Arts
Kellie Sutherland is a Creative Recovery Coordinator, working with Regional Arts Victoria to support bushfire affected shires in Victoria’s North East.In this episode, we discuss what the role of a Creative Recovery Coordinator entails and the capacity for this work to provide continuity between recovery, preparedness and response that is foundational for building community resilience.Kellie is an artist and performer, well known for her role as a founding member and creative co-director of musical group Architecture in Helsinki. More recently she has worked in arts communication and cultural partnerships roles in the North East and Border region of Victoria, forming a strong understanding of community-led activities and engagement practices.In this conversation, Scotia and Kellie discuss:The role of a Creative Recovery Coordinator, the local networks they operate within and their role as advocate for the creative sectorThe importance of flexibility in our understanding of recovery outcomes and how an arts-based approach supports agility and innovative thinkingThe challenges associated with short-term recovery roles and how resources and support for longer term positions and projects can bring myriad benefits for communities in the face of cascading disastersThe Creative Recovery training program recently completed in Beechworth, Victoria with ten representatives of the five shires Kellie is working across and her hopes for what will come from thatExamples of recovery projects supported by Regional Arts Victoria grants and their effectiveness in strengthening community resilience and knowledge-sharingMore info about Regional Arts Victoria and their work can be found herehttp://www.rav.net.au/about/our-vision/