Third Place Studio is a rural Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) and Placemaking practice situated on Wiradjuri Land in Harden–Murrumburrah. The studio employs responsive, participatory, community-led strategies to support wellbeing, foster creative innovation, and strengthen the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the region.

This is an initial part-time, three-year project that started in January 2025. It was developed to fulfil a long-held daydream and test the viability and sustainability of the model developed at the University of Melbourne during my EMA (Executive Master of Arts) and refined during the Work of Art program with Regional Arts NSW.

The concept of ‘third place’, coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in The Great Good Place (1989), underpins the studio’s philosophy: these are informal, relational spaces where individuals can build connections, strengthen civic engagement, and cultivate shared cultural identity. Third Place Studio applies this principle through a CACD lens, designing inclusive and responsive spaces where creative practice is shaped with, by, and for the community.

The studio is the realisation of a long-held ambition, informed by my UNSW research, Art Spaces as Great Good Places, which explored how arts-based environments can facilitate social cohesion, informal learning, and participatory engagement. Its development has been strengthened through the Executive Master of Arts at the University of Melbourne and participation in Regional Arts NSW’s Work of Art program, which provided professional development, peer networks, and strategies to implement community-focused, placemaking practice.

Practice and Approach
Third Place Studio operates across four interconnected fronts: Public Projects, Supported Studio, Creative Community, and Arts Advocacy. Its design and delivery draw on CACD, placemaking, cultural mediation, design-thinking, supported studio models, and a human rights framework, embedding community practice at the heart of all activities.

Public Projects are co-created with and by the community, responding to locally identified priorities. Initiatives include a locally developed feature film, preservation of a vintage arcade collection, and a photographic celebration of local creative makers. These projects exemplify community-led, research-informed CACD practice, fostering participation, cultural learning, and local identity-building.

Supported Studio provides creative choice, control, and agency for community artists, supporting physical, cognitive, neurological, psychosocial, and sensory goals. This aligns with NDIS frameworks and ensures inclusive access to artistic participation – bridging arts and social wellbeing outcomes.

Creative Community workshops build local cultural networks, strengthen skills, and activate community spaces as Third Places. Activities are participatory, multi-generational, and inclusive, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, peer learning, and co-creative engagement across the community.

Arts Advocacy activities aim to encourage further engagement and investment in community, arts, and cultural development within our region. In 2025, that includes teaching in UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture, Third Place Studio becoming a strategic partner with HRDC (Harden-Murrumburrah Regional Development Corporation), partnering with Regional Arts NSW on the Harden-Murrumburrah aspect of the RALLY Rural Arts-Led Revitalisation Project, and working toward local post-disaster revitalisation and local cultural vitality.

Through these embedded, participatory approaches, Third Place Studio hopes to demonstrate how CACD practice and placemaking can generate social, cultural, and economic impact, support rural creative ecosystems, nurture local creative leadership, and ensure that arts initiatives are inclusive, community-driven, and responsive to place-based needs.