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WUSF Commentary on Dr. Robert Putnam - Story Peter
Kageyama at Global Village on the Move, Perth, Australia |
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Australian
Playwright and Director Craig Christie Visits Tampa Bay On SMG's 2004 tour of Australia we were privileged to many many fascinating people, including Mr. Craig Christie a noted playwright and director from Victoria (eastern state where Melbourne is located).
Small Towns Big Picture was a groundbreaking project produced in Australia which put into practice the creative economic approach of community development. By using the arts as a means by which to explore, inform and empower communities it becomes apparent that a vital community has a cultural component that leads to economic re-vitalization. Small Towns Big Picture was successful in integrating the arts with economic, social and environment initiatives and had at its heart the development and subsequent performance of a musical production Right Where We Are, conceived and developed by writer/composer and community artist Craig Christie. The
production studied five small towns in a rural area of Victoria,
Australia. Research was undertaken by the Centre for Sustainable
Regional Communities from LaTrobe University. It then went back
to the rural communities with their own stories and presented this
information in a series of performances. The touring shows featured
cast members comprised of people from the participating towns. The
response to the performances and the information they introduced
to these communities was extraordinary and became a catalyst for
their revitalization. |
Craig
was traveling in the U.S. in May and was gracious enough to come
to Tampa Bay and share his work on the "Small Towns, Big
Picture" project from Victoria.  |
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