Threads in Common

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:

Who's the next Threads in COmmon Artist...

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?

Ron Bradfield Jnr (During 2025)

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.

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.

Residency Reflections

Threads in Common, 2025–2027 community arts program is well on its way! The program focuses on wellness, culture, and the arts with the communities of Coorow, Carnamah, Mingenew, Morawa, Perenjori, and Three Springs, at its heart it is a commitment to respect, understanding, and inclusive conversations around identity, culture, ability, gender, sexuality and inclusivity in our communities.

Creative residencies with inspiring artists play a central role in the Threads in Common program, through community-engaged workshops, exhibitions, events and experiences that bring people together to learn, explore, meet, be inspired, and share.

Fine art and paper collage artist Carmen Griffen kicked off our 2025 with an amazing six-week residency during February/March. Participants of all ages discovered the magic of paper and collage as an art medium, with students at Carnamah District High School taking part in the SEW-Arts series designing and making paper costumes, while at community workshops people shared stories over a cuppa, in a gentle and joyful atmosphere of creative making.

We then welcomed multi-media artist and sculptor Stuart McMillan, who shared his amazing skills in cyanotype printing with students at Perenjori Primary School. while participants in various community workshops (Carnamah, Mullewa, Morawa, Perenjori and Mingenew) used inks, brushes and precious objects to visualise individual stories and words of meaning. Stu’s residency was another standout.

In June, Carnamah’s Macpherson Street came alive for a day of community celebration now fondly known as Unity Day. Market stalls, creative workshops, craft demonstrations, museum visits, live music, arts, and heritage. Well over 300 people attended throughout the day - the cup was overflowing!

At the moment and until early September, we have Threads in Common creatives: Peter Hill, a diverse and multi-disciplinary artist from Northcliffe, Andrew Bowman-Bright continuing his DNA and identity project (emails coming soon!) and renowned photographer Martine Perret during October/November. Martine is no stranger to many in the North Midlands through Women of the Hinterlands, the expansive exhibition of stunning portraits (which is heading to Morawa in October).

Each year during Threads in Common, we explore and gain deeper understandings of ourselves, our identity and personal pride (2025); others, culture, traditions, language, gender, skills and life experiences (2026); community, that its strength is made up of many different communities, and is ever-changing (2027).

Our warmest thanks to the Government of Western Australia, Healthway and Lotterywest for their support in bringing the Threads in Common program to life.

Please see below Artist reflections from Carmen, Stu and Peter.

Carmen Griffen (March + April 2025)

It's a wrap - thank you Carmen Griffen, for your creative residency which kicked off our 2025 Threads In Common program. With your wonderful community-engaged focus, we could not have asked for more.

Throughout Carmen's residency, participants of all ages discovered the magic of paper & collage as an art medium. The process of gathering around for a cuppa as a ceremony was also given new meaning, in a friendly joyful atmosphere of creative making, to relax, and join in conversation.

Some reflections from Carmen:

“My artist in residence opportunity has enabled me to connect with communities, it was special to gather and share lovely moments over a cup of tea. It feels like a kind gift, when we can share stories and moments of making in such a friendly atmosphere. I am grateful and thankful of my time in the North Midlands region.”

Thank you Carmen, for your heartfelt presence; your creative inspiration will be missed, and we hope to see you again!

About Carmen

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 wrote: “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

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 what Carmen got up to during her time in the community...

EXHIBITION LAUNCH + IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP AFTERNOON

Saturday 15 March l 12 noon to 4pm

The Bank Gallery + The Exchange Carnamah, 4 - 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

IMMERSIVE CREATIVE WORKSHOPS + LUNCH

Tuesday 18 March l 11:30am to 2:30pm

Ngyrlu Mulla-Mugah Art Space, 27 Jose Street, Mullewa

Wednesday 2 April l 10am to 1pm

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 SHOWED

7 March to 11 April l Wednesday, Thursday & Fridays 10am to 2pm

Stuart McMillian (May - June 2025)

The time has, quite literally, flown by for Stu McMillan, our second Threads in Common creative-in-residence for 2025, and it's hard to believe it's almost time to say goodbye (for now, at least).

