information session is being held 6:00 – 7:45pm Wednesday, 24 October at The Lovett Gallery, Newcastle Region Library, Laman Street Newcastle. The session will be facilitated by illustrator Liz Anelli who has been involved in many Big Draw events in the UK. MORE

Waste Knot – Call for Expressions of Interest
L!vesites/Newcastle NOW is currently calling for expressions of interest from artists interested in exhibiting their work at the annual outdoor Waste Knot event being held 1-2 December 2012. This year’s theme is ‘Rethink, Reuse, Remake, Recycle’, which easily translates to the many environmental issues that are relevant our region’s rivers and harbour: water, wastewater, recycling, sustainability and storm water management. Entries close 19 November. MORE

Olive Tree Market Poster Design Competition
L!The Olive Tree Market is excited to launch the first The Olive Tree Market Christmas Poster Design Competition! The objective is to create something visually striking, engaging and vibrant. There will be an exhibition of the competition finalists at Suspension Cafe, the winning poster will be used for the Christmas Marketing Campaign which will feature on posters, postcards and in local print media and the winner will receive $300 + a $200 Eckersleys gift voucher and small prize pack. MORE

Summer Art Bazaar – Call for Stallholders
HAN is currently calling for stallholders for this year’s Summer Art Bazaar being held at Civic Park Newcastle, Saturday 1 December. Over the last 9 years, Art Bazaar has become a highly anticipated event for both the public and participating stallholders. It has stimulated the arts community and increased public awareness of the Hunter’s diverse artistic culture, successfully displaying the many individuals, groups, organisations and businesses. MORE