Introducing Flocked

F L O C K E D

Collecting BIRD STORIES from SA

A project by South Australian artist Sera Waters: for Inside SAM’s place, a residency at the SA Museum from January – August 2011, instigated, facilitated and supported by Craftsouth

The aim of this participatory project is to collect stories, histories and narratives about birds; to explore the cultural associations we attribute to the feathered beings that live alongside us. The SA Museum has an important and staggering collection of bird specimen and data, just as collectively, we the visiting public, have similarly amazing bird knowledge. This project will join these limitless understandings of local birdlife together; adding your collected and collated bird stories and an exhibition of material makings, to the bird displays in SA Museum’s Biodiversity level (from July 1 – August 7, 2011), as well as online - http://flockedsa.blogspot.com.

Your submitted stories, whether they are first-hand encounters, urban myth, strange happenings, old wives tales, fictional imaginings, birds from a favourite book, or a family legend, can contribute to this exploration of birdlife. Each story submitted will be published online and may also be incorporated into the final exhibition of Flocked (in the form of wall text, or a small book). Aspects of the stories may also inspire and be remade into my practice of embroidered and stitched art. Through this collaborative approach to making (between the Museum, research, your experiences collectively and my artworks) I wish to recognise our local colourful birdlife as it swoops and warbles its way through our everyday lives.

I invite people of all backgrounds, age groups and geographical locations to submit bird-related stories. You can submit your story at the SA museum in the nest box, on the blog as a comment, or alternatively you can email to me and I will add it to the blog as a post.

Any further communication can be directed to: sera@serawaters.com.au

Thank you

Sera Waters