Beginning in late-2015, CAN engaged with the Busselton community to create paintings and oral history recordings that preserve the personal histories and journeys of the participants.

Studio intensives focused on portraiture and still-life painting encouraging participants to interpret and convey personal narratives in the painted form, using family photos as visual points of reference.

Participants also took part in language workshops, story recording sessions and a photo-sharing day with the State Library of Western Australia’s Storylines archive team.

The result was Keyen Koondarm (One Dream), a collection of paintings and other artworks that explore important themes including childhood, parenting, rural life and the legacy left by Elders.

In mid-2016, the Keyen Koondarm exhibition was officially launched at the ArtGeo Cultural Complex in Busselton. A further 1000 people viewed the exhibition during its three-week run at the complex before it was shown at the BORN ON COUNTRY exhibition held at the Midland Junction Arts Centre in Perth.

Beneficial outcomes have continued to flow from this project, with some participants building their arts pathways and exhibiting their work at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery and further Fremantle Arts Centre.