HOPE STREET – An outdoor gallery for the whole community

HOPE STREET is a street art project that aims to create an outdoor gallery accessible to all, representing the community in all its diversity, celebrating creativity and increasing connectivity.

Country Arts SA’s Community Arts and Cultural Development Producer Alison Howard and Project Coordinator Public Health Planning, Local Government Association of South Australia Dr Rachel Earl developed the project as a new way of exploring community health with the Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association (MRLGA) Public Health Planning group.

HOPE STREET is tailored to meet the needs of each local council and their communities. The residency will start on May 1 with workshops to follow.

Stage one of the project will involve three South Australian artists each undertaking a 10-day residency in the Renmark Paringa, Murray Bridge and Mid Murray councils. The artists: Jack Fran (Renmark Paringa), Joshua Smith (Murray Bridge) and Sarah Boese (Mid Murray) will collaborate with local communities to produce a contemporary painted mural responding to the theme of HOPE.

Each residency will kick off with a workshop inviting the community to discover more about street art, learn techniques and gain new skills through this hands-on experience. Consultation through the workshops will also inform the design of the mural each resident artist will create at a specific site in each council area.
Each council will host an official event to unveil the work and celebrate their community.

HOPE STREET also aims to draw positive attention to the community well-being work of local government and encompass Regional Public Health Plan focus areas such as mental health and well-being, suicide prevention, support for aging communities, building stronger and healthier communities and neighbourhoods for all generations.

Country Arts SA delivers a Statewide Arts & Health program in partnership with Country Health SA Mental Health Network and seeks to increase opportunities for social connection using arts and culture as a means to improve health and well-being and creating pathways to resilience.

For a preview of the work set to be created as part of HOPE STREET, check out the timelapse video of Artists Jack Fran and Sarah Boese creating murals at the recent LGA OGM in Adelaide.

Jack Franceschini & Sarah Boese Timelapse from Country Arts SA on Vimeo.