Art Bites Cultural Workshops 2013

A multicultural workshop program in Brisbane

Art Bites is an annual public workshop program offered by Brisbane City Council.

In 2013, Ferment Collaborate delivered the first outsourced Art Bites program, focusing on arts and cultural workshops delivered by members of Brisbane’s Sri Lankan, Indian and Chinese communities in collaboration with the BCC Creative Communities team.

Our objectives in delivering this program included sharing Sri Lankan, Indian and Chinese cultural practices with Brisbane residents and tourists, while developing a public space activation approach to the sharing of art and craft skills and intergenerational wisdom and knowledge.

Uniquely, the program offered cultural facilitators the opportunity to receive training in workshop design and delivery and ongoing support throughout the program to strengthen their practice.

Ferment Collaborate continues to develop workshops for delivery through festivals, cultural celebrations and general event programs. Just contact us if you’d like to work together.

The workshops were delivered in Brisbane City Council and community venues across the city, including halls, libraries and in public space. The program was a great success, with most workshops participated in by around ten Brisbanites.

More than 30 workshops delivered over 45 days

Vesak: Sri Lankan Buddhist lantern making by Harsha Amarathunge and Nila Premaratne

Dhomi Kitha – traditional Sri Lankan dance workshops by Namali Kottagodage and Yashan Thilekeratne

Ayurvedic cooking for everyone by Reema Narayan

Sinhala language and letters for beginners by Nila Premaratne

Paper craft jewellery making by Steph Vajda and Vinnie Edirisinghe

Classical music and dance in Bollywood by Sumit Panjwani

Chinese plate juggling by Anna Yen

Budakini? Sri Lankan cullinary basics by Srinika Pereira