About Us
Commitment to local and regional grassroots community development through the arts.
“We believe that the arts inspire and bring people together and that when communities are connected and inspired, they are stronger and can achieve great things for society generally”
- Anna McIldowie, quote from an article just after opening In the Skies in 2020
Artwork: Lore/Law by Talgium Edwards [Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Yorta Yorta, Mutti Mutti and Palawa]
In the Skies Art & Music WAS an Art Gallery and Record Store located in Lorne, Gadubanud Country (hence the images above…..PS. we’ve been building this website for years and it’s hard to let all the old stuff go so please indulge us)
In the Skies Art & Music was started in 2020 by Anna McIldowie & Simon Holloway (and maintained through endless support from family, especially Marian, Anna’s mum) driven by a philosophy centered around community, land and place with an absolute respect for First Nations Sovereignty…..
“We hope, through art and music, to enrich the culture of the region and build something that everyone can connect with.”
…..yes, that was our aim and ethos……and it still is…..but our gallery/store/gathering place had to end unfortunately (long story, we’ll fill you in when we see you)….
….after it closed down we got the opportunity to return to the Lorne Bowls Club where we had previously run the kitchen, live music and markets
The same guiding principles inform and drive everything we do…..
In the Skies in it’s latest form: is a restaurant, bar and venue at the Lorne Bowls Club - we are honoured and grateful to be running this amazing community space that has so much to offer….
We feel a deep sense of social responsibility to make sure it is an inclusive, welcoming community space
Tell us what it means to be back running the Bowls Club?
“We are pinching ourselves (that it's real) to be honest - it's like every day it just dawns on me more and more what a unique, rare and special opportunity it is to run the Lorne Bowls Club! The much loved Little Picket had finished up and we just happened to be in the right place in our lives collectively [Simon and I, plus my brother Robbie and sister in law Erin] to seize the opportunity to return to take on the venue - a few months earlier or a few months later we may not have been able to do it - it feels like perfect timing. We have such special memories associated with the Bowls Club over the past decade, we ran the restaurant in 2019, plus we’ve run lots of events there and Simon and I both worked with Luke Morgan there for ages too – I have memories of being there with my Dad all the time, he use to DJ for us (he’s now passed away), of our newborn first child being at music nights and of him learning to walk there; and then all the events we have held there – special community gatherings that are so ingrained in our souls and memories - so it kind of feels like returning home….
…What else does it mean ? Running the Lorne Bowls Club means running a community space that should benefit the community. We do not take this responsibly lightly and feel incredibly lucky, honoured and a deep sense of social responsibility to make sure it is an inclusive, welcoming community space….”
- Anna McIldowie, extended quote from a Q&A she sent in for an article (vast majority of which understandably didn’t get published (a bit too personal/sentimental?….not to mention political…she tried to squeeze in stuff about affordable housing etc lol ….), August 2024
Please note, Anna is the most publicly vocal, social media spammy member of the family, hence why a lot of this is in her voice (indeed she is writing this in the 3rd person) - Anna thinks it’s important and helpful in the world to be transparent about where things emerge from - hence the focus on motive, ethos etc. You will meet everyone else when you come in, as well as the amazing team generally - we all bring something different to the place and “operation”. The hidden gems behind the scenes who you may not get to meet often but who are our secret recipe are Marian McIldowie, Leanne McLean and Ebony Hickey we love you and thank you forever xox
