Under the umbrella of the BMRG a number of projects are coming to fruition involving staff, students and local community.

Multiple media exhibition of the work of 2 local artists produced jointly with the Bundaberg Art Gallery. The exhibition involved a display of artworks over a 50 year period and the digitisation of 50 years of 8mm film the artists had taken of their work, family and community. Karl Neuenfeldt, Seth Keen, and Jonathan Pagliano are the main staff involved in this project. The edited footage was also screened by Seth Keen as a special feature for the Hazzard’s 60th wedding anniversary in August.

Special quests to the Bundaberg Campus on 27th August, both internationally recognized in their respective fields. Geert Lovink: Media theorist, net critic and activist, author of “Dark Fiber” and “Uncanny Networks”. Currently a postdoctoral fellow at University Queensland. Linda Wallace: Media artist and curator who has exhibited globally. Linda will be screening some of her video work. linda@machinehunger.com.au . This was supported by the School of Contemporary Communication, unfortunately an ISL slot was not available and so the presentation was restricted to Bundaberg.

A series of 3x25 minute oral history programs for the ABC Radio National Verbatim series, and a series of 6x4 minute segments for local ABC radio. This project concerns the community of South Sea Islanders in the local Bundaberg and Hervey Bay area who were originally brought to the area to serve the cane industry. This project includes many community stories which have rarely been told, and has involved a lengthy consultation process with the local South Sea Islander community (and its organisation – the Bundaberg South Sea Islander Action Group), the ABC at the local level and via the Regional Development Fund. The need for developing skills locally is also recognised, and training with a professional radio journalist has been structured into the project.

The funding from the ABC Regional Development Fund is $8050, and there is considerable additional ‘in kind’ support from the ABC in terms of the use of equipment etc. The contracts have been signed, and the project is just now going into production.

BMRG members involved in this project are Phillip Roe, Helen Ester, Karl Neuenfeldt, Seth Keen, Deirdre Fagan-Pagliano, Lionel Evans, Angela Schlotzer and Jonathan Pagliano.

The reading group has continued with selected readings from within new media field.

A project initiated by Helen Ester, through contacts at UQ. Converged news room facilities are being planned for the new Bundaberg Research building due for completion in 2004. This initiative has commercial potential in conjunction with local news organisations (ie. ABC, New Mail).

This project combines audio and visual images of the sugar industry in the Bundaberg region. Participants are Karl Neuenfeldt, Jonathan Pagliano and Grayson Cooke. The National Library of Australia provided equipment and technical support for the audio recordings.

During the 2003 ‘crush’ season, extensive audio recordings were done at two mill sites (Bingera and Millaquin Mills) and at other production locations. Soundscapes of harvesting, processing, rail and truck transport and storage were digitally recorded in various modes [Stereo and Mid-Side]. These sounds can now be sonically manipulated for archival purposes or in combination with images and music. The National Museum of Australia has submitted an internal application to use some of the sounds in a 5 minute sound composition to accompany a static exhibition called Refined White, originating from the Australian Sugar Industry Museum (Innisfail).

As well as taking black and white documentary photographs and portraits during the project, Grayson Cooke also took a number of more 'impressionist' photographs of the mills and surrounding milieu (wide-angle, long-exposure, saturated colours and movement). Grayson is currently seeking funding to mount a photographic exhibition (20 photos, covering Bingera Sugar Mill, Millaquin Sugar Mill, and some cane fires). Professor Alex Grady, HOC at Bundaberg campus, is keen to support the exhibition through the use of the foyer exhibition space at Bundaberg Campus (for the initial exhibition which will hopefully then travel elsewhere), and in helping raising money for the project. Bundaberg Sugar has also expressed an interest in being involved in the exhibition in some fashion.

Grayson and Karl have also discussed an audiovisual presentation, possibly in a gallery setting, and will discuss this possibility with the Bundaberg Art Gallery.

Projects that are continued from 2003 and projects that are being actively pursued for 2004/5:

Bundaberg Sugar Photography/Sound Project: ongoing, due for completion in 2004.

Converged News Room: ongoing, will come to fruition with completion of the Bundaberg Research facility in 2004.

South Sea Islander – ABC Project: ongoing, due for completion in mid-2004.

South Sea Islanders Roots Search – feasibility study. This feasibility proposal is an extension of the South Sea Islander project already underway. The particular avenue of this project is to explore the links South Sea Islanders living in the Wide Bay/Burnett area have with their original homelands. The feasibility and Research study is budgeted at $1600. There is a potential connection with SBS for this project.

Boom Baby Boom exhibition. This exhibition is being organised by the Bundaberg Arts Centre, and its mission is stated as: To present a quality contemporary exhibition of visual art with strong educational content based on the impact and influence of the Baby Boomer generation and to highlight the importance and vitality of art and culture in the Bundaberg region. The exhibition will also feature a tour through venues throughout Queensland and 2 venues in Western Australia.

The BMRG is involved in this through the work of some of its members, in particular Dr Karl Neuenfeldt as researcher (in-kind to value of $6000) and music producer, and Seth Keen with a new media art project (as a commissioned work - $1200 funding). Sugartown is a 8mm film diary of family, community and art in Bundaberg. This project received arts funding and is a collaboration between academics, postgraduate students, the Bundaberg Arts Centre and Screensound Australia. This project was exhibited locally and was presented on the local ABC radio website. This project is currently being developed for submission to the Australia Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). This work by Seth Keen is an extension to the Hazzard’s Project.