Event description
On the fifth anniversary of the Ford factory's closure, former Ford workers are invited to a reunion and private viewing of the exhibition Fordtown at Platform Arts. This is a great chance for former workers to see their colleagues again and catch up on where life has taken them since the closure. There is also an opportunity to chat to the exhibiting artist, Kaitlyn Church, who's Masters Degree research has culminated in this body of work.
Fordtown questions the human cost of post-industrialization through the exploration of the ramifications of the closure of Ford's manufacturing facilities in her hometown of Geelong.
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On October 7th, 2016, the last engine rolled off the assembly line, thus ending the 91-yearlong manufacturing history between the Ford Motor Company and the city. The identity of the city of Geelong has been linked to the local Ford Factory since it began operation in 1925. The advent of Ford Australia allowed the city to enjoy the same type of wealth and prosperity as other motor cities across the globe like Detroit, Nagoya, and Birmingham. The city became so synonymous with the company that it would colloquially become known as Fordtown.
Fordtown is an expanded documentary project that explores the impact that the closure of the Ford Motor Company's manufacturing facilities has had on the city of Geelong. Cities will inevitably move forward from 'blue-collar' industries such as manufacturing, and transition into a post-industrial society, focusing on the production of knowledge, rather than the production of goods. This transition comes with many benefits for the environment and local working conditions. This project questions the human cost of this progress and documents the impact the loss of Ford has had on the city of Geelong through the stories of individual workers.
The Ford Reunion will take place at Platform Arts in Gallery One on Saturday 7 August 2021 from 4.40PM - 6.30PM