Last year we received a generous donation from Mt Pritchard and District Community Club Ltd (Mounties) to refurbish one of our spaces and we voted unanimously to create a teenage hang out.

I was given the re-design task: firstly because I’m a child worker and secondly because I’ve had a lot of experience as a designer on film shoots – setting up and designing spaces.

#somethingveryfunky

I wanted to create something edgy and cool but warm and cocooned as well. A place that would give our teenagers a place to call their own that was as comfy as a loungeroom but way, way funkier!

A mural would the main feature: it would both look great and be a wonderful opportunity for some young people to collaborate, get involved and authentically reflect a youthful aesthetic.

In my research, I came across an organisation called Street University. They told me that they had a great graffiti artist called Spice who could work with some other young people to create a site specific piece for our teenage space.

Here comes the crew

Spice and the youth crew turned up and just did their thing. We were all amazed at the transformation. It was visually fabulous and represented youth so well. Also, it sends a message that is true to Bonnie’s and why people come here – a message of peace and hope for the future.

The artists had free rein in colours and design. As an artist myself, I know how important that is not to constrain creativity. I then used the colours in the graffiti-mural to select the soft furnishings and rugs and things. I wanted it to be really vibrant to reflect the bright young people we meet here and the possibilities life has in store for them.

An unexpected bonus came when the young boys who came to help on the mural asked their youth worker what the refuge was about. That day, they learnt about homelessness and domestic violence and I was told they were all very interested and grateful to understand it more.

Thank you everyone

This project has resulted in a new teenage space that young people can use in a variety of ways, and that can provide them with a space they can have some ownership of during their stay at our refuge.

It’s also been used by our visiting masseur and others… they sneak in! Everyone loves the energy and non-institutional feel of this beautiful new area!

I would like to extend a special thank you to the crew – Spice, Moe, Deps and RQ, for their wonderful contribution to this space. And of course to the Mt Pritchard and District Community Club for making it possible.

Written by Marryanne