Town of Port Hedland Reflects on Arts Leadership Community Engagement and Pride Participation Across Kariyarra Country

Company: Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA

People pose in front of a turquoise wall, some holding items including a poster that reads "MISSY HIGGINS".

Programming example

36 months, two houses, and one baby leave later, my time at the Town of Port Hedland has come to an end, but I’m nowhere near done working on the beautifully raw and rugged Kariyarra Country.When I first stepped into the role of Senior Arts and Culture Officer, I quickly got to work revitalising programming at the Matt Dann Theatre, which at the time had no live performances locked into the season ahead. Highlights included welcoming YUCK Circus and Lucy Peach for International Women’s Day, alongside Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA Company’s Barracking for the Umpire and The Sunshine Club. We also established ongoing annual partnerships with PHLAGS and Sugar Blue Burlesque. One of the greatest joys of programming in Hedland has been delivering works that genuinely reflect this unique demographic, where cultural and generational diversity is celebrated.That work through the small but mighty Matt Dann Theatre helped support CircuitWest in securing Creative Australia’s Playing Australia Multi-Year Funding, delivering an ambitious three-year audience development strategy focused on growing First Nations performing arts audiences across regional Western Australia, work that is now well underway!Returning from maternity leave, I was proud to deliver the adoption of the Town’s Arts Collection Policy, strengthen local arts and cultural relationships, walk side by side with our team in the organisation’s first participation in the Pilbara Pride March, support The Junction Co in delivering Courthouse Gallery operations, and assist Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of WA (AACHWA) in bringing the Our Business Conference to Hedland in 2025.This year looked a little different in the role of Coordinator of Arts and Culture, with meaningful community engagement work across the local elections, engagement with Strelley and Yandeyarra communities, and supporting the delivery of the Aboriginal Pilbara Strike 80th Anniversary commemorations earlier this month.While the projects and collaborations have been memorable, what I’m most grateful for are the deep friendships formed across the organisation and community. Those relationships are a big part of why I continue choosing to raise my daughter in the outback. I honestly don’t think I would have survived the postnatal period without the daily laughs at JD.For now, it’s a week of uni assignment cramming as Semester 1 comes to an end, followed by preparing for the next chapter of returning to full-time employment!

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