Project Alchemy

A community arts and cultural development project offering employment for regional artists to lead community engagement arts projects.

September 2022-March 2024

What is PROJECT ALCHEMY? The devastation left by the 2019/20 bushfires to the natural and built environment was horrific. There was a profound impact on every individual and community. Everyone’s experience was different, as is everyone’s path to recovery.

Project Alchemy, led by the award-winning Canberra-based company Rebus Theatre, will enable practising artists from regions directly impacted by the Black Summer Bushfires to come together in two artist retreats to share skills, rebuild their practice and return to their own communities to lead community projects employing the arts to help repair, reconnect and celebrate their community.

The project aims to foster sustainable practices for artists through networking, mentorship and skill sharing. A ‘train the trainer model’, will support artists as they return to their bushfire-impacted areas to lead a cultural development project for their community.

The project will use the artistic skills of practising artists across the Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, East Gippsland, and Queanbeyan-Palerang shires and the ACT, to impart a unique recovery program for each area.

Meet our project alchemy artists here or sign up to the mailing list to stay informed about the projects they are running in their communities across 2023 and 2024.

Project Alchemy is made possible thanks to funding from the Australian Government for the Black Summer Bushfire Grant Program.

Rebus is also supported by Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres and the ACT Government.

For more information about Project Alchemy, to get involved or if you would like to engage a Project Alchemy artist or artists for your exhibition, festival or event please contact Jen Seyderhelm on jen@rebustheatre.com

Upcoming Project Alchemy Events

‘The Giants’ film screening
Queanbeyan June 3

A landscape of forests into the horizon with an image of a man with great thinning hair looking off to the left thoughtfully. The text' The Giants' written in large white font

Princesses of Planting
Bega June 10

A group of people in various cosplay outfirs stand with their arms raised in the forest.

Braidwood Wonder Walks
Currajuggle June 17

a forrest of tree trunks in various stages of recovery from bushfire

Princesses of Planting
Near Canberra June 18

A group of people in various cosplay outfirs stand with their arms raised in the forest. The word 'Princesses of Planting' are written in white in a rainbow shape on a rainbow image imposed over the photo

Past Project Alchemy Events

SOLD OUT: Move, Draw, Sing, Restore
Batemans Bay May 25

the image contains 4 smaller images each with a word imposed over them. Top leff an image of a long brown haired woman leaning back in a dance pose looking upward at her extended arm with the word 'move'. Top right an image of multiple watercolour drawings laying on the floor with the 'Draw'. Bottom left and image of a row of people's torsos with helps held up in front of them with the word 'Sing'. Bottom right an image of the head of a woman lyin on her back with a pruple and white eye mask covering her eyes with the word 'Restore'.

Children of Destiny and The Tiger of Doom
Candelo Village Festival April 22