Hands On Studio turns 30 as artist hopes Gillard portrait hangs in parliament

Hands On Studio celebrates 30 years as artist hopes Julia Gillard portrait will hang in parliament Hands On Studio artist Stephen Corsini has big aspirations for his portrait of former prime minister Julia Gillard. He would like it to be exhibited in Parliament House. If displayed there, it would not be the first artwork by a Hands On Studio artist to hang on the walls of the iconic Canberra building. "[To] have this on Parliament House [would be] better than the other one 'cause it's coloured," Mr Corsini said. The community arts organisation is celebrating its 30th anniversary this weekend, and Mr Corsini has been with it since the beginning. Mr Corsini said he decided to paint a portrait of Ms Gillard because she had made history by becoming the first female prime minister of Australia. The painting depicts Ms Gillard in her office in parliament. "That's the Australian flag there … and that's the Aboriginal flag behind her,"Mr Corsini explained. He said he had deliberately built up the painting layer by layer to make it "stand out". "I love colour," he said. "We've made lots of things in the past 30 years." 'A flourishing studio' Hands On Studio has been offering a supported space for people of all abilities to create art since 1996. Manager and creative director Tilly Davey said it was established by a group of parents for their children who were about to finish school. "The parents worked together and decided to start an arts program, which started in a shed in Curtin and since then has grown into a flourishing studio," she said. The centre is now operated by Marymead CatholicCare in the M16 Artspace in the Canberra suburbs of Griffith and O'Connor, with 25 art teachers guiding 125 artists each week in painting, textiles, ceramics, stop-motion animation and sculpture. "We make the rules, they break them and create their own,"Ms Davey said. She has been there for 11 years and said it's the best job she's ever had. "It's kind of like being in a creative vortex. It's just an amazing space," she said. 'Once they start, they don't leave' Many artists have been attending the studio's classes and workshops for decades, with classes ranging from gardening and cooking to creative arts. Many artists have been coming back for 15 or 20 years, Ms Davey said, and some, like Mr Orsini, have been attending classes since they began 30 years ago. "A lot of our artists, once they start, they don't leave." The popularity of some classes has led to lengthy waiting lists. "Quite often I have to tell people, once you're on our waiting list, you may be waiting for 20 years or so, if it's a particular class you want to come to," Ms Davey said. She attributes the space's popularity to its special ability to give the artists a sense of freedom and ability to express themselves. "The space is a really important space, not just for the art, but for our artists to feel free and to have a sense of freedom and to be able to be who they are,"she said. Earlier this year, Hands On Studio curated a special exhibit at Canberra Contemporary and is gearing up for shows at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery and Canberra Art Biennial later this year. Studio turns to fundraising amid funding challenges Hands On Studio relies on the funding its participants receive through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which helps cover the costs of staff and materials. "All of our artists have NDIS packages. So it is crucial that the artists remain on their NDIS packages to continue to come to programs like this and to support them," Ms Davey said. Ms Davey said there were challenges in keeping the program funded and the organisation was turning to fundraising. "We are working really hard behind the scenes to ensure that our program survives,"she said. This weekend the studio is hosting a celebration and fundraiser to mark 30 years of operations, with artworks and other items for sale. "I suppose this is our dip into fundraising to see how that goes and also to see what we can do with fundraising and how we can continue to operate," Ms Davey said. She said there would be a "riot" if the studio were to ever close. "I can manage an art studio, but I don't know if I can control a riot," she said.