Our Vision & Mission
Do you know WOT’s happening way over here in the South East?
Way Over There Collective is made up of South East Melbourne artists, facilitators and passionate community members.
Our group seeks to promote the voices and stories of local artists and creative thinkers through collaboration, meaningful programming and paid opportunities. We collaborate on and deliver programs that promote inclusivity and social inclusion, specifically prioritising Black, Brown and Indigenous folk.
We achieve our vision by:
Creating opportunities for local BIPOC artists to be paid and for their work to be recognised
Devising and hosting a variety of programming from intimate to large scale events, workshops, exhibitions and safe spaces
Bringing BIPOC together to share experiences, express creatively and exchange knowledge
Offering organisations and institutions meaningful activation of their programs
Establishing an archive of creative BIPOC projects and stories through documentation
Meet the WOT members…
Jessica Nikitina-Li
Jess is an artist/creative producer, community developer, very serious silly billy, and aspiring anthropologist.
Born and raised in the South-East, she’s excited by the way young people creatively navigate suburban spaces and how different art forms foster and express cultural experience. Pursuing these interests, she independently presented two sets of exhibitions in Berwick from 2018-2019, ‘Exhibition Eighteen’ and ‘REAL’.
Documenting and archiving colourful histories to further empower future generations is especially important to her. She is currently assembling a book exploring ongoing themes that have coursed through her creative work, her life and the lives of those around her – primarily looking at Asian identity in relation to sisterhood, youth, and feelings of responsibility and belonging.
She aims to destabilize persistent colonialism and generate energy through innovation and collaboration.
@jesssniki on IG
Kush Kuiy
Kush loves building new things; starting with a fresh concept or vision and transforming it into something impactful, especially in the creative industries space. She describes herself as a creative alchemist/experience designer/art enthusiast/bird watcher/student of life/indie producer.
Kush stages innovative experiences that showcase performing artists emerging from South-East Melbourne’s burgeoning scene.
Working alongside a young team of creatives, and in collaboration with the Nuer Community Foundation of Australia and City of Monash, Kush successfully inaugurated Rise of South Sudan. This biennial benefit concert celebrates Melbourne’s vibrant South-Sudanese and wider African populations, highlighting individual artistic excellence and our collective creative capacity.
She is also motivated by the imminent urgency of the climate crisis, the opportunities available for social impact with the possibilities awakened by disruptive technology, and the optimism needed to tackle the complex challenges ahead.
@__kushasinkush on IG
Oz Malik
Actor, Activist and Sufi. Oz is an up and coming actor who has acted in film, theater and commercials. Besides his love of the stage/ screen, Oz wants to make sure that the stories and positive representation of BIPOC are prominent in the film/ tv world. Oz is local youth leader in South East Melbourne and seeks to engage with those in the community who don’t have access to/ inclusion in services and infrastructure. As the son of an artist, Oz is inspiried by his mum to use art as a tool for justice and storytelling. Oz runs the ‘The Sufi of Oz’, a platform for modern day spiritual wisdom. When he isn’t working on art, he is working towards becoming a diplomat and building his knowledge in international relations. “I’m always happy to assist, mentor and be someone you can turn too. Peace”
@sufiofoz on FB
Ruth Ruach
Ruth Nyaruot Ruach is a South-Sudanese multidisciplinary artist, who uses art to heal, explore her surroundings, and create comfort within her blackness.
Ruth’s art explores the experiences of being an African of the diaspora although she is strongly influenced by, decolonizing language, tone, and the cultivation of shared perspectives in place of assimilation.
email: ruthnyaruotruach@gmail.com
Sol/Shanice Fernandez
Sol (also known as Shanice) is a multi disciplinary artist, student, documenter, curator, performer and mother.
Sol has a deep passion for the South East, for the development of accessible programs and events that represent the true diversity of the community, the commitment to platform building and space making for the voices and work of BAME & BIPOC, and creating safe spaces for BAME & BIPOC to come together, share resources, stories & knowledge. Sol is keen on collaborating with fellow South East/ Melburnian creative thinkers & makers.
Sol aims to create a world in which her one year old has an equal and fair opportunity to showcase their excellence in any situation, recognises the importance of their voice, and feels comfortable and proud anywhere they go.
@m.a.m.a.s.o.l on IG
Julien Q. Macandili
Julien creates digital artefacts (non-narrative video projections and computer applications) to explore the relations of geography, computing, and visual arts. She has been commissioned for Signal Screens, exhibited at MUMA, and showcased at Digital Writers Festival. As a recent graduate of BSci. Computing and Software Systems at the University of Melbourne, she is now applying her knowledge in building digital systems for not-for-profits.
email: macandili.julien@gmail.com
