Content Studio has worked on a number of storytelling projects in and around Melbourne and is committed to embedding country into our projects.
Content Studio has worked closely with John Patten, a Bundjalung and Yorta Yorta man of Anglo-Celtic ancestry, on a number of storytelling projects in and around Melbourne.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JACKSON CREEK TO SUNBURY
Content Studio integrated a commissioned artwork by John for the Dulup Wilim Hub, a community facility shared by Sunbury Heights Primary School, Sunbury Downs College and the City of Hume. John’s colourful mural wraps around the foyer of the building and tells the story of nearby Jackson Creek, a place of spiritual and living connection for the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. His six-foot statue of Bunjil the Eagle presides over the entrance to the building. Besides being arresting and colourful, the mural and the sculpture are also used as teaching tools, helping the community better understand the significance of the local waterway and creation myths to the Traditional Owners.
SEASONAL CALENDAR FOR THE INNER NORTH
Sydney Road Community School (SRCS) wanted to connect its daily ritual of sourcing, preparing, and serving lunches to staff and students with the hunting and gathering rituals of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. Content Studio had worked with SRCS and the VSBA to relocate the school to a new leased site in Brunswick, we invited John to create a mural featuring the native plants that thrive in Melbourne’s inner north and their uses in seasonal dishes and medicines.
MARKER TO THE STOLEN GENERATIONS
Content Studio also helped visualise a proposal developed by John and his brother, Mark Patten, for the design of a Stolen Generations Marker. John and Mark’s shortlisted submission used a combination of European and Indigenous art forms to create a space for contemplation and solace in Alexandra Gardens. The Marker was commissioned by the City of Melbourne supporting its commitment to reconciliation and to strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples.
