Supporting recovery and healing through creative spirit

Aaron Violi with local photographer Sally Williams and Community Art Exhibition Creative Director Paige Kelsall enjoying the works on display works at a recent community festival. PICTURE: ON FILE

By Liz Millman

For the past year after the trauma of the June 2021 storm weather event, The Hills Creative Alliance has been exploring ways to help towards healing and recovery.

Now an exciting photography project is on show at the Community Arts Exhibition in Karwarra Garden in Kalorama, Konjō is a Japanese word meaning ‘Spirit’, ‘Guts’ or ‘Temper’.

As a photographic project, Konjō focused on the spirit of creative people who have been through a traumatic life event and are finding solace in their craft, using it as a tool in their journey toward healing and recovery.

Yamaotoko Studio invited local people impacted by the June 2021 storms to take part in Konjō, these are a selection of the resulting images.

Trauma and recovery are both such varied and individualised experiences; Yamaotoko Studio hope to continue capturing these stories through Konjō, looking

beyond our community’s recent events and studying the wider role that creativity plays in the recovery process.

If the idea of Konjō resonates with you, the exhibition is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm to find out more about becoming involved, and enjoying some other community creative responses.

Hills Creative Alliance is grateful for the support of Yarra Ranges Council to hold this exhibition in the gorgeous Australian Plant Garden at Karwarra, and for the help and encouragement from the Friends of Karwarra Gardens.

The HCA Community Focus Friday sessions are continuing at present on Zoom from 10.30 til 12.00 – Zoom joining details are on www.hillscreativealliance.com

This Friday Dave Ferrier from ’Treasuring our Trees’ will follow on last week’s excellent session led by Dr Greg Moore. Dave Ferrier will be explaining how ’Treasuring our Trees’ was established and showcase some of the great things they have achieved to support storm damaged gardens and other devastated areas in the past year, as well as celebrating their recent achievement that will see fallen trees used in creative ways in schools and others areas.

For more information contact Liz Millman, Secretary of the Hills Creative Alliance lizmillman@yahoo.co.uk on 0412970050