Bringing arts to Outback Queensland

Griffith University partnered with Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Airports Limited with the objective to advance the creative arts in regional Queensland and help facilitate educational pathways for regional and remote community members. Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Program Manager- Community and Education, Judy Wood.

“Queensland Symphony Orchestra values our role in supporting the next generation of professional musicians. We delighted to be providing mentorship to QCGU students and local school students through this program in Longreach.” Judy Wood said.

The goal for the creative arts program was to deliver music, visual arts and film workshops to local students, teachers, and those from surrounding towns through experience-based educational opportunities. Griffith’s three creative arts schools (Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith Film School, and Queensland College of Art and Design) collaborated to deliver art, film and music workshops, plus an open-air outback concert called Orchestral Luminescence to more than 100 local participating students.

This was a fantastic opportunity for Griffith and the community of Longreach alike. Longreach State School’s music teacher, Ms Tanya Lloyd, said "To have Griffith bring in all the expert people into our town was just amazing. It didn't just benefit the students but also the wider community in our town. They got to get involved. It’s something that we don’t get to experience very often”.

The latest works that transpired from this collaboration include Griffith Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD) joining forces with Longreach Regional Council to bring a touch of inspiration, professionalism and beauty to the community.

The creation of a large-scale public mural on the Old Thomson River Bridge in Longreach is one of the final stages in a series of works to improve facilities around the Apex Park Precinct on the Thomson River. This project with Longreach Regional Council has presented a new engagement opportunity that is building towards a formal partnership.

Mayor Tony Rayner stated the mural works would be a very visual part of the upgrades to the area.

“We are excited to see the transformation of this pipeline, and we are proud that we have been able to partner with Griffith University to turn a piece of otherwise plain infrastructure into a beautiful and useful amenity for the community.

The design process for the mural consisted of workshops with the community and students from the college, and the final design will genuinely reflect the history and future of the region.

Griffith will continue to deliver these enriching experiences for residents in the Longreach region, as well as other remote and regional Queensland communities.

The in-school workshops and community engagement will occur again in Longreach in March 2023 and also be delivered in the new location of Rockhampton, with the program being formally named Creative Futures.