2025 is going to be an IMMERSIVE year, the first of our three-year program 'Threads in Common' exploring community. Through a focus on wellness, culture and creative arts, the aim is to foster healthy conversations about community, identity, diversity, and inclusion. Weaving together our Threads in Common, nurturing respect and connection through understanding.
We recognise that threads, when joined together, engender strength and buoyancy. Understanding, Exploring and Embracing who we are as individuals and a community benefits our wellbeing and our social fabric. This, in turn, fosters and supports local networks for personal pride, a sense of place and belonging. The impact lies in a greater appreciation of, and harmonious relationships between, people from all backgrounds, cultures, gender, skills, and life experiences in our communities.
Over the next three years, we will be exploring and gaining a deeper understanding of
2025 - Ourselves, our identity, personal pride
2026 - Others, culture, traditions, language, gender, skills and life experiences
2027 - Community, ever changing, that a community and its strength is made up of many different communities
You can take part in Threads in Common by coming along to the creative activities around the region, participate through the creative at home activities or both! Click here to find out more on the Threads in Common Creative from Home (coming soon).
Creative residencies by inspiring artists will play a central role in the Threads in Common program, through community-engaged workshops, exhibitions, events and experiences that bring people together. We are excited in 2025 to introduce new artists to the North Midlands and welcome back old friends:
Carmen Griffen (March + April)
We are excited to introduce our first Threads In Common creative for 2025! A big warm welcome to Carmen Griffen staying with us during March and April 2025.
Carmen Griffen is a painter and paper artist based in Margaret River. Carmen’s artworks are often inspired by a sense of place, journeys, family connections and everyday, familiar objects. More recently, Carmen has used paper as her primary medium, exploring paper sculptures and collage works which evoke a sense of nostalgia, using recycled paper, vintage patterns, found paper, and magazines. In essence, Carmen creates ways to find stories in everyday objects and experiences. It is a way of expressing the everyday familiar connections, we may all recognise.
Carmen writes: “I am grateful and excited at the opportunity to immerse myself in the North Midlands Threads in Common residency, and connections with community through sharing a cuppa and exploring my love of stories through paper”.
Carmen's Immersive Workshops
Join us for a creative workshop and discover the magic of paper as a wonderful art medium. Think sculpture, collage, and using all kinds of papers, from vintage patterns, tissue paper and more. Be inspired by everyday familiar objects that we all use, and the well-known tradition of sharing cuppas.
Carmen's Exhibition, Voyage Through Time
The works are influenced by family, place and landscape. Artworks are personal reflections, exploring ways to find our journeys through life. Artworks are inspired by old family photo albums, and current discovery of finding ways to explore connections through objects and travel. Mediums: Acrylic on canvas, mixed media and paper.
Here's where you can find Carmen Griffen around the region.
All are invited to join Carmen for lunch, see her exhibition or take part in an immersive or drop-in creative workshop. There’s no cost or booking required for the lunch, launch or any creative workshops, just come along to to one or all!
EXHIBITION LAUNCH + IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP
Saturday 15 March l 12 noon to 4pm (includes lunch)
The Bank Gallery + The Exchange Carnamah, 4 - 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah
IMMERSIVE CREATIVE WORKSHOPS
Tuesday 18 March l 11:30am to 2:30pm (includes lunch)
Ngyrlu Mulla-Mugah Art Space, 27 Jose Street, Mullewa
Wednesday 2 April l 10am to 1pm (includes morning tea)
The Exchange Carnamah, 4 Macpherson Street, Carnamah
DROP-IN CREATIVE WORKSHOPS
Saturday 8 March l 5pm to 7pm as part Women of the Hinterlands laneway party
The Exchange & Gallery Mingenew, 50 Midlands Road, Mingenew
Friday 21 March l 5pm to 8pm as part of Harmony Week celebrations
Perenjori Sports Pavilion, Mullewa-Wubin Road, Perenjori
Saturday 22 March l 5pm to 7pm as part of Silo Movie Night
Jack Thorpe Gardens, Railway Road, Three Springs
EXHIBITION SHOWING
7 March to 11 April l Wednesday, Thursday & Fridays 10am to 2pm
Exhibition Launch + Workshop, 15 March 12 noon - 4pm (includes lunch) The Bank Gallery, 8 Macpherson Street.
Coming soon
Ron Bradfield Jnr (May)
Ron Bradfield Jnr. is an incredible storyteller, artist, listener and conversation facilitator, who gently encourages people to share their stories and have good conversations about who we are TOGETHER - in this place, that we call our home. Ron is a saltwater man from Bardi Country, north of Broome; he grew up in Geraldton and now calls Whadjuk Boodjar (Perth) his home.
Stuart McMillian (May - June)
Stuart McMillan is a multidisciplinary artist based in the Margaret River Region. Using sculpture, photography, painting, print media, drawing and immersive installation, Stuart translates his experience of the world around him in visual and immersive form. This will be Stu’s second creative residency with us, following his wonderful Time+Place residency in 2023.
Peter Hill (July - September)
Peter Hill joins our community from his home in Northcliffe. As a visual artist and musician, avid permaculture gardener, builder, and captain of the local fire brigade, the majority of Peter’s creative artwork, which also includes songwriting, focuses on the natural environment in the local area where he lives.
Martine Perret (October - November)
Martine Perret is no stranger to many in the North Midlands, having undertaken several residencies with us, including the highly successful Women of the Hinterlands project. An internationally awarded photographic artist, Martine is also known for her startlingly beautiful portrayal of the Western Australian landscape, often employing aerial captures and portraiture to tell important stories of our times.
Andrew Bowman-Bright (During 2025)
Andrew Bowman-Bright has worked across regional and community development, health promotion, the arts, GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums), history and heritage. Aside from being North Midlands Project's Organisational Manager, he is an experienced researcher, genealogist, family and local historian. His contribution towards Threads in Common will centre around a community DNA project. Are we who we think we are?
Martien van Zuilen (During 2025)
To gather the threads of our 2025 Threads in Common program, North Midlands Project’s Creative lead, Martien van Zuilen will be working alongside our wonderful creatives, culminating in a community celebration and the exhibition of amazing works created in collaboration with community members during the year.