The Emerging Artist Creative Hub is officially open in Narre Warren, Melbourne’s southeast. The Hub, which officially opened earlier this month, will provide six artists’ residencies for the next 12 months, supported by a $150,000 grant from the Victorian Government and $185,660 from the City of Casey.
Narre Warren is already home to the thriving multi-arts space, Bunjil Place (designed by architectural studio Francis-Jones Morehen and Thorp).
Read: ArtsHub‘s coverage of Bunjil Place
The Emerging Artist Creative Hub is situated in the old Narre Warren Mechanics Hall, which has been transformed through a co-design process with the artists and Sibling Architecture to become a fit-for-purpose creative space.
The artists taking up residency include photographer Navaal Saeed, henna artist and art therapy student Fathiah Raihan, Colombian-born artist Fausto Gallego, artist and jeweller Anna Konecny, community events organisation RIDDIM and Way Over There Collective, which platforms and prioritises BIPOC artists.
Gallego says what he looks forward to the most is building a sense of connection within this artistic community. “The Hub gives us a space to talk to each other and learn from each other because that is something that you miss when you work on your own. With other people around, you can get a different perspective on your work,” he says.
Read: Building an artist network to break through the social media noise
The Emerging Artist Creative Hub features spaces for individual studios, shared dry and wet spaces for art-making, workshops, and the opportunity to host small exhibitions of residents’ artworks.
Learn more about the City of Casey’s Emerging Artist Creative Hub in Narre Warren.
