Often when we think of recovery following a natural disaster, we think of roads reopening, infrastructure being restored, and the regeneration of recreation spaces. The individual recovery journey of impacted residents is usually less tangible or obvious, albeit just as important.
Following TC Jasper, Douglas Shire Council supported Creative Recovery workshops which led to over 20 local residents becoming qualified Creative Recovery Practitioners, who facilitated workshops across Douglas, Cook and Wujal Wujal Shires.
From poetry to pottery, weaving and dance, these workshops allowed people who might not have thought of themselves as being ‘creative’ to try something new.
Everyone in the community was welcome, attracting residents of all ages including working with children and local schools. “I tried a few workshops and met so many people I had never met before, said one participant. “It was a relief not to feel alone and to be able to share what happened in a positive environment.
“Life didn’t get back into the old groove, so we’ve had to forge a new one.”
And a colorful one at that. One of the community art projects funded by Council following the Creative Recovery training was a collaboration between ceramic artists Sam Matthews and Leanne Emmitt, and Haiku enthusiast Dr Helen Ramoutsaki. They welcomed participants to attend pottery and writing workshops which culminated in a vibrant series of creative tiles accompanying thought-provoking Haiku prose in a public art installation of planter walls on Front Street, Mossman.
The installation features a myriad of tropical insects and Haiku’s celebrating their lifecycles, behaviors and resilient environments they call home.
“Creative Recovery, as both a participant and educator, was a journey to myself. Personally, arts practice has supported me in my own recovery, especially the aspects of sharing my practice with others,” said Helen. “I saw other community members process and work through their own recovery challenges.”
Make, Play, Nurture was another Creative Recovery initiative that was well received by the community, supporting parents to engage in creative nature-based play with their children and families. Dance and music workshops were held for children, and Elders worked with youth to revive old traditional dances.
Regional Arts Services Network Project Officer, Waratah Nicholls celebrates the success of the Creative Recovery programming, “A disaster is a disaster, but opportunities come out of it and change the way we look at ourselves -to rewrite our story as an individual and as a community,” said Waratah. She witnessed first-hand the value of the creative youth recovery programs, with kids forging new friendships, developing new skills and working collaboratively which built trust with their peers. “The kids said it was “Fun-tastic” which was positive to hear after they had been through so much.”
Aside from the personal value in participating, Waratah believes Creative Recovery helped bring together local services and government, fostering stronger working relationships that enhanced other community programs. A great legacy of a highly successful recovery initiative of Douglas Shire Council.
The Mosaics for Mossman project and the haiku-writing workshop were supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund and Douglas Shire Council’s Creative Recovery Program. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Douglas Shire Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
