The Gathering Place was a community arts and cultural development project led by Think+DO Tank Foundation to respond to the call from local Aboriginal women in Ashcroft, Liverpool NSW for a place for the Aboriginal community to share their culture, and to feed their community and people in the broader community.  The Gathering Place was developed from 2015 - 2017, and was launched in 2018 at Ashcroft Public School where it is permanently hosted.

The project was been funded with the support of the Australia Council for the Arts; Liverpool City Council; and NSW Community Building Partnerships and through the support of Think+DO Tank Foundation, Liverpool Women’s Resource Centre and Ashcroft Public School.

Designs and construction by Joey Ruigrok van der Werven with David Hawkes, and the Strong & Supportive Aboriginal Women’s Group; project management by Jane Stratton, CEO, Think+DO Tank Foundation with the support of Rosheen Saunders and Nikki Tighe, Liverpool Women’s Resource Centre.

THE MOTION ROOM

The Motion Room was a long term project in the Green Valley/ 2168 Postcode Area, Liverpool NSW from 2015 - 2017. It proved our methodology and provided guidance for the work of Think+DO Tank Foundation globally.

We used the arts to experiment, alongside local residents and services, with what could be possible if things were otherwise in Green Valley. We inquired into the root causes of the challenges local people experience, and see if we can find a workable solution by thinking like artists – outside the box.

We identified some of 2168’s most pressing concerns, including food production, local transport, personal safety, digital connectivity, and the quality of public space. These issues have a real impact on the daily life, well-being, health and personal freedoms of the people in the 2168 community.

The Motion Room joined with local people to think and do something together, to find positive new ways to engage and link people and resources to meet these needs.

Watch what we got up to here: