Regional WA October Artist of the Month

When Annette Carmichael moved to Denmark with her husband and two young children, she did what any newly arrived arts professional might reasonably do, and wandered into the local arts organisation to announce herself.

Originally from Port Hedland, Annette turned up to Denmark Arts one day, introduced herself with what she describes as a level of inner smugness (a professional, a degree, here to show the locals how it’s done), and within two weeks was running the place, because the woman at the desk stood up, said she was moving back to Sydney, and left (reportedly mid-sandwich).

Annette’s first encounter with the Board was similarly bracing. The Chair arrived with no shoes and sandy feet, radiating enthusiasm. No professional attire or serious exchange. It was quite the contrast to what Annette had experienced in her previous roles in Perth and London.

Denmark, in other words, knocked any sense of poshness out of her. And it also changed the course of her career.

These days Annette leads Southern Edge Arts in Albany, down the coast from Denmark, and right now she’s preparing for Carrying the Fire: a vast community performance that will send thousands of people carrying handmade lanterns along five kilometres of coastline this November. It sounds wildly ambitious, but wildly ambitious is just what Annette does.

Bec Bowman chats with Regional Arts WA Artist of the Month Annette Carmichael.