Country Arts SA recognises that we are living and creating on First Nations Lands and we are committed to working together to honour their living cultures.
Country Arts SA is inviting artists from all disciplines to apply for a three-week residency at Grindell’s Hut located in the heart of the Vulkathunha – Gammon Ranges National Park, one of the many stunning parks in the Flinders Ranges & Outback region of South Australia. The park forms part of the traditional country of the Adnyamathanha people and is rich with cultural significance. It is also a haven for many rare and endangered plants and animals.
Established almost two decades ago, the vision for the residency program is to provide an environment of extraordinary natural beauty with historic significance for artists to pursue their practice while immersed in an outback environment.
During their residency period the artist is afforded time to undertake deep creative research and/or create new work responding to and inspired by the Northern Flinders and surrounding communities. The selected recipient is not expected to produce finished artworks and there are no set creative outcomes from the residency.
Last year’s Grindell’s Hut recipient, Stephen Oakes said “the Grindell’s Hut residency was an incredibly rich experience. Every day I was out in the epic landscape, collecting imagery and sounds. By night I would collate and compose. Looking out the window on a late October evening as the ranges changed colours, I felt deep gratitude and the sense that the residency really does give the artist permission to create. In my case, it was the first time I’d created for 3 weeks in a row, each day dedicated to my passion… This is a life changing opportunity for any artist.”
One artist will be selected to take part in the residency program which will run from 6 – 27 October 2024.
Country Arts SA will provide:
Country Arts SA are responsible to coordinating the project and will provide introductory contacts to the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park Ranger and other relevant individuals.
The Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park Ranger has a strong knowledge of the region and will work closely with Country Arts SA staff to support the residency and liaise with the artist while they are in residence.
All the details you provided will be lost
All applicants will be notified of the outcome in early August.
Please note that Country Arts SA staff and Board members and their families/spouse are not eligible to apply.
All applicants must submit an application via the Country Arts SA website that includes:
Creative supporting materials should be accompanied by a captions list.
Our website does not accommodate large file sizes, so you may like to consider providing materials via a filesharing platform like Dropbox or WeTransfer.
Please note, additional support materials outside of those listed above will not be accepted or considered as part of your application.
Country Arts SA welcomes and supports diversity and accessibility. We welcome applications in both written and video format. Please contact our Visual Arts Coordinator Asha Southcombe for further details.
Applications for Grindell’s Hut are assessed against the selection criteria by a panel consisting of 3 – 5 visual arts professionals appointed by Country Arts SA including industry colleagues, artists and a representative from the Vulkathunha‐Gammon Ranges National Park.
Applications are assessed in a competitive environment and applicants must provide the required application materials to be eligible.
The decision of the selection panel is final. Feedback can be provided to unsuccessful applicants upon request.
The winner will be notified by phone and enter a contract with Country Arts SA. Written notification will be sent out to all unsuccessful applicants.
Applications will be assessed based on:
Please direct all enquiries to Asha Southcombe, Visual Arts Coordinator [email protected]
Workshop + community engagement
The artist will be expected to develop a proposal of how they intend to engage with local Aboriginal community members through the delivery of an arts workshop to support skills development in the Nepabunna community, as part of the residency. Nepabunna is 95 kms from Grindell’s Hut.
Artists will have the opportunity to meet with local Aboriginal community members and will be supported to ensure correct protocols are respected and followed and the Aboriginal community feels welcome and able to engage with the project.
Bond
A bond of $400 is withheld by Country Arts SA for the duration of the residency. The artist is responsible for repair costs where damage has been incurred during the residency period.
General maintenance repairs are the responsibility of Parks Management. The final payment of $400 shall be paid upon satisfactory inspection of the Hut following the artist residency.
Group applications
This residency program is intended for one artist. Applicants wanting to jointly apply may be eligible to receive a shared fee of $4,000 (+ GST) but must discuss this with the Visual Arts Coordinator prior to applying. Living and accommodation allowance will not be increased.
Additional guests
Members of the artist’s family or friends are encouraged to stay during this period to help break the isolation. There is a maximum of eight people allowed. Country Arts SA and Parks Management must be advised of any additional guests that will be staying with or accompanying the resident artist before the residency commences (this is for safety reasons).
Video submissions
A video application is a recording of you speaking to the camera directly answering the application questions. Video files should not exceed the length noted in the application materials. Responses will be assessed based on the content of the answer, and not the quality of the video. A video shot on a phone or similar is suitable and you do not need a professional filming set-up, as long as the recording is audible.
Communications
A satellite phone will be provided by Country Arts SA for the duration of your visit.
Grindell’s Hut is located in the heart of the Vulkathunha‐Gammon Ranges National Park on a hillside with spectacular views over the valleys and foothills of the Illinawortina Pound and the Blue Range. The McLachlan Pastoral Company built the hut in the 1950’s as a Boundary Rider’s Hut and Outstation for the Balcanoona Pastoral Lease. The original hut built in the late 1800s by Grindell still stands just behind the newer hut.
