A creative recovery project of site-specific gifting and ecological restoration for the village of Rappville, a Richmond Valley Community devastated by the fires of 2019. This project was commissioned by Arts Northern Rivers, CREATE NSW, Richmond Valley Council.
Rapp-berry Delight Ice Cream Flavour
Ice cream inspiration was gathered through local narratives and historical recipes. Ingredients including bush honey, lemon myrtle, bush lemon and mulberries were seasonally collected from Rappville gardens and local surrounds. Wal Foster of Natural Ice Cream Australia, who experienced the Nymboida bushfires of 2019 was a collaborator in creating the Rapp-berry Delight. The Rapp-berry Delight Ice-Cream flavour was created as a DIY video tutorial, make at home recipe included in the Rappville Community Cookbook with an accompanying site-specific musical score, the Rapp-berry Ditty.
Do you think art can be healing?
Collecting ingredients and ideas from the backyards of Rappville.
Long time local resident and keen baker.
Site-specific native plants for ecological restoration, food/flavour, habitat, amenity and joy
This was initiated with a workshop with Michelle Chapman, to identify, connect and collect local botanical species through a presentation, multi sensory activities with botanical species and community members to connect with the plants and each other.
Research gathered from the Rappville community, botanical knowledge holders of the area (Mark Dumphy- Firewheel Nursery, Gordon Watershed- Ngulingah Nursery, Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens references, Rous Guide to Riparian Restoration, Australian Rainforest Seeds (Chapman, M et al 2020), Rainforest Trees of South East Australia (Floyd, A, 2008)
By Michelle Chapman from Seedtree Maps
A site-specific native riparian species identification and uses workshop and booklet for creating ecological corridors and joy through the senses for multi-species.
Inspired by a visit to Rappville multi-generational family of Dave + Alison Newby, whereby a historical community cookbook was shared, sparking the inception for 2021 Rappville Community Cookbook.
Key Community elders June Gulliver + Molly McLennan were significant contributors to the cookbook with their contribution of baking for celebrations in the community being honoured. And their coveted recipes being shared, with one community member stating-
“Finally, I am able to make June Gulliver’s Coffee Sponge!”
The Rappville Primary School kids also significantly contributed recipes in response to a site-specific COVID take home workshop, looking at the plants in their backyards, food plants and family recipes.
Native ingredients and uses were highlighted in the cookbook, which corresponded to the native plant give-away to help rebuild mosaic planting, for creating wildlife corridors, riparian species, food, medicine and joy.
Illustrations, local and new recipes were shared to bring joy and social cohesion.
Using sound bites and field recordings from Rappville visits and community interviews, a 10 minute site specific ambient ice cream sound track was created in collaboration with musician Sue Simpson. The classic and very nostalgic ice cream tune of Green Sleeves was deconstructed and reworked to create something that represented Rappville.
A community of timber, a mill, a pub, and a hall that burnt down.
Interviews with Dave Newby, Molly McLennan, June Gulliver.
(Site-specific ice cream that Wal Foster and Charlotte developed for the bush fire-affected community of Rappville, NSW.)
Showcase for the village of Rappville. Gifting community cookbooks, native plants, ice cream, song and workshops.
Rappville Creative also included the participation of Lyndall Phelps who recreated a historical tablecloth indicative of the village, collaborated with bush poet Steve Cavenagh and created historical photo banners and community photographic exhibition.
Learning to weave with local Bundjalung women weavers (CWUT) and local plants like lomandra and buckie rush.
At the Rappville Creative showcase enjoying ice cream, nostalgic music and memories.