AKC Murals
Designing opportunities for kids to create public art
Hoarding
Laneways
"Our mural project was designed and developed in such a professional and thoughtful way by Artist for Kids Culture that it stimulated thoughtfulness, excitement, and real engagement from the children, the school, the local community, and us. The kids felt rightfully proud of their contribution, building their sense of self-efficacy and community."
Our approach to printed murals (hoarding)
Step 1. We co-design the brief
AKC artsbus and community partner/s create a mural brief informed by the location and story of the project.
A local feature artist may be chosen to act as a Mentor for the children as part of the AKC artsbus team. When working in the community, AKC prioritise artists from first nations and/or culturally diverse backgrounds and local creatives.
The workshop plan will be catered to the number and age of involved kids.
Step 2. Kids create art!
The AKC artsbus host workshop/s with a school and/or community centre. Importantly, the programs aim to include children who might otherwise miss out on arts opportunities because of social or financial hardship.
The 1 – 2 hour artsbus workshop engages children in learning about the mural’s story and encourages them to bring their own creativity to the art making.
AKC is committed to Child Safety as a priority for all programs.
Step 3. Artworks are photographed
With kids’ consent, the artworks are photographed with a high resolution camera. The photos will be digitally increased in scale for printing on a life-size wall.
The hard-copy artworks are returned to the kids and/or recycled.
Step 4. Artworks are digitally collaged.
A Graphic Designer edits the digitalised artworks and collages them into a print-ready file.
Project partners and kids provide feedback on drafts through an easy-to-use online survey that can be completed from school or home.
Step 5. Print and launch
The hoarding is printed in consultation with the fencing provider and the mural is launched with a celebratory event.
Recent Projects - hoarding murals
Homes Victoria Hoarding in Flemington, 2024
Homes Victoria Hoarding in Flemington, 2021-22
AKC facilitated a day of workshops with children at Debney Meadows Primary School in December 2021 alongside local feature artist, Olana Janfa. The finished mural features the children’s artworks that explore the themes of community, home, and environment. The temporary hoarding surrounds the construction of new social housing estates in Flemington.
Recent Hoarding Projects
Homes Victoria Hoarding in Flemington, 2024
Following the success of the 2022 mural in Flemington, the AKC artsbus hosted another day of printmaking workshops with kids at Debney Meadows Primary School in term 2, 2024. Kids wanted to create a wall that makes people happy and chose bright colours to paint things that make them smile and remind them of home. The colourful prints are being collaged into new hoarding for a new housing development behind the school.
Homes Victoria Hoarding in Flemington, 2021-22
AKC facilitated a day of workshops with children at Debney Meadows Primary School in December 2021 alongside local feature artist, Olana Janfa. The finished mural features the children’s artworks that explore the themes of community, home, and environment. The temporary hoarding surrounds the construction of new social housing estates in Flemington.
Photography Credit: Homes Victoria
"AKC are a wonderful group of creative, committed people – who are an absolute please to work with. The efforts they go to, to ultimately provide art opportunities to disadvantaged kids, is truly inspiring."
PassivePlace hoarding mural in Stawell, 2022-23
Social Enterprise, PassivePlace, asked Artist for Kids Culture to bring the artsbus to Stawell West Primary School to run an art project with the school children. The project was created to engage with some of the children of the community to help facilitate understandings of place, people, and community, and to assist in the planning for PassivePlace’s affordable and net zero housing development that is being planned for Stawell.
"The expert direction and guidance from the team at AKC has created a truly special and beautiful resource for the project that will soon be installed on our site in the Northern Grampians. This outcome has created an opportunity to have the art painted by the children in the local area reflecting their aspirations for community, home, and the environment that is truly moving and inspirational."
Our approach to painted murals (laneways)
involving kids in public art and spaces
Artists for Kids Culture can design and facilitate opportunities for kids to directly paint a mural. Our approach balances values of inclusion and access with quality and artistic outcomes. Every mural project that uses painting will vary depending on the theme, number of kids and their age, location, size and materials etc.
Here are some general steps we may take for a public art project:
1. Listen to the community / local government / group to understand the mural brief
2. Learn about the site and consider project opportunities and any limitations (i.e. heritage requirements)
2. Design Mock-Up options for the structure of the mural
3. Involve kids/community through co-design art workshops to generate mural imagery
4. Prime and paint the background layer
5. Draw the imagery using chalk or stencils
6. Paint on the laneway/wall directly with child safe outdoor paints
7. Refine and complete mural with signage, details, border etc.
8. Launch and celebrate!
Painted mural – recent project in Noble Park, 2024
Artists for Kids Culture were commissioned by The City of Greater Dandenong to paint a laneway mural in Noble Park in January 2024. The project was completed over two weeks, with two days of workshops with over fifty community members.
