Anthea da Silva is an artist now living on Dharawal country with in-depth experience across numerous professional arts sectors. Da Silva has woven together careers in Tertiary Arts Education and Occupational Therapy, and shared her passion for the arts through Public Program & Education Officer roles in several regional art galleries in WA & NSW. She’s participated in many community arts initiatives, co-presented Arts Festivals & events with diverse ages and cultures: eg. in remote Western Desert communities in WA, with refugees, with those experiencing physical disabilities, with prison inmates, with emerging artists in regional towns, and with curious toddlers, teens & tertiary students. Anthea’s artwork has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions. In 2020, Anthea was awarded the inaugural Darling Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra with her portrait of Dr Elizabeth Cameron-Dalman, OAM. Anthea’s portraits have been shortlisted in several esteemed Art Awards and exhibited in Regional Art Galleries in NSW, WA, QLD & Victoria. Her art celebrates a love for portraiture and figurative work, landscapes and flowers. Charcoal & oils are favourite mediums as they scumble together so well and play with opacity & transparency, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the skin & bones, lines & contours of the human form, sharing fleeting moments of vulnerability, strength, and beauty. Anthea presents energising Life Drawing sessions – ‘Yoga for Artists’ – and a range of other workshops. Her life drawings are characterised by fluid lines, dynamic composition, and a deep understanding of anatomy, while her portraiture reflects an intimate exploration of personality and identity, blending classical techniques with a contemporary sensibility.

On the inspiring grounds of Piccolo Family Farm, a series of arts workshops and seminars are facilitated by skilled professional makers and artists across various unique creative disciplines. The workshops will centre around the concept of Place, and how makers and creatives evoke and communicate Place through their craft. Throughout the day, facilitators and participants have the opportunity to gather with the other participants, fostering creative networking and the exchange of ideas and thoughtful conversation.

Speaking Place was founded to provide access to world-class artistic skills for regional audiences. It also has a strong focus on ongoing impact, encouraging further creative collaboration and artistic exploration beyond the Speaking Place weekend.

‘Place’ is a generous topic of exploration. It gives artists and audiences an infinite world of discussion and discovery of how their craft ‘speaks place’ and opens them up to a journey of creative understanding and collaboration.