Learning Through Creative Practice

Nepean Arts and Design Centre is delighted to have two of our Fine Arts students, Guy Hickey and Julieanne Bartolo, as participants in the Queen Street Riches and Textures 2012 project.

'Styling' by Julianne Bartolo, TAFE student participant of Queen Street Riches and Textures - Queen Street of Hearts 2012.

The project has been a valuable opportunity to try out the various pathways their studies in photography and other art forms might lead them on. With the skilled and passionate guidance of photographer John Slaytor, the students have had a valuable opportunity to try out the roles of working artist, street photographer, commercial photographer and social documenter. They have learned the art of liaising with a client, the skills associated with building client relationships and trust, how to answer to a brief, and the realities of working to a deadline. They have learned to respond to a range of situations, and think on their feet to solve predictable and unpredictable technical issues. From within these parameters they have experienced the fact that taking the photographs is just the beginning: after which must come the evaluation, selection, editing, post-production, formatting and delivery. And at the end, their effort must in some ways be invisible, as they strive to present a fresh and honest insight into the people and premises along this most interesting and unexpected of streets.

TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute prides itself on the strong relationships we have with industry and our local community. Penrith City Council has a strong support for the arts, and clearly understands that the creative industries contribute not only to the social capital which helps build communities, but also generate economic capital in a range of ways. One way is by helping to build places with a vibrant cultural life and civic pride; the type of places where people wish to work, spend and live. 

St Marys Corner is one of the important cultural hubs in our region, and provides a meeting place and opportunities for cultural expression for many groups. We would like to thank Adnan Begic, Cultural Projects Officer at St Marys Corner, and Karen Harris, Senior Cultural Development Officer at Penrith City Council for their tireless work on Queen Street Riches and Textures. As well as an inspiring artist and role model, John Slaytor proved himself a dynamic teacher and mentor, and the students benefitted enormously from his input.

Congratulations to Julieanne Bartolo and Guy Hickey, who stepped up to the mark and involved themselves wholeheartedly in this project, with impressive results. TAFE prides itself on training that imparts real skills, and students from Nepean Arts and Design Centre are regularly engaged on industry projects which form a vital part of their learning. We look forward to developing more exciting projects with Penrith City Council in the future, as we train a new generation of artists who believe passionately in the importance of creative practice, and the value of making a cultural contribution to their region.

Cath Barcan
Head Teacher, Photo Imaging, Fine Arts
Nepean Arts and Design Centre TAFE NSW-Western Sydney Institute