Quick Links

Past projects

Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents Let's Come Together And Make Freedom! 2011

Forty young refugees for Aranmore's Intensive English Centre made a giant foosball table that was exhibited at the Free From Fear Art Exhibition during National Refugee Week. To create the foosball table the young people attended an all-day drama workshop with theatre artist Anne Sorrenson and ten weekly workshops with visual artist Poppy van Oorde-Grainger.

Propel Youth Arts WA hosted the Free From Fear Art Exhibition as part of Refugee Week 2011 Australian-wide celebrations. The exhibition was held at the Central Park Foyer in June. Sponsored by the Department for Communities’ Office for Youth and supported by Save the Children, Central Park, Healthway to promote the Drug Aware message and YMCA, the exhibition explored freedom and children’s rights as defined by young people with refugee backgrounds.

The Let's Come Together And Make Freedom foosball table also went on to be exhibited at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Forum.

Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents Broogie 2011

YMCA HQ ran a series of workshops with b-boy Drama which culminated in Broogie a free battle event on Saturday 4th June.

Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents LOST 2011

Young people from YMCA Perth's Youth Diversion Service (YDS) in Rockingham spent two days recording a track with MC Optamus from Downsyde. YDS provides positive alternatives for young people who are at risk of offending. For more information on the service contact YMCA HQ on 9328 3221 and ask to speak with Rod. The track produced can be heard here.

Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents Animate This! 2011

Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents Welcome To My World 2011

On 2nd April, the Welcome to My World Collective made up of sixty young refugees from Aranmore's Intensive English Centre sold their artwork at the Propel Youth Arts KickstART Youth Market which launched National Youth Week. Over 1500 people attended the event which was proudly supported by the Western Australian Government, Youthbeyondblue, Lotterywest, EPRA and C.D. Dodd Scrap Metal Recyclers, and was opened by Minister for Youth the Hon. Robyn McSweeney.

The Welcome To My World project, which has been running over 10 weeks, focuses on developing teamwork, self-esteem and cultivating a sense of belonging. When all the young people were surveyed 100% said they have enjoyed the project and it made them feel good about themselves. Head of School Greg Lowe commented that creating the art pieces has improved the students' sense of wellbeing and belonging.

              Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents HOME 2010

Aboriginal students from Aranmore Catholic College worked with artist in residence Poppy van Oorde-Grainger and photographer Mike Ellis to create a 5m vinyl print for their new school building. The theme of the work was “Home” and collectively they chose to focus on Australian wildlife and hunting as the things that reminded them most of where they are from. The two photoshoots created by the students were of a house floating on Lake Monger and an urban hunting scene set in Woolworths. These images were combined to create the print which is now permanently displayed at the school.

Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed Presents
Big Brothers Big Sisters Little Workshop of Horrors 2010

          Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents LIVE IT NOW 2010 

 

Young people joined forces with drama specialist Kerry Shaw from Headspace Great Southern and artist Poppy van Oorde-Grainger to create interactive performances for the Live It Now Festival to launch National Youth Week in Western Australia. A troupe of “bingo-playing, paint-fighting old biddies” and “human canvas animals” were created and caused quite a scene on the day.

        Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents Spring Breaks 2010

B-boys Beni Benz and Drama held workshops throughout the year culminating in two massive battles at YMCA HQ.

  Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents Post-apocalyptic Mutants 2009

Young people and staff from Headspace Great Southern and YMCA Mobile Youth Service teamed up with artist Poppy van Oorde-Grainger to create a futuristic, post-apocalyptic marching group in the 2009 Albany Christmas Pageant.  The group marched as part of a youth-driven timeline with Southern Edge Arts and Kinjarling Yallors Indigenous Dancers. The YMCA Mobile Youth Service bus joined them in the parade which drew a crowd of 3,500. 

             Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presentsTrashcatchers 2009

Trashcatchers Filmmaking Project involved eleven young people, Charlotte Glance, Wareif Ismail, Michael Taylor, Georgia Hooper, Isabelle Macdonald, Jenny Newman, Lucette Combo-Matsiona, Holly Pepper, Cassandra Nguyen, Giles Roberts and Julia Ngeow working with artist Poppy van Oorde-Grainger and filmmakers Damian Smith, Belinda Kelsall, Deland Tay and Steven Aiton to create a film about reducing waste.

The film will be used by Mindarie Regional Council as an educational tool in WA schools. The project was sponsored by Healthway, Drug Aware, Remida, Department of Culture and the Arts, Mindarie Regional Council and YMCA HQ.

Drug Aware presents FESTYHEAD: Youth Arts Unearthed Festival 2009

Local filmmakers, aerosol artists, break-dancers, musicians, djs, skaters, crazy hair stylists and wannabe sumo wrestlers all headed down to the free FESTHEAD Youth Arts Unearthed Festival at YMCA HQ 4th April 2009.

The festival featured free interactive aerosol art workshops run by Drew Straker, Dave Garland and Will Heerey. The Graphite Crew, Perth premier aerosol art collective, also created a fresh piece on the day. Up and coming and pro-breakdancers battled in a comp MCed by renowned breaker Beni Benz. Local artist Campbell Whyte opened his solo exhibition “In dreams I” and local film makers screened short films. Punters could have a jam with Junkadelic Hedge Bandits Collective and make instruments from obscure household junk and those who were chasing prizes chose from array of competitive pursuits including the Sumo Wrestling Championship, Sing Star Idol, Crazy Hair Comp, 3on3 Basketball Comp or the Game of Skate.

FESTYHEAD Youth Arts Unearthed Festival was proudly sponsored by Drug Aware, the longest running youth focused drug and alcohol prevention programme in Australia. The festival was produced by the YMCA HQ in collaboration with the Town of Vincent and National Youth Week.

  Drug Aware Youth Arts Unearthed presents In the Blink of a Night 2008

In the Blink of a Night, An Exhibition of Captured Dreams was exhibited at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts as part of Silver 25 Years Artrage Festival in October 2008. The project involved six young photographers, Hannah Brown, Lucette Combo-Matsiona, Adhya Putri, Tim Green, Ella Moore and Phebe Shields, working with artist Poppy van Oorde-Grainger and photographer Michael Ellis to capture images of their dreams. These surreal images were then turned into stereoscopes by animation artist Steven Aiton and mounted into eye mask goggles.

Drug Aware presents Street Art Jam 2005

In 2005 YMCA HQ hosted its first series of street art workshops which culminated in a massive Street Art Jam festival produced by Brandi Smith and Sam Sharp. Workshops were held in aerosol art with Dan Duggan, mixed media with Poppy van Oorde-Grainger, turntablism with DJ Mega Mike and breakdancing with Richard Seidel.