The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) invited local artists to participate in a two-day workshop hosted at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island in partnership with Flying Arts from 12-13 February.
A group of local artists from Prince of Wales, Hammond and Thursday Island participated in the two-day workshop where they were encouraged to develop marketing strategies and established their online presence.
The TSRA Chairperson, Mr Napau Pedro Stephen AM, said the workshops provided a practical suite of activities, discussions, research and networking opportunities.
“The activities and discussions utilised in these workshops gave our attendees the opportunity to explore important topics such as pricing structures and digital sales channels that would align with their target audiences,” Mr Stephen said.
“This event was also the first artist development workshop held at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre for 2019 and one that prioritised economic development for our region.
“The TSRA would like to thank our project partners Flying Arts and the team at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre for facilitating and hosting these events to support the artistic community in the Torres Strait region.”
After learning about different online platforms, attendees navigated through the stages of launching their social presence, including the step-by-step process of creating Facebook pages and sharing artwork, in a copyright protected format.
The event was facilitated by multidisciplinary visual artist and successful gallery owner, Emily Devers who said it had been a wonderful experience running the workshop.
“I’ve met a handful of talented local artists and we’ve worked together to get their artwork online, so that they can reach a wider audience,” Emily said.
Drawing from her diverse background in the commercial art space, Emily shared her experiences and encouraged artists to be confident in their work and pricing. She also explained how her gallery, The Third Quarter attracts customers and engages with long-term buyers via social media.
Attendees left the workshop feeling empowered having developed their artist profiles, launched Facebook pages and defined strategies to sustain and grow their online presence.
Workshop attendee and Torres Strait artist Laura Mooka said she was glad she came to the workshop. My friends and family always tell me to go further, but my own fears hold me back.
“Emily has helped me to start my Facebook page and I’m excited to see what happens next,” she said.
Gab Titui Cultural Centre aims to host similar artist workshops in the near future, on inner and outer island communities for artists to further develop their arts businesses.
Pictured: Workshop Attendees with facilitator Emily Devers.
Backrow L-R: Kailu George, Brian Pool, George Pedro
Frontrow L-R: Marcella Pauling, Emily Devers, Laura Mooka, Elsie Passi