MAPBM presents: the living stories of Wentworth Falls School of Arts

Oral histories record the stories of individual's interactions with a building and its location, helping to bring it to life by combining the story of its physical history with the stories of the community in which it is located.

In the development of the Aerie exhibition, local community members were asked to come forward to record their memories of Wentworth Falls School of Arts. There was a strong response, and one of the common threads through these stories was the significant role the School of Arts played in enabling community members to begin something, or to experience something new - to have their first exhibition, to act in their first "grown-up" play, celebrate their wedding, or to make costumes, dance on stage, listen to live events, or learn a new skill, all for the first time.

This theme will be a highlight of this discussion which will bring together the history of the School of Arts with the memories of local community members including Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor Cr Romola Hollywood. This session will be chaired by MAPBM member and Aerie exhibition artist Fiona Davies.

Romola Hollywood is the Deputy Mayor of Blue Mountains City Council and a Councillor for Ward 2 (Faulconbridge to Wentworth Falls).

Before becoming a Councillor, Romola was involved in several local arts organisations that performed at the Wentworth Falls School of Arts. She was also a member of the Wentworth Falls School of Arts Committee, which advocated strongly for the refurbishment of the venue in the mid-1990s. Following the restoration of the Wentworth Falls School of Arts into a multipurpose arts space, Romola was the stage manager for its reopening in September 1997.

Earlier this year, Romola contributed to the Oral History project, and she looks forward to being part of the Aerie exhibition. Romola anticipates the new seating and technical upgrades will breathe new life into Wentworth Falls School of Arts as a place of creative endeavour and community connection.

Other speakers to be advised.

Aerie Exhibition Details

Exhibition hours: Friday 29 August to Sunday 14 September 2025, open Friday to Sunday 10am to 4pm

Wentworth Falls School of Arts, 217-219 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782

For more information go to: https://www.modernartprojects.org/project/aerie-exhibition-celebrates-school-of-arts-and-mapbm

Supported by Blue Mountains City Council and
the Blue Mountains City of the Arts Trust