The Bagot Community Garden group meets Wednesdays and Saturdays, 4:30 PM to sunset, near the old Pre-school. The gardening sessions are open to the public. Enter through the gate at the end of Cardo Ct, Ludmilla. This project is part of the Youth Diversionary Activities projects being undertaken by a team led by Andrish Saint-Clare, coordinated by Alan Whykes, and auspiced by BMCA. For more information, email ao@brownsmart.com.au.

Savanna Holloway was a youth worker with Melaleuca Refugee Centre. She died on 1 May 2008, in an accident on Sydney Harbour. She was a member of Brown's Mart Community Arts and was part of a group of community workers that pioneered the Malak Telecentro and Chambers Crescent Theatre, and also helped organise Malak-based youth activities as part of the Youth Blast Project in 2007-2008. She was often in Malak with the young people she worked with. Below is a statement from Melaleuca Refugee Centre about Savanna:

The Annual General Meeting on 19th April 2008 also amended the Constitution so that the membership year is twelve months from the date of joining or renewal of membership (Section 3.5). This amendment simplifies the definition of the membership year and thus simplifies how we deal with tracking membership renewals admnistratively. We now have the means (through CiviCRM software) to alert members when their memberships are about to expire, so that we are now able to adopt a "rolling" system of membership duration. Membership dues ($5 for Individuals, $10 for families, $20 for corporate) expired after the AGM and are now due. We will soon be sending reminders to members to renew.

Andrish Saint-Claire, Darwin Fringe Producer in 2006 and 2007, is on leave in order to manage major youth community arts projects recently funded (for around $900,000) by the Federal Government and auspiced by Brown's Mart Community Arts. The projects will be undertaken in Bagot Community and eight other Indigenous communities in the Top End. Bong Ramilo and Kelly-lee Hickey will continue Andrish's work as Darwin Fringe Co-Producers for 2008. Bong Ramilo is BMCA's Executive Officer. Kelly-lee Hickey is a writer, performer, curator, community artist. Email them at producer@darwinfringe.com.au. Visit www.darwinfringe.com.au for more information on the Darwin Fringe.

As at 1st April 2008, Brown's Mart Community Arts Inc (BMCA) officially ceased managing Brown's Mart Reserve for the Trustees of Brown's Mart. BMCA managed the Reserve for about 30 years. The Trustees will manage the Reserve directly with the help of current venue management staff, including Anna Stewart as Venue Coordinator and John Carson as Venue Management Consultant. BMCA continues as a tenant at the Reserve. This change was one of the main goals of the "Reinventing Brown's Mart" Plan adopted by BMCA in 2006. We look forward to the change and wish the Trustees and venue management staff well.

The Connect (Our Malak) Workshops, funded by the Australia Council for the Arts, will be held at the Malak Telecentro from April to September 2008. Workshop schedule:

Blogging & writing for the internet : 2 APRIL-23 APRIL

Sculpture in The Park will be held 24-30 August 2008. Brown’s Mart invites Northern Territory artists to submit proposals for the 2008 Sculpture in the Park. In its fourth time running, this popular biannual event is one of the highlights of the Darwin Festival, and is proudly supported by Darwin City Council and Arts NT, Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. Held in Civic Park, this is a rare opportunity for visual artists to present work in a public outdoor venue with great exposure to wide audiences. To apply to be part of Sculpture in the Park, please download, fill in, and return the Application Form to us by 3:00 PM, 21 May 2008. Please contact Aly De Groot, Sculpture in the Park project Officer, on 8981 5522 or sip@brownsmart.com.au for more information.

The "Our Malak" workshop series on online technologies and community arts commences with workshop sessions on blogging and other online writing. The first session is on 2nd April 2008, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. Workshop facilitators are Jane Hampson and Andrew Finnegan. Sign up here for the workshop.

Josephine Mesiku, our dear friend and colleague, died on 19 February 2008. Josie, as she was known to many of her friends and family, was a tireless community development and arts worker. She worked with us last year, organising "Bringing Africa to Darwin" at Chambers Crescent Theatre in Malak last September, which was attended by hundreds. Josie set it all up, but was very ill that day and was unable to attend. Josie was also instrumental in setting up the Malak Telecentro, across the hall from Chambers Crescent Theatre. The Telecentro was Josie's office and quiet place.