Grindell’s Hut 2023 Resident Announced

For the first time in its 16-year history, a sound artist has been named as the Grindell’s Hut Resident for 2023. Based in the Geelong region, Stephen Oakes will head to the Vulkathunha – Gammon Ranges National Park in the Northern Flinders Ranges in search of new sounds away from the noisy day-to-day of suburban life.

Oakes’ multidisciplinary practise, which includes field recording, musical composition and filmmaking, focuses on capturing the environment and raising awareness of water sustainability. His generous history of collaboration includes working with students for the Artist In Schools program (VIC), supporting non-verbal performance art for Ignition (Geelong Arts Centre), and his soundscapes accompanying projections onto the NGV for White Night Melbourne.

Oakes will head this October to Grindell’s Hut located in the heart of the Vulkathunha – Gammon Ranges National Park in the Northern Flinders Ranges for the three-week residency.

Established more than 16 years 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. 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.

This year, the selection process was opened to artists of all disciplines nationwide. Oakes said the desert landscape would be a “dreamworld” for his practice.

“This is really an amazing opportunity- something I’ve been wanting to do since camping in the gammon ranges many years ago.  As an artist working in sound, I’m looking forward to being immersed in an environment that is epic in scale and inspiration. This is a privilege for any creative – dedicated time to explore and reflect. For me it will be in “sounding” the earth with field recordings and building compositions in situ, their flavour imbued by the immediacy of the surrounds. As an ambient musician, a desert landscape is a dreamworld of sonic potential. The palette I can draw upon will be as infinite as the sky above and as deep as the ancient rock underfoot.”

The Grindell’s Hut Artist in Residence program is a partnership between Country Arts SA, and The Department for Environment and Water through the Vulkathunha‐Gammon Ranges National Park Co‐Management Board, and managed by Country Arts SA.