Rappville Creative

Arts Northern Rivers’ Rappville Creative Recovery Project was delivered over the last weekend of October, presenting 3 days of creative arts events in the community of Rappville. The project will continue into 2022, with final artworks to be installed at the rebuilt Rappville Community Hall. 

Beginning in 2020 as part of the bushfire recovery response, the project has seen two lead artists engage with the community of Rappville to produce artworks and creative responses informed by the history, landscape, plants, people, and stories unique to Rappville.

Lead artists Charlotte Haywood and Lyndall Phelps have produced a range of artworks which were presented from Friday October 29 through to Sunday October 31 at the Rappville Sports Ground and Tennis Courts. Officially opened by Richmond Valley Council Mayor, Robert Mustow, on Friday evening, the weekend of events included a community photography exhibition, installed artworks, giveaways, a weaving workshop with Casino Wake Up Time Women and more. Community members were able to view artworks throughout the whole weekend and meet and greet the artists each day.

Lead-artists  Charlotte Haywood and Lyndall Phelps, two renowned multidisciplinary artists who have a strong track record in delivering innovative and community-based work, have spent a large amount of time in Rappville throughout 2021, working alongside community members in the development of permanent and temporary artworks.

“For me, the most significant outcome of the Rappville Creative Recovery project has been their willingness to share experiences, as part of the healing process. The neutrality of a creative professional in this process is important, we do not judge, we do not have an agenda.” – Lead Artist, Lyndall Phelps 

Charlotte Haywood presented a Community Cookbook including the signature Rappville Ice Cream which was developed in partnership with the Natural Ice Cream Company. Community giveaways included native plants local to the area matched with native seed and plant guides. In 2022, Charlotte will be installing a permanent sculptural seat inspired by the endemic native Myrtle at the new Rappville Community Hall.

Lyndall Phelps has worked to produce a replica of the WWI Red Cross Tablecloth and has collected over 200 signatures from across Rappville to be a part of the 2021 edition. Lyndall has also developed a large-scale artwork exploring the history of Rappville which will span 45 meters of fence line along the tennis courts. Community giveaways will included the tablecloths and printed copies of the ‘Welcome to Rappville’ poem she developed with local bush poet Steve Cavenagh. Lyndall will further install a series of legacy prints in the rebuilt Community Hall. 

On display over the weekend was the Rappville Photography Exhibition with over 50 images submitted by community members installed over 25 meters of fence line along the tennis courts. Casino Wake Up Time Women  also be held a casual drop-in weaving workshop on Sunday.  

Digital content and tutorials are available online including an ice-cream making video, Rappville recipe video tutorial and short filmed poetry reading by Steve Cavenagh.

To learn more about the project, read about the artists, view artworks and images of the project visit the Rappville Creative website www.rappvillecreative.com.