ARBARO
eco-arts residency
for word, image and sound smiths of all sorts
(including poets, musicians, composers, translators, researchers, writers of fiction, those who paint and/or draw, garden artists, photographers)
committed to art for Earth's sake
Arbaro is the Esperanto word for forest. Forest – silva – غابة – hutan – forêt – 森林 – erdő – வன – лес – a beautiful and important word in so many langages ! Forest is precious and it has diminished through the course of human history. All over the world today forest is threatened by human activity. This cosmopolitan word arbaro is intended to suggest the precious and threatened home that artists of all kinds have a special responsibility to cherish and to save. Forest is not simply a resource (renewable or otherwise) or a source of income or an impediment to industry or agriculture. The forest is our species first home. It is a home for all sorts of creatures and not only on two legs; some on more than you can count! And this particular neck of the woods, in Australia, is our home.
Located between two large forests in the Myall Lakes district of New South Wales, and a short drive to some of the world's most wonderful beaches, Arbaro eco-arts residency offers Australian and international guests the opportunity to connect creatively, on a small scale, with other creative people, with the Australian bush, and with its many and varied fauna and flora. Our objective in this grassroots community arts venture is cosmopolitan connection between artists of various kinds, in the specific context of an Australian forest environment. Arbaro eco-arts residency is a little non-profit rural retreat allowing participants time for focused creative effort. Our residency has ecological aims and social justice in mind and at heart. We don’t mean this in any heavy-handed or doctrinaire or party-political way. But we do believe that the forest – and so the koalas and other threatened creatures – have friends and supporters in the arts. And these are the people and the friendships we wish to support through our residency.
At Arbaro we offer a kind of 'civilised camping' or 'glamping' lifestyle. Residents stay in a tiny house on two hectares (five acres), ten kilometres from Bulahdelah, a little town approximately three hours by car from central Sydney (or one and a quarter hours north of Australia’s fifth largest city, Newcastle). The indoor/outdoor living and working area for residents includes a rustic kitchen, bathroom and composting toilet, as well as a separate small art studio (‘the gallery’) and/or music space (‘the music box’) for residents' exclusive use. Writers will stay in a tiny house that has a desk with a view into the trees. Residents of two to three weeks will have the opportunity to present a studio visit/talk/reading/workshop for co-residents and members of the local community. Musicians may want to simply come for the weekend and jam.
We are particularly interested in small-scale cross-arts collaborations – for instance writers working with musicians or painters or translators, or any combination you can imagine. Arbaro offers space and time to be together to get on with creative work, and to come up with the creative goods. Residents are expected to leave something of their effort behind to inspire those to follow – that could be a song or a poem or a pencil sketch or a painting or whatever seems appropriate.
Since the residency is an opportunity for focused creative work, we ask that residents do not bring partners, children, or pets. Applications for solo or small group collaborative projects are encouraged. Each of our two tiny houses provides a modest sleeping space for one resident, while the larger of the two could accommodate a couple. There is also a tent site available. Residents are responsible for their own fares/transport, food, toiletries, art materials etc. Internet is limited here so we advise bringing your own or making your time here internet-free. Bed linen, towels, cooking utensils and crockery are supplied. Arbaro residents are responsible for keeping their spaces clean and tidy – marsupial mice and other adorable creatures will be attracted to any available food. There is a refundable cleaning and key deposit payable at the outset of the residency. Accommodation and work spaces should be left as they were found (if not better). Walls of ‘the gallery’ studio space can be repainted by departing residents if this necessary.
For residents without their own transport, there are buses that service Bulahdelah. There is also a school bus that stops at the property in the mornings and goes into the town. The nearest airport and train station are in Newcastle, approximately one and a quarter hours south of Arbaro. A weekly shopping trip, including some sightseeing, can be arranged for residents who don’t have their own transport.
In terms of seasons, our winters (June to August) are generally mild (5°C to 20°C), with a few frosts, but our summers can have very hot periods (heatwaves with temperatures into the 40s°C). Fortunately, apart from the nearby lakes, rivers and beaches, we have a pool for cooling off. The nearby Myall Lakes comprise the largest system of lakes on the east coast of Australia. Between the coasts, lakes and forests there is plenty of potential for exploring the natural environment. Bird life in the district is particularly of interest, with a number of ponds to watch.
