A NEW LAUGHING WATERS

Nerida's comment got me to vote for this project: "Gordon and Gwen donated these beautiful places to the community in recognition of their ongoing connection to the Arts and environment in the Eltham area. What a wonderful gift! It is now up to us to support their vision and to keep these beautiful houses in their original condition and as a vibrant meeting place for other creative people to keep their dreams alive."
Yaaaaaay! Let's tell the Chocolate Lilies and The Good News Network to vote for it. Yaaaaaaaay!

Would love to see this significant place restored.

Congratulations on getting this incredible project to this point, good luck with getting the support and funding required, I can’t wait to see this operational again.

Best
Nadya

Growing up in North Warrandyte laughing waters has always been part of the identity that makes the middle reaches of the Yarra from Warrandyte to Heidelberg what is is as a strong artist area in Melbourne. This should be preserved through such means and project just like Laughing Waters.

This was such an incredible program when it was running. I'm really excited to see artists back out here again and I think the film industry could benefit from this so much too. Having grown up in Nillumbik the cultural heritage of the area is so important to sustaining a vibrant community and also nurturing interest in the arts for young people in the region.

Good Luck everyone involved!
Bonnie Moir x

I believe it is vitally important to preserve our heritage and have a great space for artists.

Thank you to everyone for voting and for your detailed, generous comments. It has been really rewarding to have the project out in the community after over a year of development and planning, we really appreciate everyone's interest and support.

We're encouraged by the high level of communication we have received and the keenness from the community and the broader arts and cultural sector to see this program funded and re-launched. We've been having fruitful conversations with numerous funding bodies to ensure the sustainability of the project after the 2019 restoration works and initial six months of programming so we're looking forward to a bright future for the program.

If you know anyone who would be interested in supporting the project please do continue to spread the word through your respective networks!!

Best,
Residency Projects
(Eugene Howard)

Yaaaaaas qweeeen. Nice one Eugie. Such a lovely spot. Would be a real shame to see it go to waste. You've come a long way since your freeman street days. Soar like an eagle my friend. Well done ;-) x

Gordon and Gwen donated these beautiful places to the community in recognition of their ongoing connection to the Arts and environment in the Eltham area. What a wonderful gift! It is now up to us to support their vision and to keep these beautiful houses in their original condition and as a vibrant meeting place for other creative people to keep their dreams alive.

This is such an important part of local cultural history.

Maybe all the past LWAIR's can register Laughing Waters Rd as their 'sometime' address and vote to keep this extraordinary cultural asset flourishing with new partnerships into a wonderful creative future. Many names would be in Jane Woollard's book. My time at Birrarung is still informing my practice. Irene Pagram Artist

Thankyou so much for taking the lead on restoring and preserving these important cultural sites in the history of Melbourne’s art and craft movement. The houses are located near the river and adjacent to important aboriginal heritage and cultural sites. Reviving the A in R program will ensure that many more artists can experience and interpret this beautiful place, which is so amazingly close to the city of Melbourne.

Thanks for your commitment to regenerating this project

What an exciting and worthwhile project. I am excited to see this program up and running again. I would love to participate as an artist someday too!

Great initiative, Eugene. Really worthwhile x

Can't wait to see this happen. Congrats on all your hard work Eugene.

I can't wait to see this very important and special residency project come to life. What an incredible environment to nurture creativity. It's intrinsic for an artist's practice to receive support this way. A brilliant vision that will not only be important for the artists but for this beautiful community also.

Wonderful vision Eugene! v.happy to support this... laughing waters, a new arts precinct deserving of a place in the south east arts map

Fabulous project for this community

Our local identity must be nurtured & encouraged.
We desperatley need these lighthouses of hope and centres of cultural voice, identity and artistic expression.
This is essential!

Would love to see this come back to life!

These Artists were part of the same Melbourne energetic that rebirthed the Australian Film Industry. Their lineage is crucial to the continuing support of the Australian voice in all its Art forms.
Congratulations to ALL involved, and Thankyou.
Julie Nihill

Laughing Waters residencies are important cultural heritage to Victoria and the Eltham area. Locating artists from regional and international contexts in this site can forge important local partnerships and relationships. I have benefited as an artist having enjoyed residency at Birrarung House and later with group of my students to host a number of socially engaged international artists across the two sites through a partnership with NIllumbik Shire Council. We enjoyed the local hospitality from Wurrunjeri Council and had the opportunity to engage with other area artists through a Pecha Kutcha event.

I would absolutely love to see this program up and running again and I would love to participate as an artist one day too, I hope we can spread the word in our communities, both around Nillumbik and in the arts sector broadly!

How exciting to see the Gordon Ford garden restored too and care for these fantastic and beautiful buildings.

Dan