(Left) Julian Meagher, 'Inlet #13'. 152 x 122. Oil on linen, 2017. (Right) 'Inlet #9'. 152 x 122cm. Oil on linen, 2017. SECCA Collection. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
16 December 2024
Bega Valley Shire Council invites people to submit their original poems to the Tideland: Art + Word Ekphrasis Challenge.
Customer Experience Librarian, Linda Albertson said the challenge is a collaborative project between Bega Valley Shire Library, SECCA (South East Centre for Contemporary Art) and the South Coast Writers Centre.
"Ekphrasis is a literary description of a visual work of art and for our project, we are inviting anyone 18 years and over to submit poems responding to artworks in the upcoming Tideland exhibition, to be held at SECCA from 14 February 2025," she said.
"We are eager to see how writers, creatives and performers interpret selected Tideland artworks into written poems.
Ms Albertson said this poetry challenge is a first for the Bega Valley and recognises the strong connection between visual art forms and the written word.
"It's exciting to be able to offer regional creatives the chance to respond to artworks on exhibition at SECCA and be able to recompense them for their work," she said.
"We expect this collaboration will connect new audiences with art and creativity across genres."
The Tideland exhibition, drawn from the title of Terry Gilliam's 2005 psychoanalytic fantasy film, explores the aesthetics and symbolism of waterbodies, perspectives on regionalisms and contested views on landscapes.
Anyone living in Australia with a connection to a regional area is eligible to submit poems. One poem for each artwork will be displayed alongside that artwork during the exhibition period.
Each selected poem will earn its poet $300 for their writing and the poem will be published in the South Coast Writers Centre annual anthology for 2026.
The challenge opened today (16 December) and the artworks can be viewed online via SECCA's website. Submissions must be received by 31 January 2025.
The selected poems will be announced at a special event at SECCA on Friday 28 February 2025.
SECCA Acting Director, Jasmin Brown said the Tideland: Art + Word project will also see contemporary text-based artist and poet, Caren Florence creating new work and new spoken word poetry by established local performance poets, Gabrielle Journey Jones, Rae Kennedy and Nick Whittock.
"Additionally, we will run a poetry writing workshop and a poetry performance workshop next year as part of the project.
"People will experience Tideland artworks through the perspective of poets' words and poetry performances. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy and discover paintings through a different creative medium."
The Tideland: Art + Word Ekphrasis Challenge is supported through the 2025 Regional Arts Fund. Council acknowledges the support of the Australian Government, Regional Arts Australia and the NSW Regional Program Administrator of the Regional Arts Fund.
