Casula Powerhouse transforms into a communal pantry of foraging stories, workshops, talks and recipes!

“Wild Stories is about the relationship we have with the environment. It seeks to pull out connections and values that cultures have with various plants. We live in a diverse society, populated with people and species from all over the world. Whilst practising foraging, I notice old people and their old ways, protecting ancestral stories and important connections with the plants they forage. Wild Stories will present these connections for all to share” says Diego Bonetto.

The focus of this 18 month community engagement project was not just on the artist but also on the collaboration with the community – ‘harvesting’ their spontaneous interactions, willingness to share their values whilst foraging, their emotional connections and romantic ideas with and about backyards, gardens, pots and most importantly, their handed-down stories.

Through the foraging, talking and interaction with environment, relationships and partnerships were formed – with identity, belonging and a sense of place fostered on a number of levels. Diego generously facilitated and explored how people live and connect with the environment e.g. first generation Australians, using local pathways and parklands to engage. A spotlight was place