The Voices of the North pilot art program brought together a diverse group of eight young people to design and install a landmark mural at the fOrT Youth Centre in Norlane.

The project aimed to empower young people and provide a meaningful creative opportunity that nurtures confidence, improves art and design skills, and builds stronger community connections.

Under the guidance of professional artist Sai Neoh, the project involved four pre-mural concept design workshops and a three-day installation.

For most participants, this was their first time painting beyond a canvas, highlighting their commitment, determination, and persistence in learning and developing new skills.

Young people involved in the project said they felt supported by their peers, proud of their efforts, and more confident in their art skills after seeing the completed mural.

The Voices of the North mural project, led by the City’s Public Art and Culture Team in partnership with the Youth Development Unit, was developed as part of plans to deliver more creative projects with young people in Geelong’s north.

The launch of the new program supports the City’s goal to grow and showcase the region’s culture of art and design and provide spaces for creativity.

Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM 

Thanks to the hard work of the young people involved, the community now has a brand-new piece of public art to enjoy.

This project was more than painting, it was an opportunity for our young people to grow their confidence, learn problem-solving skills, and forge connections with their peers and community.

The participants should be incredibly proud of taking on the task and achieving such a fantastic result that will bring joy to people passing by.

Professional artist Sai Neoh

Throughout the program, participants explored national flowers from cultures around the world as a starting point for creative activities that reflected the diversity and identity of the local community.

Using flowers as subject matter provided a broad and accessible range of forms, colours, and patterns for participants to explore while developing creative confidence and practical art-making skills.

Across four workshop sessions, the young people produced sketches, paintings, colour studies, and compositional experiments, which were then combined and refined into the final mural design.

The completed artwork brings together these creative explorations into a unified large-scale piece that celebrates collaboration, creativity, and the cultural diversity of Geelong’s northern suburbs.

Participant Kayla Barrow 

As a creative person who loves art, I thought the project was the perfect opportunity to learn new skills and grow in confidence.

I have ambitions to study art at university, so working on the mural was a great chance to gain experience in the industry and learn from a professional artist.

I’m incredibly proud of myself and my peers and hope the community enjoys the new piece of art.