Throughout Stu's residency, participants of all ages engaged in creative workshops: ,

Year 4/5/6 students at Perenjori Primary School discovered cyanotype printing as a form of imprinting nature's objects, while participants in various community workshops (Carnamah, Mullewa, Morowa, Perenjori and Mingenew) used inks, brushes and precious objects to visualise individual stories and connection with community, the land, and sense of place. And not to forget Stu's drop-in Nostalgia Art workshop at Unity Day 2025 which was a standout too.

We asked Stu for his reflection on what was his second residency with North Midlands project: "I felt a warm welcome being back out in the North Midlands seeing familiar faces and landscapes, also seeing the transition of the season has been wonderful to witness. (Yes the rain arrived! Yay!!) "Riddup" said the frogs with glee!! You can never underestimate the power of art making, cups of tea and conversation, with communities sharing deep histories from around the region and beyond. It truly has been heartening to listen to these stories and see the art that people created over my time here. I also really enjoyed time with the students and staff at Perenjori Primary school, with lots of wonderful time spent creating art in many formats. Thanks so much to the NMP team and all who participated along the way, I'm excited to come back and watch this space for evolving artworks in the coming months."

Thank you Stu, for your inspiring work and engaging presence in the north midlands community!

About Stu

Stu McMillan is a multidisciplinary artist currently living on Ngarrindjeri country, Victor Harbor, South Australia. Working in a broad range of mediums including sculpture, photography, printmaking, painting and installation allows him to merge lines that are sometimes blurred between our physical reality and spiritual connection to the outside world.

"Approaching my practice with a strong sense of sustainability and environmental awareness, I aim to utilise materials that already exist whether they are natural or fabricated. Converging these natural and fabricated realms, I explore the impacts both environmentally and physically we have on nature and also what impact nature can have on us in terms of positive spiritual connection to place and each other as a whole healthy ecosystem."

About Stu’s Creative Workshops

Heirlooms and artefacts - sharing stories of meaning and identity

Stu's creative workshop using treasured objects and heirlooms as a starting point to delve into stories that connect us to our ancestry and life journeys. Using inks, paper, brushes and found objects, Stu will share a variety of innovative drawing techniques to visualise our individual stories and connection with community, the land, and sense of place. You will have the opportunity to contribute images and ideas to a community artwork that will take shape during Stu's residency. All were invited to bring along a meaningful object or family heirloom, as a source of inspiration for the workshop.

About Stu’s Exhibition, Morphosis

This collection of works explores the dynamic environmental shift of the current Anthropocene. Created over several years, Stu takes us on a journey through various landscapes and environments in the state of flux and evolution, using a range of mediums, including painting, print making, photography and audio/visual displays.

Stu says: Reflecting on climate change through both informed research/dialogue and my own personal experience, I’ve felt compelled to create and catalogue this deep feeling of uncertainty and the constant reshaping of the landscape around me.

Here's what Stu got up to during his time in the community.

Exhibition Launch

Sunday 15 June l 10.30am as part of Unity Day

The Bank Gallery, 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

Immersive Creative Workshops

Tuesday 20 May l 10am to 1pm (includes morning tea)

RSL Hall, Russell Street, Perenjori

Thursday 22 May l 5:30pm to 7:30pm (includes nibbles)

The Exchange Carnamah, 4 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

Tuesday 27 May l 10am to 1pm (includes morning tea)

The Exchange & Gallery Mingenew, 50 Midlands Road, Mingenew

Tuesday 17 June l 11:30am to 2:30pm (includes lunch)

Mullewa, Venue to be confirmed, see our website & Facebook for updates

Wednesday 18 June l 10am to 1pm (includes morning tea)

CRC Morawa, 46 Winfield Street, Morawa

Drop-in Creative Workshops

Sunday 15 June l 10:30am to 12:30pm as part of Unity Day

The Exchange Carnamah, 4 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

Exhibition Showed

2 June to 31 July l Wednesday, Thursday & Fridays 10am to 2pm

Exhibition Launch l 15 June 10:30am as part of Unity Day

The Bank Gallery, 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

Peter Hill (July - September 2025)

Yes, sadly another creative Threads In Common residency is coming to an end, all too soon. Peter's time in the north midlands has been rich with community engagement in every way. Participants of all ages engaged in creative workshops, turning recycled wooden objects into ‘song sculptures’, a creative process that linked the wooden object with memory, music, drawing, poetry, woodworking, carving, and yes, even graffiti!