A 4WD vehicle is required as the Hut is in a remote location and roads may be closed or have restricted access.
The Hut is located on Wortupa Loop Road, (4WD) 26 km from the Park Headquarters at Balcanoona. The access road is notrecommended for 2WD vehicles due to rocky sections, steep slopes and creek crossings. From Balcanoona, follow the Arkaroola Road for approximately 10km. Turn left at the sign posted intersection and follow the road through to Grindell’s Hut.
Please note: Roads may be closed or have restricted access. For latest updates contact Transport SA 1300 361 033.
The Vulkathunha‐Gammon Ranges, reputable for its mountains, native flora and fauna, and Aboriginal and colonial heritage, is situated at the Northern end of the Flinders Ranges. The Park protects significant Aboriginal and European heritage sites.
The first area of the Vulkathunha‐Gammon Ranges National Park was proclaimed in 1970, covering an initial 15,550 hectares. Following the purchase of the Balcanoona Pastoral Station Lease, the 82,000 hectare property was added to the park in 1982. The park now covers 128,228 hectares of land.
The traditional owners of the Vulkathunha‐Gammon Ranges National Park are the Adnyamathanha people who continue to have strong ties with their country, ancestors, law and culture. Traditional owners co-manage the Park with the South Australian Government through the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park Co-Management Board.
The Adnyamathanha name Vulkathunha was officially assigned to the Park in May 2003 and the word literally means ‘old lady’ and reflects a significant Adnyamathanha story connected with this country. The more recent history of Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges has included mining, smelting and pastoralism.
Illinawortina Pound, adjacent to Grindell’s Hut, is in the Vulkathana-Gammon Ranges and can be accessed via Copley (6km north of Leigh Creek). It is approximately 365 kilometres North of Port Augusta with the last 100km on unsealed roads with many rough creek crossings. A 4WD vehicle is required and the Hut is in a remote location.
Weather conditions range from very hot in the summer, to very cold and frosty during the winter months. Rainfall can be unpredictable; however the region experiences more rain during the summer when thunderstorms come rolling over the Ranges creating a magnificent sound and light show with heavy downpours resulting in flash flooding. In October you can expect the best possible weather averaging between 20 – 30 degrees.
The Hut consists of:
A veranda runs along the front and western side of the Hut providing a perfect vantage point to view the changing colours and the play of light across the Gammon Ranges. The refrigerator, stove and hot water at Grindell’s Hut is run on bottled gas supplied by the Board, while electric lighting is run off a solar‐charged battery panels (12 volts). Instructions for the lighting of the fridge and hot water are provided on the site.
There are no power points, as the batteries do not carry sufficient power to run additional appliances.
Most of the water taps carry bore water but rainwater tanks are provided with a tap into the Laundry for drinking water. Other than toilet paper, items such as ladies sanitary products, baby’s nappies and non-biodegradable products are not to be flushed down the toilet or sinks as the sewerage system uses a septic tank.
Artists are reminded they are staying in a National Park and National Park Regulations apply.
If successful you will be expected to:
“My love of rocks and awe of the earths complex geology intensified whilst walking through the arid and ancient landscapes of the Adnyamathanha people. Somehow something deep shifted within me, and my approach to my practice is changing. My new work will resonate with the experience of quietly holding the rocks and feeling a sense of sanctuary within the shadows.
It has been a powerful immersion that l hope to carry within me forever”
Julie Stoneman (Kingston, TAS), 2024 resident
“It’s probably one of the best things that’s happened to me as an artist. The Grindell’s Hut residency was an incredibly rich experience. Every day I was out in the epic landscape, collecting imagery and sounds. By night I would collate and compose. Looking out the window on a late October evening as the ranges changed colours, I felt deep gratitude and the sense that the residency really does give the artist permission to create. In my case, it was the first time I’d created for 3 weeks in a row, each day dedicated to my passion… This is a life changing opportunity for any artist.”
Stephen Oakes (Geelong, VIC), 2023 resident
“The Grindell’s Hut Residency has been a transformative and restorative experience for me. It has challenged and expanded my thinking and making processes in the studio; and heightened my awareness and appreciation of the natural world.”
Deborah Prior (Adelaide, SA), 2021 resident
“My Grindell’s Hut residency was a profound and amazing experience, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. The residency has been a thoroughly rewarding experience that has extended my practice and provided incredible artistic impetus for upcoming bodies of work that will seek to do justice to the visual and cultural architecture of the Northern Flinders region”.
Gregory Carosi (Regional NSW), 2018 resident
“The Grindell’s Hut residency provided me with an opportunity to challenge my arts practice and expand on my relationship with water – beyond that of oceanic experiences. I also felt fortunate to experience such a wide range of conditions – particularly rain – and to be able to see it take immediate effect on the landscape.”
Edwina Cooper (Adelaide, SA), 2020 resident
Image: Greg Carosi
Country Arts SA recognises that we are living and creating on First Nations Lands and we are committed to working together to honour their living cultures.