At its meeting tonight, Council endorsed the principles and concepts of the Connecting Identities project.

Connecting Identities is a three-year project which is a component of the national project Generations. The City of Greater Geelong is one of just five local governments Australia-wide to be participating in the Generations project in which each council addresses a key issue through the arts.

Arts, Culture & Heritage Portfolio Councillor Peter McMullin said the City of Greater Geelong was excited to be taking on the challenge.

'This is an ambitious project,' said Cr McMullin. 'We're aiming high and using the arts and oral history to celebrate land and people, their connection and relationship to their place and to each other.  Ultimately we believe the project will inform future planning and decision-making."

'As the three elements of Connecting Identities unfold over the coming two years, many people will be involved through the sharing of stories, memories, music and artwork.  There will also be a journey across the municipality to rediscover the memories embedded in the landscape,' said Cr McMullin.

'The power of Connecting Identities is that it draws its inspiration from, and directly involves, members of our community.'

There are three elements to the Connecting Identities project:

Memory Bank - a collection of people's stories in digital and other forms that opens at the National Wool Museum on 24th July 2008. People will be invited to record and 'deposit' their own stories while visiting the exhibition.

Mouth to Mountain - a journey spanning 24 hours that will take place on the weekend of 9th May 2009. The journey will connect communities across the municipality from the mouth of the Barwon River to the top of the You Yangs. Songs and artwork will be created as part of the journey.

M2M in Concert - an event to bring together the songs from Mouth to Mountain, aerial photography and film from the 24 hour journey in celebration of Geelong communities. To be staged at the end of 2009.

'Our artistic director Meme McDonald has fabulous qualifications to bring the project together', said Cr McMullin, 'as do our three lead artists Malcolm McKinnon, Donna Jackson and Glenn Romanis. As the project progresses more local artists, musicians and film-makers will be engaged'.

Connecting Identities is funded by the Australia Council for the Arts, the Department of Planning and Community Development, Arts Victoria and VicHealth.