The Geraldton community are invited to participate in an exciting new digital arts project, taking place throughout April 2014.

The project – part of the larger FIVE Geraldton initiative – will see nationally recognised digital artist Craig Walsh work with the local community to capture a series of filmed portraits, from 12 April to 4 May 2014.

The portraits are a means for Geraldton residents to share individual stories that will, collectively, be woven into a significant digital artwork for, and about, the town. The project is open to everyone in the community and there is no cost to participate.

Craig will set up camera and sound equipment at the Wedge building (part of the WA Museum – Geraldton). In a very informal and friendly setting, people can drop in to share a story, an experience or an idea around the project's broad theme of 'belonging'. Stories can be about work, family, the land, or anything else of interest to residents of Geraldton. They can be longer stories, or a simple sentence or two. You can participate alone, or with a family member or friend. The idea is to share your experience, and be part of an extraordinary project for the town.

Craig will also film other FIVE arts projects taking place at the ACDC Gallery and other locations around town, as well as key landmarks around Geraldton. This footage will be woven into the final digital work.

A public screening on 8 May will bring all portraits to life. Craig is known for his large-scale and engaging projections of his digital works onto rocks, trees and buildings. This will be the case for Geraldton, when the collective digital work – featuring all portraits – will be publically screened.

The Geraldton digital work will, eventually, be part of other FIVE digital projects from across the State, that will collectively tell a story about ways of 'belonging' and of the importance of community in regional Western Australia – including in towns that have a fly-in-fly-out workforce.

FIVE Geraldton is part of a statewide initiative taking place in five regional Western Australian communities: Paraburdoo, Geraldton, Busselton, Derby and Esperance. Named after the number of communities participating, FIVE is a partnership between DADAA and Rio Tinto, and aims to build social connection and community wellbeing.

WA Museum – Geraldton Regional Manager, Leigh O’Brien, said that the Museum was excited to be hosting the digital artwork project.

“We are delighted to be able to provide a venue for part of this unique community arts project,” said Ms O’Brien.

“We are particularly interested in the ways in which the project will document local stories in the context of significant social and historical icons of Geraldton.

“The WA Museum – Geraldton is a place for people to come together to explore and share their sense of identity and we see the FIVE project as contributing to this goal.”

For additional information on the project, visit www.five.org.au, email geraldton@five.org.au or call (08) 9430 6616.