People, Pets & Art

A model of creative and cultural enterprise that initiates, establishes, and maintains a community of practice in regional areas through hands-on visual art workshops.

About the project

The Pet Project was established in Hobart, Tasmania in 2020 in response to Covid-19.

The pandemic has had a significant negative impact on individual well-being, social cohesion and community participation in the arts. The creative sector has also been delivered a severe economic blow and faces a long road to recovery.

In particular, remote or regional communities are now met with uncertainty and increased mental health issues. Artists, especially those working in regional Tasmania, have faced compromised travel, exhibition, sales, and employment opportunities.

The Pet Project addresses both a demand for public engagement with art practices to support well being, and a need to provide direct employment, mentorship, resources and ongoing support for artists in regional areas.

We have developed a model of creative and cultural enterprise that initiates, establishes, and maintains a community of practice across regional Tasmania through hands-on visual art workshops. We bring disconnected, isolated, and disparate members of the community together using art-based methods and pet companionship as universal and binding themes.

The Pet Project builds sustainability mechanisms into different communities through:

social and cultural imperatives
training, learning and skill development opportunities for the general community, and emerging and established artists;
creative safe spaces where diversity, lived experience and knowledge is celebrated
the integration of a diverse network of industry partners and stakeholders.

In the wake of traumatic scenarios such as the pandemic, promoting creativity and culture as a sustaining strategy that cares for relationships within communities fosters resilience, inclusivity, equity, and overall health and sense of being—all of which are necessary components in moving toward increased sustainable futures.

What participants think

We have conducted workshops across regional Tasmania. This is what participants think:

95% have stated they enjoyed the workshops; 81% of participants have never done a similar workshop; 96% would do it again; and 88% strongly agree they feel inspired throughout the day of painting
89% of participants have rated the outcomes of the workshop as excellent as has 87% in relation to the hands-on activities; and 96% have declared they would do it again even if offered in a different medium
96% of participants have agreed that the workshops help them feel more connected to their community and 94% feel comfortable during the semi-structured interviews we conduct (the interview aims to allow participants a chance to reflect on the relationship with their pet which adds layers of meaning that further influences the creative process)
88% of participants say that the best outcome from the workshop is a finished painting