Community
arts practice

Colleen Hughson is a filmmaker and community storyteller who shares her passion through mentoring others and creating collaborative projects that connect art, environment and people. Her experience includes completing two Artists in Schools projects (funded by Arts Victoria), three years coordinating the Bayside City Council Youth Documentary Project in Melbourne, and working as an ABC Open Producer in South West Victoria — where she engaged her community in digital storytelling and led a range of creative multimedia initiatives. A natural collaborator, Colleen has worked on diverse partnerships such as Oceanarium (2016), an arts–science project with marine biologists from Deakin University, and Four – The Virtual Arboretum, Portland (2015), a multi-artist experimental installation. Her video art works — including Flora, Landscapes and Locals, Industrial Playground and In Deep Water — reflect her keen interest in exploring place, ecology and community through film. Through her production company First Ladies, Colleen continues to offer mentoring and training, and welcomes opportunities to work with other filmmakers and artists to create inspiring new works.

Video Workshops

2024

MPower Ageism video project. The Conversational Circles with Older Women project was developed through consultation and co-led practice, with three in-person discussion circles held in Warrnambool involving women aged 45–90 exploring their experiences of age and ageing.created through consulation and co-led by community.  Three video interviews were created as a result. 

Janet

Shirley

Jill

2023

Filmmaking mentoring with Matilda and young people from Brophy Family and Youth Services and community film screening L2P Co-Designed Video

Filmmaking mentoring with young people in the Stoked Surf Therapy group and co-created a film about the Stoked Surf Camp.

2022

Smartphone filmmaking course and community film screening as part of the Craig Family Centre’s Ashburton Digital Storytelling Project.

First Ladies mentored young people in the Transition to Work program in the art of filmmaking to create profile videos. With support, the Transition to Work participants planned, filmed and edited this video. The content is both youth-informed and led.

2021

Smartphone filmmaking courses (delivered via online webinars):

2016-2020

  • Digital indigenous storytelling mentorship, a project made possible thanks to the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas – a national philanthropic fund based in Sydney. 
  • Online webinars smartphone filmmaking course delivered as part of Moyne Shire youth engagement project.
  • For the Warrnambool City Council and Moyne Shire Youth Awards and Showcase (2020), I developed instructional sheets and online tutorials to teach young people how to capture their own footage for this online event.
  • Online tutorials and mentorship for women to capture their own stories for the ‘Celebrating Women on Farms’ celebrations (through the Our Catchments, Our Communities program funded through the Victorian Government & the Glenelg Hopkins CMA)

Oceanarium

Creative Artist and coordinator of the Oceanarium Open Video Sphere Space travelling exhibition at COPAC (Funded by Festivals Australia)

Creative Artist and coordinator of the Oceanarium Open Video Sphere Space at Fun4Kids Festival. Video Editing workshops presenter for Oceanarium, Fun4Kids Festival (Funded by Festivals Australia & Warrnambool City Council) 2016

2011-2015

  • ‘Inside The Foyer’co-designed and co-created film project by young people. The Foyer is run by Brophy and Family Youth Services.
  • Facilitator of the Movie Makers space at Fun4Kids Festival (Funded by Sinclair and Wilson & Warrnambool City Council) 2015
  • Filmmaking Workshop Facilitator for TRACTA at Timboon P-12 School (Funded by FRRR and ABC Heywire Grant) 2015
  • Crime Prevention Audio Stories created at WAVE School with students (Audio Interviews). Broadcast at the listening lounge at WAVE School Crime Prevention Expo. Supported through the Crime Prevention Initiative (Funded by Community Safety Fund) 2015
  • St.Brigid’s Oral History Project. Funded by the Victorian Government and Public Record Office Victoria (2014)
  • Flora video artwork. Virtual Arboretum Project Grant Recipient (Funded by RAV and CEMA Inc)
  • Inaugural Silver Ball Film Festival  2014 Warrnambool CBD installation and projection (My role was Documentary Filmmaking workshops presenter and projection support)
  • Digital Stories For Kids Project for Port Fairy Ex-Libris Festival. Funded by the Victorian Government and Public Record Office Victoria (2013)
  • Glenelg Hopkins CMA in partnership with Gunditj Mirring Staff Training (documentary film-making) 2013

Landscapes and Locals

Landscapes and Locals community collaborative film project, Peterborough, Moyne Pitch Project Grant Recipient (Funded by Moyne Shire) Read about it. Landscapes and Locals Screening Jan 22nd- Jan 30th, 2015 Window Installation and community screening, Peterborough

Landscapes and Locals community collaborative film project, Peterborough, Moyne Pitch Project Grant Recipient (Funded by Moyne Shire)

Artists in School

Artists in School ‘Mortlake Shines’ Documentary Project at St. Colman’s School, Mortlake (Funded by Arts Victoria) 2013

Mortlake Shines Community Screening August 1st. Soldiers Memorial Hall, Mortlake (2013)

Between 2010-2013, Colleen worked as an ABC Open Producer in South West Victoria. In her role, Colleen coordinated many digital media projects and delivered countless workshops in her local community. She has worked with primary schools, secondary schools, TAFE, community groups, senior citizens, people with disabilities and the indigenous community. She adapts her workshops to suit the ability levels and experience of workshop participants. The stories produced by her community as part of ABC Open projects have been distributed far and wide on all ABC platforms: web, radio and TV. Colleen has run workshops in film production, sound production, photography, writing/blogging, social media, digital story telling and creating media using new technology (such as smart phones and iPads).

ABC Open Projects – Exhibitions and Screenings: 

2006-2010

Before moving to Warrnambool in 2008, Colleen worked in Melbourne in the Bayside area as a Secondary School Teacher and as a project coordinator of the Bayside Film Festival Youth Documentary Program. In this position, she developed, coordinated and facilitated a series of documentary filmmaking and digital storytelling workshops to schools and community youth groups. The outcome of the project was public screenings of the films at the Palace Cinema, Brighton in 2006 and 2007 and circulated DVDs of the films.

  • Port Fairy Ex-Libris Writers Festival Documentary Film Workshops (Funded by the Port Fairy Film Society) 2010
  • Digital Storytelling Course Teacher at South West Victorian SEAL Inc. (2008)
  • Bayside Jump Cut Film Competition Coordinator (2007-2008)
  • Youth Documentary Project Coordinator (2006 & 2007) and filmmaking & Digital Stories workshops facilitator (2005, 06, 07) for the Bayside Youth Documentary Film Festival Youth Documentary Project
  • Artists in School Digital Storytelling Project at Berendale School (Funded by Arts Victoria) (2007)
  • Digital Storytelling Workshops Technical Assistant (Volunteer position) at ACMI for the Monash Disability Group Civic Participation Digital Storytelling Project. (2006)

2000-2005

  • Video Workshop Presenter for Young Mothers Group, ExperimentaLAB Project, Warrnambool.(2004)

  • Travelling Filmmaking Workshop Facilitator and festival information session co-coordinator for 15/15 Film Festival (destinations include Albury Wodonga, Wagga Wagga, Sydney, Alice Springs, Broome, Adelaide and Hobart) (2004)

  • Facilitated Video Workshops at AMES Multicultural Women’s Camp (2002)