Michele Grimston

March 17, 2017

Nanna's Tea Tent was presented as part of the 2017 Tree Street Art Safari in Bunbury, Western Australia. 

​

The Tree Street Art Safari is a community based event, which aims to build local networks by inviting the general public into the private homes of local artists. Nanna'sTea Tentresponds to the idea that these networks are something which have been lost and must be reconstructed. Community networks are by their nature organic, but this no longer seems to be the case.

Nanna's tea tent presented a freestanding, temporary house in a public space along the Tree Street Art Safari Trail.  Constructed from salvaged and donated hand-knitted and crocheted blankets, the space was soft, cosy and comfortable, referencing an imagined version of the safe space of a grandmother’s house. The warmth and softness of the structure invited audiences to put themselves at ease and encourages community members to forget their awkwardness at the prospect of connecting with other people.

Inside the tent, the artist offered tea to audiences - who were invited in to the tent in groups of up to six strangers for a brief, 10 minute conversation, prompted by question cards provided by the artist. 

Each group shared a cup of tea, and in the process generated a series of micro connections within the community - enhancing Tree Street Art Safari’s ability to generate community connection.
 

Overall, 140 people participated in the project, sharing a little bit of themselves with the wider world.

​

Photograph courtesy of Taj Kempe Photography

For more information on the Tree Street Art Safari visit their Facebook page

July 21, 2017

Michele Grimston and Claire Pendrigh worked with the children of Coolgardie Primary School to explore the theme I Hear You!  Exploring the practices of speaking and listening, the two important parts of being heard, the students created body percussion, voice exercises, musical instruments,noise machines, masks and sculptures for a raucous end of program noise parade - proudly putting their voices and creativity out into the world.

​

For more information on the Awesome Creative Challenge, visit www.awesomearts.com

Awesome Creative Challenge Coolgardie was supported by Go for 2&5

September 22, 2016

Artists Lex Randolph and Michele Grimston went on a great printmaking adventure with the students of Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School.  Students used their powers of observation to collect seeds and other treasures from the school grounds and then worked with collograph printing, drawing, stencilling, layering, contact printing and more to create a series of bright, colourful flags to liven up the school grounds.

Awesome Creative Challenge: Djidi Djidi Primary School was supported by Go for 2&5

For more information on the Awesome Creative Challenge, visit www.awesomearts.com

July 29, 2016

Theatre director Jeffrey Jay Fowler and visual artist Michele Grimston worked with students from upper primary through to year 12 at Newman senior High School to create immersive, experiential dreamspaces - celebrating the stories and the potential of the students.

Students worked collaboratively to construct dreamspaces from a variety of re-purposed and recycled materials, creating imaginative structures which they could then climb inside, and which acted as incubators for the seeds of new stories and ideas. 

Through improvisational theatre exercises, these spaces became places for students to share their experiences, to play out their alter egos and to express what they would usually keep inside.  

​

For more information on the Awesome Creative Challenge, visit www.awesomearts.com

The 2016 Newman Senior High School Creative Challenge was supported by BHP Billiton

March 25, 2016

Fortification was presented as part of the Tree Street Art Safari 2016.  The team at BunbARI - an artist run initiative in Bunbury WA - filled an entire house with custom built forts for a day - inviting people to come inside, lose themselves and rediscover their inner child for a few minutes or a few hours.

​

Artists Michele Grimston and Alisa Blakeney presented this curated selection of forts, fun and a little bit of magic.

​

For more informationon the Tree Street Art Safari, visit their Facebook page

August 31, 2015

Under the mentorship of artist Michele Grimston, a team of 8 high school students worked together to brighten up the foyer in Bunbury's South West Sports Centre with a new mural.  Participants responded to a design brief from the centre and worked together as a team to create and paint the design on the wall - learning from each other, and finding ways to make each of their unique styles work together as they went.

April 16, 2015

Two artists, six talented young people, one week and an old piano.  All these things came together to create Bunbury's Travelling Piano Project. 

Working under the mentorship of artists Michele Grimston and Hannah Harper,  six local high school students spent one week, and over 120 woman-hours pouring their creative energy and talent into transforming a donated piano into an incredible work of art.

​

The piano is looked after by the City of Bunbury, and now spends it's days moving between local businesses, waiting for locals to belt out a tune.

​

For more information on the The Travelling Piano, visit its Facebook page

September 09, 2011

Textile artist Michele Grimston worked with children at Lyons Early Childhood School on a collaborative quilt which is now displayed in the school hall. The children created the ‘School of Our Imagination’ quilt based on the school values and creative ideas from the children. A range of new and recycled materials were used, encouraging children to explore colour, design and construction under the guidance of Ms Grimston. Ms Grimston also involved the school community in other fabric-based activities including a project with parents ‘up-cycling’ old clothing.

​

This project was part of the ACT Government's Artists in Schools Program.  Click here for more information