Community outreach

We work with participants of all ages, abilities, identities, cultures and walks of life. When we connect, we’ll take the time to learn about your intended audience and the context in which our program will be delivered. It is our priority to craft engaging, relevant and culturally responsive experiences that speak meaningfully to participants no matter where they are in their journey.

We offer full flexibility and freedom when it comes to customising the delivery of our outreach programs. Programs can be delivered as a single or multi-day event with opportunities to connect in-person or online. For in-person delivery, we can travel to any location in Victoria to provide our outreach service.

Programs include:

• Workshops

• Talks

• Interactive presentations

• Short courses

• Mental health awareness campaigns

• Open studio art sessions

• And other unique creative arts experiences.

No, while our programs are informed by our professional training in creative arts therapy and embed art therapy approaches, they themselves do not constitute therapy, as our programs do not address individual mental health challenges.

Instead our programs bring an educational focus, with the goal of creating meaningful opportunities for arts-based experiences that support learning, personal development, and social connection.

Our programs are suitable for range of contexts and purposes, including but not limited to:

• Mental health awareness days – e.g., R U OK? Day workshop

• Social support groups – e.g., workshops for carer support groups, disability groups, neighbourhood houses, men’s and women’s sheds, and community learning centres

• Annual celebrations observed by communities – e.g., workshops relating to International Women’s Day, Neurodiversity Celebration Week, NAIDOC Week, Harmony Day

• School-run programs to support students – e.g., manage and navigate exam stress, academic pressures, year level transitions, and post-school transition experiences

• University-run events to promote student and staff engagement with health and awareness campaigns

• Open studio art sessions in hospitals, where patients and carers can explore the therapeutic benefits of art making and connect with others

• Community workshops to support the wellbeing of marginalised communities and communities in need

Our programs are not art classes or even your regular art event. We’re proud to stand out from the crowd and here’s our point of difference:

• Art classes tend to focus on technical skills, producing specific artworks, and achieving predetermined outcomes from the creative process. Our programs take the pressure off by shifting away from outcomes (what are you making?), focusing instead on the directly felt experience of the creative process (how are you in the making?) to land participants in a place of deeper connection, curiosity and meaning.

• Art classes are facilitated by artists, art instructors or art educators, whereas our programs are facilitated by a registered arts therapist trained in creating safe and supportive experiences at the intersection of art and wellbeing.

• Art classes typically encourage mastery of a singular technique or specific material. However, we believe that the boundless beauty of human creativity cannot be fully captured let alone expressed by one medium alone. Our programs work with a range of creative modalities to offer a flexible and inclusive form of support that goes beyond the limits of verbal language, while recognising freedom of self-expression as a fundamental human right.

Pricing will vary depending on your requirements, and we can also discuss and work with specific budgets if you have one in mind. Any information you can provide will help us put together a personalised quote tailored to your specific context and needs, so reach out and let’s connect. We look forward to working together.