PROJECTS : UNEMPLOYED PEOPLES EMBASSY
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The Embassy operates self help group projects as part of its mission to promotes jobless self determination. The projects are run through the Embassy organisation, which is non profit and runs under its own written constitution. To have a say in the operation of the projects, participants need to join the organisation. Even full time students and low paid part time workers can join at some level. People with disabilities have also long been members. There are some conditions of eligibility to be on the management committee however.
See "membership" site on webpage for more details on membership and
support.
The following projects are in different levels of development. See "embassy
report"
site for more current details of operationalisation of various projects. Where
indic-
ated with each project - there may be a dedicated site named on the front page
of
the website - when the project is operating, or soon to be operating.
# ALTERNATIVE ARTS FESTIVAL - see its own site if avail
This annual series of events started with the annual Poetry
Picnic from 1990. In 1998 we received Arts Event Seed Funding
from Leichhardt Council - when we added a second venue (in a Town Hall building)
called Club Hippi, which in-
cluded comedy auditions. big screen original video live music and
theatre. we hope to add photo and art exhibitions and multimedia
installations to the mix.
# ODD JOB CENTRE - see its own site if available on front
The office based project started operating in 1978 in the
Embassy building at 41 Phillip St Sydney (see more History details on
"mission statement" site). It initially concentrated on
getting casual work for its members - but other activ-
ities already operating soon melded in with it - such as music workshop, film
and video production and policy and creative publications ( see Dole News,
Living on the Cheap and Timestream magazine sites on front page as examples
of the latter and next project Learning Co-op, for the former).
# LEARNING CO-OP - see its own site if available on front
This is the longest running category of group projects of
all - starting with film and video workshops in the early 1970's. A history of
this is available by sending a stamped SAE to our postal address (see front page
for address).
MUSIC : involves developing group performance for venues such as cafes
and composition of original songs by members that are performed and recorded in
various media for later play.
VIDEO(FILM): production with some occasional editing access and
screenings at Alternative Arts Festival (see above) and sometimes at
cafes etc. Some prod-
uctions - such as Poetry Picnics (see Alternative Arts Festival above)
have been sold to local Libraries for use in local studies in High
Schools.
THEATRE: original short plays cast and rehearsed for occasional cafe
venues, theatre festivals and Club Hippi (see Alternative Arts Festival
above) under our Workshop In Theatre Actor Resources (WITAR) scheme -
where video is made and/or involved in the rehearsal or production process.
# ARTS FARM - see its own site if available on front page
The full project was piloted on a NSW Government mini farm in western Sydney in 1982 and we have operated our Green Oasis Organic Vege Garden more recently in Sydenham on Marrickville Council land to help train members in organic farming practices. We are now looking for land outside Sydney to operate the full Arts Farm - with accomodation and additional Art Camp attatched. Meanwhile the Art Camp - involving temporary tent accomodation and lessons and practicing of arts (such as painting, music and video) is being developed