JourneyOnline
Engaging Youth in afterschool activities isn’t always easy.
Handing them an aerosol-can may sound counter-intuitive but for those who have been part of the latest Wesley Mission Brisbane’s Youth and Community Combined Action program (YACCA) the results have been not only eye-catching, but also life-expanding and outstanding for all of the participants.
The YACCA project, which is run for people aged 10 to 17 years and acts as an early intervention crime prevention program by providing group activities and individual support, came up with the Art Mural Project to engage Eagleby Youth Space patrons in a creative arts based project.
The projects aims were many-fold but included keeping them happily involved in a project while increasing their creative thinking and teaching them that there is artistic merit and real artistry behind processes of aerosol art.
After being “donated a wall” by Eagleby’s Twin Rivers Care six of Eagleby’s youths have spent the last month designing, planning and painting an eye-catching mural as part of an Art Mural Project which is run by YACCA-Wesley Mission Brisbane and Aeograffix.
“It has given us something positive to do,” say the youths involved. “And the types of skills we have learnt are really good.”
They are very enthusiastic about something similar or a new project in the future.
Some of the outcomes of the project have included learning how to communicate in a positive way in group situations, working as a team, being part of a team, making new friends, learning commitment, mastering some of the techniques of aerosol art, problem solving and reduced their boredom after school. This project also allows these young people to be a part of something positive in the Eagleby Community after school.
The Art Mural Project is based at Twin Rivers Care in Eagleby and run by Wesley Mission Brisbane’s YACCA and Aeograffix.
Wesley Mission Brisbane has supported Queenslanders for over 100 years and leadsthe way in providing aged care, youth support, disability services and support for the disadvantaged.
For more information visit www.wmb.org.au
