Martin Jarvis, the founder of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra, will explain the benefits of community creativity at Charles Darwin University’s symposium on Creative Citizenship this month.
Associate professor Jarvis will follow the journey of the DSO from its origins in 1988, detailing the vital role that community musicians have played in its development.
The DSO is regarded as being at the peak of its development with its combination of a few core professional musicians and community members.
His talk, entitled Outside the Box, will explore how the orchestra has been able to draw out the creativity of its community members.
”The DSO is an opportunity for citizens to be creative - to go outside the box of their normal lives,” says Associate professor Jarvis. “It also means going outside the box of the concert hall and taking music to the people in their own communities.”
In recent years the DSO has performed concerts in some of the Territory’s most scenic spots, including Nourlangie Rock, Glen Helen Gorge, Groote Eylandt, Nhulunbuy and Lake Bennett.
”There is a considerable body of research that shows creativity has a flow-on effect to other parts of life,” Associate professor Jarvis says.
“For example, studies suggest learning music or another language later in life is beneficial as we age - it may even prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
The free arts symposium will examine the role of creative citizenship and what it means to be involved in the creative life of your community.
A distinguished line-up of international and national speakers will discuss what it means to be a creative citizen in the free symposium Creative Citizenship: Community, Creative Industries and the Future on September 27 and 28 at the Araluen Centre in Alice Springs.
The public can register online at www.cdu.edu.au/cdss or email cdss@cdu.edu.au or phone 08 8946 6529.