In 2009 Kate assisted leading Indonesian dance company Nan Jombang in development of a new cultural centre in Padang, West Sumatra.
Padang was the site of a catastrophic earthquake. The earthquake had a devastating effect for the city and the people of West Sumatra, and the re-development of the cities essential infrastructure was a long, slow process
Nan Jombang are one of the leading dance companies in Indonesia, and lost their rehearsal and performance space in the quake.
Kate visited them in Padang whilst on her Asialink Residency, and assisted with strategic planning and a fundraising strategy for the centre. In June 2010, Nan Jombang successfully received funding from the Australian Embassy for the first phase of construction.
The centre will not only be a studio for Nan Jombang, but is envisioned as a cultural facility for the artists of Padang to assist in the re-generation of cultural activity in the region.
The building- Ladang Tari- is now complete and is a cultural centre, home to Nan Jombang is creating a number of new festivals in Padang.
The project was subject of a public forum at OzAsia festival Rebuilding Communities on creative approaches to disaster reconstruction, where Kate spoke alongside the project’s architect and Indonesia disaster reconstruction expert Marco Kusumawijaya.