Refine & Shine with The Refinery
Working as an artist can be a solitary experience – but there’s a creative program empowering artists of all levels (as well as the arts-curious) to help turn their dreams into reality, discovers Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer.
Whether it’s working on a painting, composing a piece of music, weaving a tapestry, shooting photography, designing a video installation, or something else, creating a work of art requires an artist to delve inside themselves to access a feeling, a moment or a truth, and then transform it into something tangible to share with the world. But while working in isolation, it can be hard to know which path to take – and even harder to turn an artistic endeavour into a sustainable business.
Here on the Sunshine Coast, we’re incredibly lucky to have The Refinery – a professional development platform supporting creative practitioners by providing the skills, knowledge and encouragement needed for people to turn their dreams into reality. Run by the Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance (SCCA), The Refinery has four distinct offerings: a 10-week creative business incubator; short programs; artist residencies; and a program of talks and masterclasses – meaning there’s something for everyone, from the arts-curious through to senior-level practitioners, across all artistic genres.
Toni Wills, the executive director of SCCA, said the heart of their mission was to enable people to follow their passions and share them with the world.
“We want to elevate the creative sector on the Sunshine Coast and help creatives of all genres grow their practices, reach new markets, and position themselves as leaders,” she said.
“The opportunities presented by the region’s economic growth, the upcoming 2032 Olympic Games, the application of new technologies and our unique environment are endless. This is a pivotal time for the arts sector, and we’re so thrilled to be providing this vital support to help our local artists shine.”
Artists who are ready to turn their passion into a profession will love being part of the R|7.0 Creative Business Incubator – an intensive 10-week ‘program facilitated by the inspiring
Dr Hayley Linthwaite, plus a team of expert guest presenters, to help define their value proposition and build an entrepreneurial mindset.
Running from June to September, up to 15 practitioners will be energised, uplifted and encouraged to transform both their business and their lives.
“The creative brain and the business brain can be a bit like magnets, repelling each other,” explained Liz Burcham, chair of SCCA. “But we help our artists to align their skills with a business model in order for them to achieve sustainable success.
“We’ve had some amazing feedback from recent alumni, such as wedding photographer Cooper Brady; textile artists Shaye Hardisty and Ketaki Jewson Brown; the founders of Wildlings Forest School, and many more.
“We’ve had 86 creatives go through the program over the past seven years, and we’re hoping to hit 100 this year.”
Emerging and early-career artists are encouraged to apply for R|The Path, running from September to December – a program that takes the ideas of 10 individuals from concept to creation.
Sharing the journey as a group, artists across a number of disciplines will learn about both themselves and their craft under the guidance of Dr Kellie O’Dempsey, who works across the arts and cultural sector as a research-based practitioner, educator and project developer.
“When doing The Path, participants are encouraged to dream as big and as wide as they can,” said Toni.
“At the end of the program they present their work TEDX-style, as if we were all gallery owners with unlimited funds, or we had engineers on hand to help them realise their vision. It’s amazing to see the ideas they put forward.
“The program really expands their minds and their belief in themselves, and it’s been incredible to see what attendees achieve.”
Alongside these two programs, The Refinery also runs R|Artist Residencies, which provide a range of support such as funding towards materials, fees, and space to create a new body of work.
The next residency, Noosa Natural Ecologies, is located in the Noosa Biosphere Reserve, and focuses on integrating new technologies to create an artwork inspired by this unique natural environment – one of only five UNESCO-designated biospheres in Australia.
“We partner with UniSC, leaders in the technology space, to provide our resident artists with access to their state-of-the-art equipment, including Queensland’s first MIT-accredited Fab Lab and CAVE2, an advanced digital visualisation tool allowing artists to create immersive audio-visual experiences,” Toni said.
As if that wasn’t enough, The Refinery also offers R|Short Programs which includes a flagship K’Gari Field Trip, where artists get to experience the beauty and magic of this famous World Heritage-listed sand island over four immersive days.
“The K’Gari program is delivered by UniSC academics and leading artists with the support of Butchulla/Badtjala Traditional Owners, providing a truly unforgettable experience,” Liz said.
“We hope that attendees are inspired by the extraordinary environment and opportunity.”
But what about the arts-curious or those who just love hearing and learning from creative brains?
The Refinery’s talks and masterclasses are open to the public, with recent events featuring luminaries such as Brisbane’s ‘Queen of Colour’ Rachel Burke; contemporary Australian artist and sculptor Lindy Lee; and author, teacher and public speaker Felicity Castagna.
The dedicated team behind The Refinery are lighting up our creative landscape with their commitment to growing the arts industry, upskilling and inspiring artists, and putting the Sunshine Coast arts industry firmly on the map.
“There’s a lot to be said for getting people in a room together to learn from one another, inspire each other, and dream big together,” Toni said.
“Our participants get so much out of our programs, and we love seeing how it lights the way to a brighter creative future!”
BE REFINED!
Be part of the creative revolution!
Apply for the Refinery’s upcoming programs or attend an event.
R|7.0 Creative Business Incubator, 10-week program running from June-September. EOI closes 31 March.
R|Talks: Wednesday 2 April with Daniel Evans, Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre. Join this award-winning writer, director, and producer as Daniel shares insights on adapting the classics fresh from Queensland Theatre’s smash hit production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
To find out more about The Refinery, visit the website: www.therefinery.com.au
