A group of children participating in an Aboriginal Youth Program managed through the Armidale Aboriginal Health Service painted two external, bare, cement walls at the Pat Dixon Centre with murals of traditional artwork on Wednesday morning.
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We’ve found that the kids really look forward to it every holiday time.
- Cynthia Briggs
Work was supervised by Glen Innes artist Lloyd Hornsby, who said the mixture of colours the children decided to use was not an easy mix to apply, and they had done some really good work to bring them all together.
Program co-ordinator Cynthia Briggs said Wednesday was the second day of organised cultural activities for Aboriginal youth in Armidale that is run by the service every school holidays.
“We got an Aboriginal artist Lloyd Hornsby to direct the children in the designs that are on the murals,” Cynthia said.
“They were really plain walls and we’ve turned then into something that the kids can call their own, and that was the idea.
“Everything that they do here is based on Aboriginal culture and about mixing in with other kids in town to learn a little bit more. It’s an opportunity for kids to come together and have a bit of fun with Aboriginal culture.”
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Cynthia said the cultural activity was teaching the children about being positive, and was also a great confidence builder.
“The program we manage is all about that. It’s like an early intervention and prevention approach about doing positive things and respecting their elders and their parents,” she said.
“We want them to know that this place is theirs, so we decided to do the two murals. You know? They can come in and show mum and dad, nan and pop and uncle and aunt. These are so much more than just paintings on the walls.”