›› Bamsey Franks

Aubrey Burke, when & how did you first come up with the idea for the Story Booth Project?

I came up the idea because I was a bit discouraged by contemporary art and ­inaccessibility. The idea of having a pop-up shop that was ground level, with 24 access via window front viewing, appealed to me. With the support of the ­Ministry of Casual Living artist-run centre, I moved into the storefront in May and renovated the space to revive it as community hub. For the Story Booth Project we had an open call out to the public to record their oral ­histories. I was interested in ­documenting local, non-dominant histories, community folklore, marginalized pasts, and ­contemporary mythologies.

Can you tell us about the Ministry of Casual Living (MOCL)?

The Ministry of Casual Living has ­constantly tried to break down barriers in the art world and create social space that goes beyond just being a gallery. This ­project invited the public in to share their stories and use these stores as a catalyst for art making.

How did you first get involved with the MOCL?

During my undergrad, I met Ross Macaulay and Marlaina Buch, who were co-ministers at the time. They amazed me with their ability to coordinate and represent the DIY art culture in our city. I got involved because I was inspired by how artists were able to jump in and influence the art scene, using the MOCL as a springboard.

What interests you about oral history?

Everyone has legends and amazing ­stories that they hold but it’s seldom that we get to share them because we’re all so busy. The idea was to convert these stories in an accessible format where people could easily access and interpret their content through the art form.

How can people participate in the Story Booth Project?

We have a blog at ­storyboothproject.­info and are continually posting events online. We are also crowd funding the project using an Indiegogo campaign, which is accessible through our website. Over the next two weeks the stories will be accessible for viewing from the street at dusk and into the night.