About 3arabi Mapping
This blog is about my vision to map Arab Australian contemporary cultural production since 1990. 3arabi Mapping is a place of ongoing critical reflection and the beginnings of public documentation and archiving.
About Me
ALISSAR CHIDIAC has been working in community and cultural engagement for over 35 years. Since 1991 her special focus has been on Arab Australian cultures, through contemporary cultural production, cultural heritage and performance work.
In the 1980s, Alissar began her performance work with Woman Action Theatre and her community arts work with Pipi Storm. Alissar worked as an artist / facilitator with Death Defying Theatre (1991-1995) in its strategic move to Western Sydney. She was a founding member of TAQA Theatre and SAFA, creating Arab Australian contemporary performance works through the decade of the 1990s.
She worked at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney (1998-2004) where she initiated a diversity of projects, innovative exhibitions and Arab community partnerships through the ‘wattan project’. She has creatively developed and managed model projects with Auburn Community Development Network, including the women’s capacity building arts project, ‘Inside Out_Muslim Women Exploring Identities and Creative Expressions’ (2005-2007) and in 2009-2010, bringing together artists of Arabic and Chinese calligraphies and local Aboriginal artists through ‘Moving Calligraphy_Visual Storytelling’. In 2011-2012 she was the Creative Producer of Casula Powerhouse Art Centre’s national initiative ‘No Added Sugar: Engagement and Self-Determination: Australian Muslim Women Artists’.
In 2005, Alissar was awarded a two-year Fellowship by the Community Cultural Development Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. In 2010 she was the winner of the Australia Council for the Arts annual ‘Ros Bower Award’, honouring a lifetime contribution to community arts and cultural development.
A L I S S A R C H I D I A C : Curriculum Vitae in Brief
Email: alissarchidiac [at] gmail.com
EDUCATION
Graduate Diploma in Adult Education (TESOL Specialism), University of Technology Sydney, 1989/90
Bachelor of Arts University of Sydney, Majors in Philosophy and Government, 1976/77 and 1985/86
AWARDS
Winner of the 2010 Australia Council for the Arts ‘Ros Bower Award’ – the annual award to a leading Australian arts practitioner with an outstanding life-long contribution to community arts and cultural development.
CCD Fellowship (two years) – awarded in 2005 by the Community Cultural Development Board, Australia Council for the Arts, for the project ‘3arabi: mapping arab australian contemporary cultural production’.
Finalist, ‘Community’ Category, Australian Arabic Women’s Awards 2001, Arab Council Australia (prev. Australian Arabic Communities Council).
Winner, Inaugural Solidarity Award 2001: Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA.
Winner, ‘Arts’ Category, Australian Arabic Women’s Awards 2000, Arab Council Australia (prev. Australian Arabic Communities Council).
EMPLOYMENT – IN BRIEF
Fairfield City Council
February – July 2017
Social Change through Creativity Grant Training Workshops and Mentorship Project
Women in Harmony Music Workshops
August – December 2016
Workshop Co-Facilitator with refugee women in Fairfield.
Auburn Cartographies of Diversity
August 2015 – July 2016 (and ongoing)
Creative Producer for ‘Map As Art’ and ‘Calendars of Memory’.
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
August 2015 – July 2016
Community and Cultural Development Producer for the Emerging Artist Development Initiative.
Australia Council for the Arts
Oct 2013 – June 2015
Peer Services Officer and Program Officer with Community Partnerships.
Multicultural Health Service (South Eastern Sydney Local Health District) and Cancer Institute NSW
January – May 2013
Artistic director, production manager and creative developer of bi-lingual Cancer Theatre Project.
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
Feb 2011 – Aug 2012
Creative Producer, ‘No Added Sugar’, Australian Muslim Women’s Arts Project, national cultural engagement initiative.
Auburn Community Development Network
May 2009 – Oct 2010
Creative Producer and Curator ‘Auburn Poets and Writers Group’ and the ‘Moving Calligraphy’ Project.
Australia Council CCD Fellowship
2007 – 2009
3arabi: mapping arab australian contemporary cultural production.
Auburn Community Development Network
March 2005 – July 2007
Auburn Arts Officer.
Freelance work
Oct 2004 – May 2006
Dramaturg, Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Facilitator.
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
June – Dec 1998 / Aug 1999 – Aug 2004
‘wattan project’ Project Officer.
Initiated and developed a diversity of critical cultural projects in partnership with Arab Australian communities and local community organisations.
Taqa Theatre
1998 – 1999
Creative development artist and performer in ‘Gibran Khalil Gibran’.
Popular Art Centre
June – July 1997
Manager of the festival office, Palestine International Festival.
MA’AN Development Centre
May 1995 – May 1997
Associate volunteer development worker, Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine.
Death Defying Theatre Ltd (now Urban Theatre Projects)
June 1991 – Dec 1994
Workshop facilitator, artist-performer, researcher, administration assistant.
Granville TAFE Outreach Programme
Feb – July 1991
Outreach trainer.
The Deli Women and Children’s Centre
1990
Project officer.
Auburn Youth Resource Centre
1987 – 1989
Generalist Youth Worker.
Pipi Storm Ltd
1980 – 1985
Community arts worker and team member.
3arabi Mapping 