Remembering Stella Young

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“I am not a snowflake. I am not a sweet, infantilising symbol of fragility and life. I am a strong, fierce, flawed adult woman. I plan to remain that way, in life and in death.”  Stella Young

The Remembering Stella Young project delivered a statue of Stella Young in her hometown of Stawell to celebrate, commemorate and remember her.    

Northern Grampians Shire Council received funding from the Victorian Government for the Remembering Stella Young project in February 2022, through the Victorian Women’s Public Art Program. The artwork commemorates Stella as a contemporary woman who made a significant contribution to Victoria and aims to continue her legacy, to challenge and educate society and its perception of disability, and to strive for “a world where disability is not the exception, but the norm”. 

The project team consisted of a Project Control Group, Project Support Team, Project Advisory Group, Creative Collective and Access Collective. The collectives, who were made up of women with the lived experience of disability, collaborated in the development of the design, site and all interactive elements to make sure it was created in line with Stella’s legacy.  

Stella's parents have had the final say on the statue design, location and the accessible website. 

Northern Grampians Shire Council acknowledges support of the Victoria Government through the Community Support Fund.

Visit the accessible website created as a part of this project Remembering Stella Young to find out more about Stella Young.

You can find out more about the Victorian Women's Public Art Program | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au) here.

Watch the behind-the-scenes video.

#PutHerNameonit #WomensPublicArt #HonourHer #VicForWomen

 

The Unveiling Event

The Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP officially unveiled the statue of Stella Young on 30 March 2023 in front of a crowd of over 300 people. There was also approximately 300 people livestreaming the event. 

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Project Governance

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Project Advisory Group

The Project Advisory Group will provide advice on: 

  • the strategy to engage with a woman or collective of women with lived experience of disability. 

  • creating an artwork that is tactile, accessible. 

  • any nuances of the potential locations of the statue or information the plaque should contain. 

  • online content.

 

Collectives

Creative Collective

The Creative Collective will collaborate with the Creative Consultant and provide the creative direction for both the statue and supporting information/creative work to ensure the work captures Stella’s essence and honours her legacy. 

Specifically, the Creative Collective will provide direction for:

  • the overall mood, tone, look, feel and message that unifies creative works and ensures it is highly accessible and the opposite to disabling.
  • ways to involve local people with lived experience in the production of supporting information surrounding the statue.

Access Collective

The Access Collective will collaborate with the Creative Consultant to ensure the statue of Stella, surrounding environment and supporting information is designed in line with 'best practice' in accessible design. 

Specifically, the Access Collective will:

  • advise the Creative Consultant on the setting surrounding the statue to ensure a highly accessible environment to people of all abilities.

  • advise council on ways to involve local people with lived experience in the production of the supporting information and the official unveiling event. 

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