learn about
ART-I-DOTE
We begin to acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional owners of the land both past and present upon whose land we work; the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora Nation. It is upon their ancestral lands that Art-i-Dote is built.
We acknowledge the Elders of all our nations and the knowledge and guidance they provide. We acknowledge the Stolen Generations and are committed to assisting them on their journey towards healing.
As we share our own knowledge, teaching and learning, may we also pay respect to the knowledge embedded forever within the Aboriginal Custodianship of Country.
research
art as therapy
The important role of art as a means of holistic healing
Therapy has long been used since the 9th century to aid people to reach their goals. It wasn’t until the 1940s that art was introduced as an alternate method of therapy in order to achieve a sense of holistic healing. The process of treatment always begins with the healing of the mind.
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Art is a crucial aspect of culture, tradition and society, it always has been. Just as we evolved as humans, art has evolved with us in our cultural practices. Indigenous Australians who are the worlds oldest civilisation, used visual arts as a means of cultural expression and as a tool to maintain and transmit culture through time. It was also used to promote health and well-being, thus art played a central role in their lives.
the healing hub
“The Healing Hub was a popular and safe space where conference participants could gather and destress in a creative and healing way. People reported that they felt calmer, less stressed and felt more focused after these therapy sessions. “The making of the artwork was an important collaboration between participants at the Conferences. It was an activity that was a part of other cultural healing sessions that gave people a sense of belonging and being part of a collective.
The Healing Colour of Country: Trauma recovery through culture, art and wildflowers - Sister Kate’s Home Kid’s Aboriginal Corporation Healing (SKHKAC) Hub
Thus, art possesses healing qualities and the enchancement of lateral creativity. It is a tool used to create what our soul is crying out to express.
Esther M.Sternberg (2010:14) defines healing as, “If illness and health are nouns, then healing is a verb. It is a movement in a desired direction - a journey that takes you from illness to health.”
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Therefore, healing is an action and decision that one takes in order to attain improvements in well-being.
art + therapy = art therapy
The bond created through therapy is through the open flow of private communication between client and therapist. With the introduction of art as a mode of therapy, the bond is then shifted from client and therapist to creator and process where the conscious and unconscious state of mind is being expressed through creative means.
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Non-verbal communication in art therapy is essential. If language is a barrier, art is the best medium in which inate emotions can be expressed so that one can liberate themselves and heal.
brief
Existing
White Bay Power Station formally functioned as a coal-fired power station in White Bay, Rozelle. Decommisssed in 1983, the site is now inaccessible to the general public and remains as a monument of the industrial revolution.
Vision
To repurpose the WBPS into an Art Therapy Center that functions to provide holistic healing through the creative process.
This civic centre will aim to create spaces that support, enhance and manifest the well-being and mental health of the community of Rozelle and greater Sydney. This will be done through programmes that unlock our lateral creativity, supported by a calm, healthy and inclusive environment.
why WBPS for ART-I-DOTE?
NSW CULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN 2025+
ART-I-DOTE will be able to contribute to the NSW Culture Infrastructure Plan 2025 by providing accessible culture/art facilities
ACCESS TO WATER
The site is located at the head of White Bay in Rozelle. This access and view to water offers a sense of tranquility and transparency which are essential in the process of healing. Being explosed to nature softesn the harsh urban landscape and reminds us about the cycle of change, growth and healing
INTEGRATED IN SOCIETY
WBPS has the perfect balance of being located in the city but away from the hustle and bustle. People should be able to convieniently arrive where they don’t feel detached from society.
HEALING A DEAD SPACE
As the WBPS currently stands in solitude with no active purpose, its almost poetic that the WBPS is able to be healed from this state through its adaptive re-use into an art therapy center
strategy
social strategy
ART-I-DOTE'S THREE PILLARS FOR SOCIAL STRATEGY
INTERCONNECTIVITY
INCLUSIVITY
ACCESSIBILITY
It is essential that those who seek help aren’t ostracised and are simultaneously interconnected to the everyday lifestyle to those that don’t seek help. By interconnecting the healing process through art therapy with everyday public function accessiblity, it enables us to de-institutionalise the institution and abandon prison like structures that surrounds the negative stigma around therapy.
It is essential that ART-I-DOTE functions with an inclusive nature to work together in diminishing the negative stigma that surrounds mental health is diminished. This will allow for everyone to comfortably heal in an environment that thrives on acceptance, human connection and new opportunities.
ART-I-DOTE must be accessible to all those that wish to heal, in conjunction with those that wish to improve their lateral creativity. It must be non-discriminatory against disabilities and provide complete awareness to the needs of all.
adaptive reuse strategies
As the White Bay Power Station no longer serves its original purpose as a Coal-fired power station, its adaptive reuse is crucial in preserving the significant of heritage buildings. A successful adaption is one that finds the balance of respecting the existing building and adding on a contemporary layer rather than overpowering or destroying the heritage character. Programme and functionality must also follow depth research and analysis in order to find the appropriate strategy so that history does not repeat itself.
With this in mind, ART-I-DOTE utlises Robert Machado’s adaptive interventions as outlined below:
BUILDING AROUND
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BUILDING OVER
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RECYCLING MATERIALS IN VESTIGES​
ADAPTING TO A NEW FUNCTION
EDI strategy
ACCESS
EQUALITY
SUSTAINABLE
Spaces within ART-I-DOTE must have accessible circulation points so that everyone can experience in unison
Equal appreciation and acceptance of diverse identities, culture and religion is crucial. This center is built as a framework for anyone that wishes to heal and/or engage in the creative process
Material re-use from existing structures to adapt to the new function will play a role in sustainability and respecting the balance between exisitng and extant.