Main stage Illawarra Folk Music Festival 2020. Umbre la (Makasi) in collaboration with XYZ Dimensions and One Smart Cookie
Tactical Creative Placemaking, Event Production & Public Art
Tactical Creative Placemaking, Event Production and Public Art are the key drivers behind Umbre la Creative Curation. For over 8 years ephemeral art has been the signature of Virginia Settre’s creative outpourings and has led to a wealth of experience in project coordination, event production and Public Art.
Expanding upon experience in film and theatre production (Star Wars, Moulin Rouge, Opera Australia), Virginia Settre has easily stepped into the public art realm as a creative producer and project coordinator. Utilizing textiles to create intriguing spaces for her audience to interact with, Virginia’s public artwork is ephemeral and expansive. These large-scale installations are considered Tactical Creative Placemaking, and most certainly Virginia does tackle artmaking from a place/space-making perspective. Opportunities to transform disused civic spaces into activated festive sites have evolved through the Makasi Project where Virginia Settre and Amanda Buckland (Senior Cultural Strategy Advisor) provided skills-based training for diverse creatives to design, produce and install culturally specific decorations for civic events and celebrations.
Virginia is very adept with the logistic and technical side of tactical public art installation and has been contracted by councils and festivals in the role of Creative Producer, Curator and Project Coordinator. Virginia has lead team of artists, technicians, and volunteers to install intriguing, activating and welcoming public art.
Curatorial Consultation
Consultation for Organisations: Exhibition development, event coordination, public programming, and content development
Umbre la offers curatorial consultation services to local government departments and to organisations wanting to produce cultural events, exhibitions and public art/ placemaking. With a focus on regional narratives Virginia Settre has delivered major exhibitions in regional galleries, she has evolved independent galleries and has staged arts events that activate public spaces. Virginia’s signature mark is a focus on attracting diverse audience by creating accessible and welcoming public arts events.
Consultation for Artists: Consultation and content development. Umbre la offers consultation services for independent artists and arts networks to establish conceptual pathways towards exhibitions and events. By meeting face to face with arts practitioners, Virginia will advise on event theming, cohesive selection of artwork for exhibition, and development of content for promotional material. Being a wordsmith, Virginia can develop content such as social media posts, catalogues Artist bios, statements, and presentations. In addition to this, Virginia will advise on the selection and preparation of imagery in readiness for promotional use.
Public Program Development
Public Program Development for Art Events
Along with any great exhibition or arts event comes the programming, the draw card that keeps your audience walking through the door. Umbre la Creative Curation can provide a hands-on public program development service to produce robust, inspiring, and engaging events. Artist talks can be very inspiring when a cohesive curatorial thread has been established. Creative workshops and demonstrations can also be exciting and informative. Virginia Settre approaches the development of event programming hands-on, meeting with artists and creatives to draw out points of interest and ways for the audience to engage with the artwork. Advice on creating content for event booking sites and setting up a bookings profile can also be a part of the programming package; as well as advise on venue production and contact with audio visual professionals.
Creative Cultural Development and Teaching
Virginia Settre first began teaching as a Creative Cultural Development worker in Wollongong in 2008. Working with Wollongong Council and Strategic Community Assistance for Refugee Families (SCARF), through the funding of an IMB Community Partnerships Grant, Virginia facilitated workshops with newly arrived former refugee women, where micro-business development skills were taught. Virginia applied years of experience in pattern cutting and fashion/costume design to lead the group in producing bespoke fashion labels and teaching the women how to run a small business selling their clothing in Australia. This work evolved into teaching art to newly arrived former refugee youth groups at the Multicultural Community Council Illawarra.
In 2014 Virginia and Amanda Buckland received a grant to fund the Makasi Art Installation project that facilitated the teaching of skills-based creative production skills. The Australia Council for the Arts- Creative Partnership Grant paved the way for the Makasi Art Installation project to operate for eight years in this capacity. Makasi AI was the former incarnation of Umbre la.
Simultaneously Virginia has taught visual art to children and teenagers of all ages through CALD programs, as well as Eyecatcher Arts in Northern Illawarra. She has also been teaching drawing skills with Shellharbour Council.
Between 2016-2020 Virginia worked with Eaton Gorge Theatre Company as an Audience and Business Development Officer. EGTC is an Edutainment provider and Virginia liaised with primary schools and councils to develop educational campaigns for the delivery of ‘green’ messaging through performance. This work cemented Virginia’s knowhow in connecting performative communications with curriculum outcomes.
In 2022, Virginia has joined the Learning team at Bundanon Trust where she teaches a range of visual art skills to resident high school groups. In this role Virginia encourages experimentation and risk taking in artmaking and facilitates learning in ink drawing, painting, and art photography, all revolving around the physical, natural environment.