Project Alchemy Evaluation Report
McKenzie, V. & Pickup, J. (2024). Project Alchemy Evaluation Report. Rebus Theatre, Canberra.
Project Alchemy was a two-year, community-focused arts recovery project designed to support artists and
regional communities across five Local Government Areas (LGAs) in New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital
Territory (ACT) and Victoria (Vic) that were severely impacted by the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires.
Drawing primarily on qualitative data generated by project participants during this evaluation process, two key
findings have emerged that reflect Project Alchemy’s most defining impacts.
- The centrality of the artist: a model with shared benefits. The way this project has centred the artists,
placing them at the heart of every process, produced a compelling set of benefits that have positively impacted
the lives and careers of artists themselves, and have strengthened their ongoing capacities to impact the lives of the people in their local communities. - Links between sustained paid work for artists and community wellbeing. The project’s focus on employing its participating artists, and paying them for their work over a sustained period has had surprisingly strong impacts on the artists involved, and has proven important to their successfully delivering their community-focused arts projects in their bushfire affected local areas during the project.