Big Stories, Small Towns: Beaudesert

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Big Stories, Small Towns: Beaudesert is a transmedia documentary series produced in 2014 that is part of the Big Stories, Small Towns project (http://bigstories.com.au/towns/beaudesert). Big Stories: Beaudesert was designed to extend on a series of initiatives that addressed the complex history of Beaudesert and the shared, but often conflicting, histories of Indigenous, settler and Vanuatu and South Sea Islander groups who live there. 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival of South Sea Islanders as indentured labourers in Queensland to work on cotton and cane plantations. Many of the labourers were taken to work in Beaudesert, around 90 kilometres from Brisbane. To commemorate this, a series of events were held culminating in This is Our Story - a community commemoration held in Beaudesert in August 2013 on the site of the original cotton plantation outside of the town where the first indentured labourers were brought into Queensland. The project emerged from a series of consultation and dialogues led by the Peace and Conflict Studies Institute of Australia (PACSIA). During PACSIA’s work with Australian South Sea Islander groups, the Mununjali Traditional Owners, descendants of original plantation owners, current landowners, the Historical Society of Beaudesert, artists and other interested Beaudesert community they discovered a wealth of stories and experiences which are central to the identity of the community. PACSIA and Scenic Rim Council workers identified Big Stories, Small Towns as a mechanism to facilitate the telling and sharing of these stories. The Big Stories project aimed to build on the substantial work of the 150th commemorations with the intention to: •facilitate the Beaudesert community to tell their stories, •explore the diversity of people and stories in the community, •shine a light on people who create and care for their community, •enable the community to reflect on shared history and experiences and develop of a shared vision for the future, •articulate Beaudesert stories to other communities and broader audiences. Ultimately the aim through the process of facilitation of storymaking and reflection on these stories was to further connect the community through the process of creating and reflecting on their shared stories. The Big Stories team, led by creative director and producer Martin Potter with lead filmmaker Peter Hegedus, co-producer Samantha Ryan and local filmmaker Elijah Cavanagh delivered participatory media workshops for Beaudesert community members and produced a series of documentaries, photo essays and local events and exhibitions. As creative director and producer I was responsible for defining the key story threads and participants, the production process, developing all partnerships, resourcing the project (in terms of financial and human resources), project management , monitoring, evaluations and acquittals. The project was funded through the Scenic Rim Council, the Queensland Government’s Regional Arts Fund Artslink and the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Development Fund. The project was supported by the University of Queensland’s Centre of Communication for Social Change, the Peace and Conflict Studies Institute Australia, the Vanuatu Australian South Sea Islander Community Inc., The Centre Beaudesert, Munanjali Centre, Beaudesert and District Arts and Community Projects and the Griffith University Film School. Further information: Beaudesert Launch: http://www.liveatthecentre.com.au/Big-Stories-Small-Towns-pg29286.html Article by Samantha Ryan: http://www.waccglobal.org/articles/co-creative-processes-in-the-big-stories-small-towns-film-project Griffith University article on Big Stories: Beaudesert: https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/news/2015/02/11/beaudesert-a-small-town-with-big-stories/ UQ Centre for Communication and Social Change articles on Big Stories, Small Towns http://uq.edu.au/ccsc/centre-collaborates-big-stories-small-towns http://www.uq.edu.au/ccsc/participatory-media-production-students Research Seminar – Big Stories, Small Towns Beaudesert: participatory media production and the construction of audience. https://communication-arts.uq.edu.au/event/280/big-stories-small-towns-beaudesert-participatory-media-production-and-construction-audience