BOURKE Park’s soundshell got a much-needed makeover by some talented locals and visiting street artists last week as part of the upgrade.
Artists from the Tiffaney Bishop Collective (tbC) helped transform the soundshell as part of the Bourke Park Street Art program. The barbecue, toilet block and main wall will also be painted during March and April.
It is hoped the program will help mentor and train young artists in street art, as well as in film making, events management or band programing, as well as providing them with the chance to practise these skills.
There will also be opportunities to refresh the works every eight to 12 months, giving new and previous participants the opportunity to redesign, repaint and revitalise the artworks.
The council’s cultural development officer Holly DeMaria said young people with creative skills in areas like street art could often feel as if they didn’t have a chance or space to experiment and refine their skills locally, or legally.
“These are the people that the outer suburbs often lose to the creative draw of the city,” she said.
“This program gives young artists a really unique opportunity to beautify the surfaces within the park, while offering ongoing professional development and future paid work to participants.
“Although there is no guarantee against vandalism, past tbC projects have shown that projects involving local artists and in a street art style are more respected and less of a target for vandalism.”
Ms DeMaria said they were still looking for young people to take part.
The council encourages people to check out the works, take photos to share via social media and use #bourkepkpaintout to participate in the project online.
A celebration event will be held on Saturday 5 April and will include a barbecue and live performances.
