Resounding: A Singing Thing
About Project
Resounding: A Singing Thing was a creative recovery project developed with communities affected by the Bunyip Complex bushfires. Through participatory songwriting, singing, performance, and sound recording, community members came together to reflect, connect, and create moments of joy during the recovery process.
The project resulted in a community-owned, co-written song performed by the community choir at its conclusion, at a community concert, and at subsequent bushfire anniversaries and significant gatherings. A CD of multiple tracks with an ambient sound design was also produced using field recordings from the A Singing Thing workshops across the community.
Impact
The project provided a creative space for bushfire-affected residents to reconnect and process shared experiences. Working collectively towards a shared song transformed individual stories into a collective voice and created an enduring cultural artefact for the community.
Testimonials
“Amazing experience. As a volunteer from outside this area, I've observed as well as experienced a gradual transformation. This workshop further assisted the community to move strongly into the future.”
“The result, a song for this community, has had a profound effect on those who have heard the song sung or read the words. So powerful!”
“We started as a group of individuals and through Stephen's and Gulsen’s guidance and encouragement, we became one voice, singing in 4-part harmonies, beyond anything I thought possible.”
Photography: Sue Jarvis; additional images courtesy of Cardinia Shire Council
Location: Bunyip Complex bushfire-affected communities, including Tonimbuk and surrounding townships, Cardinia Shire
Date: 2020–2022
Artists: Lead Artist & Facilitator — Gülşen Özer; Songwriter & Facilitator — Stephen Tabener; Recording Artist & Sound Designer — Roderick Price; CD Design — Helen Timbury
Collaborators: Community participants; local school students, Community Recovery Committee, Tonimbuk Hall committee, Maryknoll Fire Choir, musicians, and creative contributors
Organisations / Partners: Creative Recovery Network; Cardinia Shire Council; Lifeline Australia
Supported by: Creative Recovery Network; Cardinia Shire Council; Lifeline Australia