Some reflections from Peter:

"With just a few days of my residency left to go I would like to thank the North Midlands mob for the opportunity to come up here and get to know the region and the people a little more. As someone who doesn’t leave their natural habitat, the southern forests, very often it’s been fascinating to see the differences but also the similarities between the two locations.

It has been awesome for me to spend a block of time focusing on collective art making, creating with people of all ages across the region. I have been describing this artwork as being like a visual choir. 50 something voices all in one artwork.

I’ve got a few, minimum, very busy days left to finish assembling the artwork and after that hopefully everyone who was a part of the artwork will get to see it.

A special thanks to all the year 5+6 students at Morawa District High School for their enthusiasm and to the Three Springs and Carnamah badminton clubs for making me feel welcome in your communities."

Thank you Peter for your engaging, gentle presence. We love how you transformed The Exchange into a Creative Hub of artmaking - we will miss it, and you!

About Peter

Peter Hill is a wide achiever. Working and living on Pibbelmun country in the southern forest region of WA, he spent his high school years at Manjimup Senior high where the school motto was to 'Aim High!' As an exponent of quiet resistance and an occasional contrarian he has instead focused on breadth rather than specialisation. As an intentional result, Peter is multifaceted. A creative, a painter, sculptor, musician, dancer, builder, a teacher, a fireman and a father of five. Peter steps in and out of these mediums to suit the purpose, the story, the reason to create. Recent projects Peter has been involved in focus on our connection to country, community, and in particular the forests of the south west where he lives and works in the Meerup/ Northcliffe region.

About Peter’s Creative Workshops

Do you have an old cricket bat hiding in the shed, too cracked to hit another 4, or a wooden spoon that may have stirred its last dinner? A wooden chair that threatens to go to pieces if you sit on it one more time? Well here is the time for you to use them as the basis of a ‘song sculpture’, a creative process that links the wooden object with memory, music, drawing, poetry, woodworking, carving, and yes, even graffiti! In these workshops, play is the core of creativity. using various creative mediums and stories as a springboard to explore the present day and the meaning of home. Participants are encouraged to bring along recycled wooden objects to use in the workshop. Works created can contribute to a "community" of objects in a larger mural construction - a collaborative artwork by any other name.

About Peter’s Exhibition, The Maker

"The exhibition showcases a diverse range of artworks created over the past five+ years. Individually and collectively, the works show the multifaceted dimensions of my creative practice, immersive interest, and lived experiences. Some works provide a direct connection to the focus of my Threads In Common residency and the collaborative work that will take shape during that time. Also included are paintings to give the viewer a sense of the breadth of my art practice."

Here's what Peter got up to during his time in the community.

EXHIBITION LAUNCH

Sunday 3 August l 11:30am

The Bank Gallery, 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

IMMERSIVE CREATIVE WORKSHOPS + Lunch

Wednesday 30 July l 11.30am to 2.30pm

Venue Mullewa

Sunday 3 August l 12pm - 3pm

The Exchange, 4 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

Wednesday 6 August l 10am to 1pm (includes morning tea)

Morawa CRC, 46 Winfield Street, Morawa

Thursday 21 August l 10am to 1pm (includes morning tea)

Railway Station, Entry off Eleanor Street, Mingenew

Friday 29 August l 10am to 1pm

Red Room, Three Springs Town Hall, Three Springs

Wednesday 3 September l 5.30pm to 7.30pm

art, after dark l The Exchange, 4 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

EXHIBITION SHOWED

Sunday 3 August to Sunday 31 August

Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm

The Bank Gallery, 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah

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