Wow! Now that I’m writing this newsletter, I realise that the title of our upcoming exhibition is very relevant to my own headspace at the moment. Due to the recent lockdown, we've had to shift, refund, reschedule and postpone all our up-coming events, workshops and private bookings. With our market and music events on hold, there is more time to work on the business processes and do the tax, oh joy!

It's also time to open up our next exhibition to the greater arts community, who will hopefully get some time to be creative in the next couple of quiet months.

Hive Mind Shift has been evolving for some time now and will be part of this years Design Canberra Festival Program. This is a huge gig for us in Queanbeyan and we would like to support more artists in gaining greater exposure. If you are interested in nature, patterns, geometry, transformation, mathematics, music or spirituality, this is a great opportunity to exhibit.

There will be no commission on the sale of your works, just an entry fee to participate. Applications to exhibit are open for the next 2 weeks.

There will be an opportunity for musicians, volunteers and market stall holders to come on board next month.

Hive & Seek Markets currently on hold!

Stallholders can still register for up coming markets here.

What is the connection?

The Queanbeyan Hive, Artspirit and Create Collaborate Collective Inc (CCC Inc) explained.

In 2014 Helen and Simon bought the building at 274 Crawford Street with a vision of creating a wonderful space that fosters community engagement. This has been an all-encompassing project with renovating the building and setting up the business The Queanbeyan Hive. It has certainly been a challenging few years.

Trained as a graphic designer, Helen Ferguson has been operating as a sole trader under the name Artspirit since 2000. She still does design work and is happy to take on any new clients and projects. Her role is also booking manager for the The Queanbeyan Hive and she helps promote and publicise activities and events held in the venue space.

In 2016 Helen set up an incorporated Not for Profit group called Create Collaborate Collective Inc. This was with a view to start building the foundations for a community around arts and music. It was also for generating funds through grant applications.

After being shelved for a good few years (whilst the renovation of the Hive building took place) Create Collaborate Collective Inc applied for council funding and won their first grant to support the production of the exhibition Connee-Colleen: Queanbeyan Character in 2020.  This was the first big collaboration with another NFP – the Jerrabomberra Rotary Club, and was a true example of what could be achieved with the backing of volunteers and community engagement.

Since October 2020, Create Collaborate Collective Inc has hosted a series on backyard music events with the Fringe Folk Festivities being the first event to include markets, music and arts. The next event to do this type of collaboration will be Hive Mind Shift in late November (if we are not hindered by COVID19).

The committee welcomes new members and volunteers and needs to grow to be  sustainable. Please join us today!

Create Collaborate Collective Inc mission statement:

SUPER RATS - Now 5 December!

Extended again until June 2022

The NSW Government has extended Dine & Discover NSW to 30 June 2022. This extension gives people across NSW the time to use their vouchers and support local businesses once COVID-19 restrictions ease.