OSCA is a multi-year funded South Australian artist led organisation dedicated to the development of new models of participatory art and community engagement in public spaces. Over the last 7 years, OSCA has created an impressive track record of innovation across city, suburban, outer urban and regional locations. Our interdisciplinary outcomes connect people to ideas about place, location, history, community and the environment. We are invested in commissioning artist driven initiatives that offer the public new perspectives to the world around them.
Our works are broad in their scope and intimate in the way they connect. OSCA’s visibility in the greater Australian arts ecology is fast becoming known for our original and evocative works that find new audiences in unexpected places. Our yearly programs incorporate associated workshops that offer the local arts community and the greater public, access to new skills and ideas with established local, national and international artists. These hands-on workshops create new connections in the development of future outcomes.
OUR HISTORY
Formerly known as KneeHigh Puppeteers, OSCA has been a South Australian art maker since 1995. Our past body of work has been built on producing and touring new performance works with a particular focus on large-scale puppetry, spectacle theatre and community engagement projects. Led by Tony Hannan, KneeHigh Puppeteers had significant success with commissions for local and national festivals and countless international tours in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The company has traditionally received triennial funding from Arts SA and The Australia Council of the Arts along with significant additional income from commissioned work. After numerous high-profile commissions at local and national festivals, and many international tours, it was considered time for the company to renew and revitalise. In 2011 the organisation sought interest for a new artistic director and in 2012 Dario Vacirca was appointed to lead and re-vision the organisation. In 2012 Kneehigh started shifting course to include new artists and artforms crossing performance, video, installation and curated events. Alongside the realization of major commissions for festivals such as Woodford and Come Out and the development of new works, this transformation saw the implementation of artist driven projects and the development of an Associate Artist model supporting leading independent SA artists.
In 2016 a new artistic team consisting of Artistic Director Paul Gazzola & General Manager / Producer Janine Peacock took to the helm. Their combined history of over 50 years in curating and producing works with various communities in city, urban and regional sites has seen OSCA consolidate its recent past and step forward with a new and bold set of directives.
Since 2000, OSCA is led by artist / curator Paul Gazzola – Artistic Director/ CEO
OSCA ACKNOWLEDGES WE WORK ON KAURNA LAND – ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE.
NEVER CEDED
OSCA is funded by Arts South Australia / Department of the Premier and Cabinet.