THE PROJECT

Geelong has always been a city of makers. The much-loved Australian ute, refrigeration techniques and, according to many, Aussie Rules as we know it, were all made here. Since it was first surveyed in 1838, the hum of mills and factories has provided Geelong with an enduring soundscape that is being hushed by the decline of heavy industry. But among the rust bucket heritage of the region’s forgotten paper and woollen mills a grassroots groundswell is reconnecting with Geelong’s maker past through contemporary creative industries.

The project is being led by Dr Fiona Gray who is both a researcher at Deakin University and a board member of Creative Geelong. In collaboration with Dr Cristina Garduño Freeman, also at Deakin University and Jen Cromarty, founder of Creative Geelong they will document the inspiration, stories and places of the people driving the reinvented maker culture of Geelong.

The Hubcaps to Creative Hubs project will create a series of high quality, short documentary films focusing on three of Geelong’s former industrial sites that are currently undergoing a creative transformation:

• The Old Paper Mills in Fyansford
• The Federal Woollen Mills in North Geelong, and
• The Returned Soldiers and Sailors Woollen and Worsted Mills in Newtown.

These films will be shot and produced by factual post-producer, director and program developer Nicholas Searle who has recently worked on Australia’s biggest factual formats, including Grand Designs Australia, River Cottage Australia, and reality television series The Recruit.

Hubcaps to Creative Hubs is a living-history research project, painting new layers on the picture of what we are and what we are becoming as a city of innovators, makers and creators.

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If you are a Creative who would like to contribute to the campaign but are strapped for cash, why not donate a piece of work that we can offer as a unique, one-off campaign reward. Your work will be featured on this page and be promoted through our social media channels.

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COMMUNITY GRANTS

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PLATINUM SPONSORS

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GOLD SPONSORS

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SILVER SPONSORS

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BRONZE SPONSORS

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THE MILLS

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FYANSFORD PAPER MILLS

Fyansford Paper Mills a 6 hectare industrial complex on Geelong’s outskirts that is currently undergoing adaptive reuse. TIt was mainly constructed in the 1870s and comprises the original mill, tower, manager's house, workers' cottages, stone water race and impeller. The site has both State architectural and historical significance and is notable for the craftsman-like approach of its regeneration. The buildings are now home to a collection of eclectic creative businesses.

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FEDERAL WOOLLEN MILLS

The Federal Woollen Mills in North Geelong were completed in 1915 for the Commonwealth Department of Defence and were used to turn raw wool into the cloth for army uniforms. The Mill is architecturally significant for the quality of its factory design and its integrity, with much of the original built fabric remaining largely intact. The mill was also socially innovative in giving preference to union workers, providing above award wages and sponsoring welfare programs for workers. The site is currently being redeveloped and converted into warehouse-style office spaces with open arcades and a tree-lined promenade.

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RS&S WOOLLEN MILLS

The Returned Soldiers and Sailors Woollen Mills complex was established in 1922 in order to provide employment to returned servicemen from the Great War as a community enterprise. Located in what has become known as the bohemian end of Pakington Street on the Barwon River in Newtown, these characteristic red brick buildings have been converted into boutique businesses and artist’s studios that offer a range of creative services and an extensive calendar of exhibitions, classes and workshops.

The funds will pay for the production of three 5-minute documentary films. We have support from Deakin University to conduct archival research, write scripts and undertake interviews with the artists and owners of the subject sites, but we need funds to shoot, edit, and produce the films to the highest professional quality.

Cost: 3 x 5 min films @ $5,000 each = $15,000

For every $5000 we receive above our target we can create a short film for a site of your choice. Check out our Diamond 'Commissioning' Sponsorship rewards for more information.

This film series will serve as evidence that this project has strong community support and as a consequence, will encourage corporate and govenment stakeholders to invest further in Geelong's creative industries. It will also provide excellent marketing collatoral for the region that can be used to help promote the region and strengthen its economy.

With the recent closure of Geelong's Ford and Alcoa plants, the dominant narrative of mainstream media has been one of 'doom and gloom' for the region. While the departure of these iconic institutions undoubtedly presents some challenges for the city and its people, an alternative narrative of opportunity and hope is simultaneously unfolding. In the defunct spaces left over from the city’s industrial heyday, an organically developing culture of creativity and innovation is quietly begin to flourish. Little studied and not yet well understood, Geelong’s growing creative scene provides a strong economic stimulus with data indicating that 6.3% of all jobs provided within the City of Greater Geelong are in the digital and creative sector. At a time when Federal Government policy espouses a new focus on innovation, Geelong is well positioned to capitalise on its strong maker identity to develop new employment opportunities.  Our challenge is to tell this compelling story in order to help Geelong realise its full creative potential. This project is a celebration of the city's rich industrial heritage and the people that are driving its regeneration.

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