Carers Week sanctuary

An arts project staged along Southbank Promenade this month provided an intimate space for Melburnians to slow down and reflect during Carers Week.

Commissioned by the City of Melbourne, local artist Jodee Mundy collaborated with 20 primary carers and a team of artists to produce The Carers Project: A Sanctuary in the City.

The carers’ stories, derived through a series of workshops, daily diary entries, drawings, film making, sound recordings and conversations inform an immersive art installation, which runs from October 6 to 16.

The work invites audiences to enter a bespoke dome on the Southbank Spillway and watch a three-minute film that casts a gaze to the streets of Melbourne, reflecting on what it means to care for ourselves and others.

Chair of the City of Melbourne’s arts portfolio Cr Rohan Leppert said the project was an insightful look at the work of carers in the community.

“The city is a busy place and we often forget to slow down and take notice of ourselves and the people around us; this project encourages us to do just this,” he said.

“Art has a powerful way of conveying messages and stories that are often overlooked. The City of Melbourne is committed to working with artists to explore and share stories, especially those from under-represented communities.”

Artistic director Jodee Mundy, who herself grew up as a young carer, said she was proud to be helping lead an important conversation through her art.

“Everyone in my immediate family is deaf except for me so I grew up caring for the communication and access needs of my family,” she said.

“When I was young, there was little support or understanding from the wider community and this experience has given me an innate ability to collaborate with marginalised communities through my art.”  

The project aims to offer a connection to the wider community by seeking out gaps and filling them with metaphors, which raises awareness and an understanding of the experience of carers.

For more information contact the City of Melbourne on 9658 9658