Mapping the health promoting aspects of art centres on the APY Lands

1. Mapping the health promoting aspects of art centres onthe APY Lands An Australian Research Council funded project with Flinders University, Ananguku Arts and Culture, Palya Fund, Centre for Remote Health and Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Wellbing “Iwarakunpuartcentreku” (strong healthy art centres)

2. Introduction Maree Meredith PhD Candidate, Flinders University (South Australia) mere0030@flinders.edu.au

3. How the health in arts story began...... • In 2009, a meeting was held with the Ku arts board at Amata. • Palya Fund met and come up with the idea to ask the board and members to think about contributing some money to an Arts in Health Study • The board agreed and there was a resolution passed • In 2010, Ku Arts, Palya Fund and Flinders University decided to apply for an ARC grant to fund a PhD student to undertake the study • In 2011, the ARC grant was successful and Flinders started the recruitment process

5. Anangu Aims and Background of the art and health story... “We paint to tell the stories of our land, and to get money to buy food for our families” Alyson Milyka Carroll, Aboriginal Art Board Director and Ernabella Art centre Worker

6. The Research Study

7. Aims and Background • 3000 Anangu on the APY Lands • 460 people (15%) engaged in art activities • Anecdotal evidence suggests that these centres contribute to community health and wellbeing broadly understood within a social determinants of health framework • Engagement in Art Centres potentially provides Anangu artists and their families with enhanced economic security, opportunities for continuing education and training and employment

8. Objectives: • Identify Indigenous understanding of how art is health promoting • Investigate how this understanding is related to the social determinants of health • Explore to what extent, and in what way organised art generates health and wellbeing • Identify essential features of the art centre organisation and function that underpin the success of this model/s in contributing to community health, well-being and capacity building as a blueprint for other remote communities • Identify what strategies could be adopted to further enhance the health promoting aspects of this model • Provide opportunity for currently employed Anangu Artworkers to learn the principles of, and engage in, art-based health promotion research

9. Significance and Innovation • There is currently a growing interest in the link between arts and health, along with recognition of the difficulties in identifying the specific benefits (Putland 2008). • Art is seen to offer a unique contribution to health due to its focus on creativity, expression and identity and as a health promotion tool. • Some commentators have suggested that the arts might play a vital role in promoting social well-being in rural and remote Australia (McHenry 2009), helping to build or reinforce the social fabric of a community by engendering a sense of belonging , trust, reciprocity, identity and place. • Others point to the contribution to the Indigenous hybrid economy, via opportunities for income generation and employment (Altman 2007)

10. A staged Approach... • Stage 1: Introduction to the field and scoping the field • Stage 2: Development of interview and participant observation framework and case studies • Stage 3: Training, and delivery of a cross cultural survey • Stage 4: Analysis and reporting and thesis write-up

11. Methodology and Theory • Mixed Method Approach • Why have I used ethnography? • Ethnography through an indigenous lens • One of the indigenous ethnography an the survey part of • Authority to speak from my own experience as an Indigenous • Primary methods used in stage one – participant observation and case studies • Intricacies of the ethics process

12. Study Design • Application within the Anangu context. How will Anangu be involved in the study design? • The theory behind the Malpa system • The use of Anangu Interpreters • Discussion around stage two and the survey design. What am I doing to prepare for stage two. For example, building a pool of researchers/ artworkers • How will the survey design will be adapted to fit the Anangu context

13. Where are we now..... STAGE 2January – December 2013

14. Mapping Health promotion aspects of art centres on the APY Lands • What is health promotion and how is it applicable to the Anangu context • Art centres as ‘health promoting’ institutions (Johnson 2000) • Common features of health promoting art centres • Institutionalisation theory applied to ACCHS and in this case Art Centres on the APY Lands • Mapping the aspects including benefits and non-benefits

15. Anangu Way...documenting an Indigenous Methodology • Recording the process and protocols • The role of art and ‘mapping’ as key concepts • ‘Telling the story’and the role of storywork. (Rothwell’s articles of senior artists) • Anangu research governance

16. Process and Protocols • The title of the project “Iwarakunpuartcentreku” • The Malpa System • Consultations and the role of the Boards • What are the risks to Anangu? • What are the benefits for Anangu?

17. Anangu Way...strong voice, strong decisions, strong healthy artcentres

18. Josephine Mick (Board of Directors for Ananguku Arts and Culture) and artist from Ninuku Art Centre, and Malpa • Born in 1955 near Ernabella to Kuntjiriya Mick, Josephine grew up in Fregon, Ernabella and Amata. She moved to Pipalyatjara as a teenager in the homeland movement in the early 1970s. She then moved to Kalka with her children and now she travels between Pipalyatjara and Ernabella

19. The Board and Governance • Report to the Board on a regular basis • This includes for 4 times a year • Formal feedback on project milestones to be provided at AGMs • Major decisions influencing the project will be decided by the Board • Main channel of decision making and information dissemination for the project is with the Board.

20. Emerging Issues for art centres • Re-current funding programs • Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer and language preservation • Art centres and cultural maintenance • Art centres and health promotion

21. Next Steps.... • Initial sweep of the art centres and continuing participant observation • Building a pool of Anangu researchers – Some of the challenges • Profiling the art centres • Question Time

22. Palya!!! All photographs courtesy of Ananguku Arts and Culture www.anangukuarts.com.au/