The project has it's beginnings in 2022 when I received a phone call 📞from Woodanilling Shire Councillor and resident Kahlia Stephens - asking if I'd be interested in revisiting the Woodanilling skate park. It had been 10 years since the original project was completed and I welcomed👏 the opportunity to participate.
Getting there............The project required combining numerous funding and community partners within a confined time frame whilst providing opportunities for maximum community participation. Pulling the project together wasn't easy and demanded a determined focus........Unfortunately initial funding applications were rejected and alternative funding sources sought and secured. This resulted in the original timeframe being extended and new funding and community partner aspects being introduced into the mix. Fast forward to December 2023.......Thanks to Kahlia's efforts in securing project funding partners and Woodanilling community support, the project began in December 2023.
Interestingly, the new project dynamics combined to create richer and more satisfying outcomes that ultimately resulted in a very successful project.
Some of the Woodanilling community members that participated in the project.
a small wildflower growing in the nearby bushland to the skate park
The project ran over a 2 week period - 7 days a week - 9:00am till 5:00pm, and consisted of two main components. (1) The painting of the skate park (2) The painting of personal art panels at the local Woodanilling Golf Club. The community/personal art panels being fixed onto the surrounding skate park fence. All Woodanilling residents were encouraged to join in........their scope of participation being their choice........Students of the Woodanilling Primary School provided drawings, from which an element of each drawing was included in the painting of the skate park.
During the painting of the community personal panels, participants were encouraged to visually express the unique flora and fauna, and or, an aspect of living in Woodanilling that appealed to them. With the tremendous help of the Men of Woodanilling Men's Shed the resulting community panels were fixed to the surrounding skate park fence, and now form a colourful outdoor gallery.
An exciting development of the project was the community decision to paint 2 feature art panels that would be fixed to the exterior walls of the public toilet block at Town park/skate park. Much discussion was had in determining the panel content. Local artists, Collette and Pauline painted the 2 feature panels expressing some of Woodanilling' s unique flora and fauna. The Woodanilling Men's Shed proudly framed and mounted the artworks that now feature as an excellent addition to the amenity of the site.
Thank you to Kahlia, Woodanilling community members, the Shire of Woodanilling, Woodanilling Men's Shed, Woodanilling Primary school, Woodanilling Playgroup, Woodanilling Sports Committee, Woodanilling CWA and CBH through Community Grass Roots.
