Celebrating 20 years of Incite Arts
If you missed our last news post, this year marks a significant milestone: 20 years of Incite Arts dedicated to transforming lives through community arts and cultural development. We’re reflecting on our journey and the impactful projects that have helped shape the creative landscape in Central Australia. Join us in celebrating the power of art to foster connection, resilience and collaboration within our community.
Schools Program
In 2009, Incite collaborated with ANZAC and ASHS to offer a program of performing arts (dance, music, theatre and multimedia) skills. With the scheduled merger of the two schools, the project facilitated the trialling of a performing arts model to be put in place in 2010 to meet the needs of middle school students in the unique context of Alice Springs. Incite provided access to specialist artists and coordinated the arts team.
Incite school programs have included collaborating with local and remote schools over the years including Amoonguna, Santa Teresa, Willowra, Yuendumu, Kintore, Papunya, Hermannsburg, Yipirinya, Sadadeen, Ross Park, Braitling, Gillen and OLSH. Incite also collaborated with the National Alliance of Remote Indigenous Schools (NARIS) for a 5-state project to produce an original song and video.
Notably, Incite worked with Acacia Hill School from 2005 until 2018 facilitating disability-led music and movement programs. Some of the students are current members of the stArts with D Ensemble who are still collaborating with Incite. These programs saw incredible talent from the participants, mentors and collaborators.
The extensive and notable outcomes from the Acacia Hill School programs included the 2011 ‘Close to Me’ performance at Araluen Theatre. 68 participants, aged 5 – 50 years of age, and their support workers, created and performed this original new work to sell out audiences over two shows. This project saw Incite reach new professional standards in delivery and quality outcomes that showcased the talents of people with a disability to great community acclaim and laid strong foundations for further work. This is regarded as a seminal achievement in the Alice Springs arts and the disability community.
Sprung Youth Dance
Sprung Youth Dance began in 2012 as an initiative of Incite, Dusty Feet Dance Collective and Artistic Director Miriam Nicholls. The project was based on the belief that young people are artists in their own right with the potential to express and communicate complex ideas and issues through the body in the form of dance. The aim of the group was to extend beyond dance training, into the development of creative and collaborative work. The group went on to create orignal works including the site-specific works: ‘Graffiti – Make Your Mark’, ‘Living on The Line’ and ‘Big Smoke Red Smoke’ to great community acclaim.
Image Description: Nine young people wearing red, black and denim stand in a skate park, looking towards where the person in front is pointing.
Southern Ngaliya Women’s Dance Camp
Southern Ngaliya is a vital collaboration between Senior Warlpiri Women, Incite Arts, GMAAAC and local community stakeholders. This program emphasises the importance of cultural preservation through traditional song and dance. By organising twice-yearly dance camps, we facilitate connections to significant cultural sites and country allowing young women and girls to learn from their elders and engage with their heritage. Incite Arts has been involved in organising the camps since 2010. This initiative not only strengthens cultural ties but also empowers the next generation of Warlpiri women to embrace their identity and leadership roles.
Image Description: Two Warlpiri women and one Warlpiri girl are smiling and dancing in ceremonial paint and feathers.
Arts and Disability
Since 2005, Incite Arts has been committed to promoting Arts & Disability programs, fostering relationships between talented artists with disability and their mentors.
In response to feedback from the highly acclaimed 2011 production ‘Close to Me’, and some of the performers wanting to continue as a group to build skills and create and perform self-devised performance theatre, Incite initiated the formation of stArts with D Performance Ensemble. Their inaugural work was ‘Somebody Everybody’ in 2013.
The stArts with D ensemble has become a vibrant community, creating impactful performances that resonate deeply with audiences. Through ongoing collaboration and support, this group continues to explore themes of identity and resilience, sharing their stories in powerful and creative ways The group have presented many incredible works over the years they’ve been working together, including ‘Meet You at the Edge’, ‘Unbroken Land’, ‘Connect2Culture’ and ‘Strong Feelings’. They continue to meet weekly, collaborating with a variety of Mparntwe’s talented mentoring artists.
Image Description: A number of young people wearing jeans and flannel shirts or tshirts and floral skirts crouch and jump on a warmly lit stage.
Thank you to our community
As we commemorate 20 years of Incite Arts, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our community members, staff, artists and supporters. Your dedication and passion have been instrumental in shaping our journey. Together, we have fostered creativity, built connections, and created lasting impacts. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue our mission of supporting community arts and empowering voices through creativity.
