blog free self funded residency.

no phone, no computer India unplugged

With some trepidation I relinquish links to cyber space for 6 whole weeks. Family too leaving I pods and psp. No Blog, no nada. A retro postcard-type introspective exploration of the immediate.

10 days in Northern India starting with a brief stay at Sanskriti Kendra - an art residency, a quick view of the Himalaya, the Taj Mahal and visit another art resdiecy- Jaipur Inn. Then fly to Bangalore to meet Prahbu a 'popet' maker and slow down the pace to cruise by local transport though southern India for a month doing who knows what- hopefully no much. Finishing at a four day pongal - cow festival with sculptures of fruit (your guess is as good as mine!!)

Sip a Singapore sling with my sister and catch up on details of her families trip to Nepal before returning to OZ to re join the rat race.

Project Co-ordinator

Currently I am working for Carclew Youth Arts at Tailem Bend Primary with Luku and Danica conducting Flash Animation workshops with the senior primary students. Crazy characters are being designed then put to motion for the School concert early December09.

It is a whole school performance of Pinocchio so there is latitude for plenty of interesting animations and a nice cross over to Puppetry. My Sri Lankan Demon Dancer Marionette did a recess demo and caused quite a commotion - some thought it was real and a bit too scary. Most were happy that he was exercising any evil from the yard.

Sydney Residency 09

From September 21 - October 25 Tis is Artist-in-Residence at Marrickville Council, NSW.


This Professional Development opportunity will have three main areas.

-Investigation into puppets and their role in conveying culture.

-Emphemeral installations as part of '2042' a street festival in Newtown.

-observing the contemporary art scene in inner Sydney and making connections with NSW artist and Galleries

Elephants of Sri Lanka

Articulation is a sculptural response to experiences from a recent residency to Thailand and Sri Lanka where Tis Milner-Nichols interacted with Makhampom, a community cultural development foundation, and participated in a mentorship with Nalin Gamvary a traditional Sri Lankan puppeteer.

Artist statement
Focusing on form and texture Tis Milner-Nichols selects materials for their inherent qualities. The resultant sculptural language develops a narrative to explore the gap between encounter and interpretation.

The Devil Dancer series is inspired by the marionette of a traditional Sinhalese ‘Demon Dancer’. At the pinnacle of the ritual performance the 18 demons are exorcised and banished to restore equanimity and wellbeing of an individual or a place. In Sri Lanka, until very recent times, performances by costumed demon dancers and it’s replication with hand carved marionettes occurred regularly through out the regions. The demise of these ancient traditions is imminent with the rapid growth of consumer culture.

Series 2 Conundrum – a riddle, question, problem, enigma, in fact any puzzling question. The skeletons from which the parts of the figures have been displaced resemble a child’s puzzle, bringing to mind that ‘the whole is more than the sum of the parts.’ Life is a voyage of discovery, some basic elements apply to all humanity other aspects vary greatly. Culture acts as a framework by which to navigate.

This solo exhibition is at Nexus Gallery April 30 - June 5, 2009