Spirit Of Christmas Mural

The Spirit Of Christmas Mural, patroned by Bayside Shopping Centre and designed and created by young participants of Brotherhood Of St Laurence Frankston, and facilitated by Kerryn Knight was installed at Bayside Shopping Centre in December 2017.

This Community Art Project was designed to bring people together to create meaningful art with an empowering message.  The Spirit Of Christmas Mural incorporated creative input from the young people involved to tell their individual and collective stories of what Christmas means to them.  As you look close at this large 3 meter x 2 meter mural you will see messages of Peace, Joy, Family, Food, Sharing, Faith, Home, Spirit, Friends, Hope and Love.


Opal Aged Care – Art Therapy Program

Kerryn had the pleasure of spending time and sharing stories through art with the residents of Opal By The Bay Aged Care

Many stories get locked away for people living with Dementia or Alzhiemers yet through the many creative processes coupled with her professional therapeutic relationship, Kerryn enables people to remember once again the richness of their lives and share their wisdom with family, friends and staff alike.

Challenging behaviours that some residents present with are diminished when they are able to channel their frustration and emotions into something creative.  These processes provide them with some peace and mirror to them their abilities, despite what limitations they may have in other areas of their lives. The art making process gives them a sense of control and accomplishment.

Art holds the key

Empowered Art Youthpass Program

Kez Knight is an accredited Youthpass provider issuing certificates for recognised learning through her Empowered Art Youthpass Program  for young people transitioning to and through higher levels of education, leaving school or commencing employment.

Youthpass, operating for over 10 years in Europe is recognised learning assisting young people to secure employment and further education.

 

The Empowered Art Youthpass Program is a Rite of Passage Art Therapy Program specifically designed for Young People.  This 5 day intensive strength-based program combines a series of creative therapeutic processes focussing on resilience, leadership and self awareness through experiential learning.

Kez has delivered this program with outstanding results for various groups of various cultural backgrounds throughout the South East Region.  For more details about the Empowered Art Youthpass program and delivering it through your School, Group or Community Service Organisation call Kez on 0450 253 990

Join the next scheduled group and book online HERE

Re-Creating the Indigenous Creation Story

Kerryn Knight, local Art Therapist had great pleasure in working with local Indigenous students from Parkdale Secondary and Patterson Lakes Schools to Re-Create the local Indigenous Creation Story for ‘Nerm’ – The land of the Great Bay that we also know as Port Philip Bay

The Project began in February 2017 when Kerryn and the students where taken on a Catamaran boat out on Port Philip Bay where they heard of the creation Story by Indigenous Elder Aunty Carolyn Briggs.  Marine Biologists and other teachers attended where we all had a chance to see the local sea life and see ‘Nerm’ from a different perspective.

Science has now ‘caught up’ with the creation story proving that this area was flooded many many years ago as the creation story explains.  The area was once a river before Bunjil, the Indigenous creator spirit that travels as an Eagle sent a great flood to the area.

At an all day workshop at Kindred Art Space, Kerryn’s Centre for creative mental health, she facilitated the art-making process with the students. Discussing the Creation Story, sharing their personal stories of where their families are from covering all areas of Australia, the students worked on an aerial map of Nerm on the 33 small canvas pieces joined together jig-saw style.  The students then each took several of the smaller canvases and proceeded to add their interpretation of the creation story.  They included Bunjil the creator spirit, Waa the protector spirit that travels as a crow that protects the water ways, the land, the sea and indigenous animals.  At the end of the day, all the pieces where brought back together to create the ‘bigger picture’.  This artwork is now proudly on display at the Better Health Network Parkdale site.

Sea of Learning Wall Hanging – Brotherhood of St Laurence

Working with Brotherhood of St Laurence and their young participants, this empowering piece, with a meaningful message, will grace the Reception area at Frankston Brotherhood of St Laurence when complete !

Focussing on the many ways we learn and the many places and people we learn from, this wall hanging tells a story of the importance of not just formal learning but also the informal
things we learn from those that love us, those that test us and those that teach us.  It’s our life experience, not just formal education that makes us who we are.

Third Mural for Dandenong Youth Refuge !

Kez is delighted to be invited back a third time to design, create and install a third Mural at a Dandenong Youth Refuge.

Kez works with the young residents to design and create, this being the third large Mural installed on the Refuge’s courtyard wall.  The staff, visitors and participants both past and present say how inspiring the beautiful Murals are.

They both brighten up their space and send a message of love and hope for all who visit.

This 2017 Mural made up of 3 x large panels is situated behind the vegie garden.  The young people staying at the refuge have designed a theme that tells of their combined stories of overcoming struggles.

The Story & Symbolism behind the Mural

Designed and painted by young people residing at EYA, the story depicted within this Mural is ‘New Growth’ and how that new growth is formed through adversity, struggle, mistakes and failures. That our past is part of us but does not have to define our future.

The image of the huge waves smashing against the rocks as the sun goes down depicts the turmoil that life sometimes throws at us yet there is always something or someone that can light the way for us in times of need.  In this mural the lighthouse represents our own strength that we find in times of struggle, the people we meet and things we come across that help light the way for us in dark times.  The goldfish with it’s back pack represents a fresh start that lies ahead when we prepare ourselves and look out for opportunities.

The baby being delivered by the Australian indigenous pelican holds on tight to its blanket for security and hope as it flies over the waves crashing below. Yet ‘Day by Day, Hour by Hour, Minute by Minute’ the turmoil subsides and makes way for a brand new day as nothing in life stays constant, there is always change. As we focus on our inner strength to guide us, listen to our heart and not ‘trip on our mind’ we can find our own path.  All the while, being present in this time and space with faith in what has been left behind is part of us but does not define us nor define our future. Our future is what we make for ourselves.

All the parts of us, the struggle, adversity and mistakes we may have made in the past now feed into the roots of the tree giving us a second chance to grow in a different way, growing more into ourselves.  This great tree with its many roots, fed by many experiences grows up tall and strong as it stands in its conviction to be true to itself.  Like the butterfly, it has transformed its past into ‘New Growth’ of Wisdom, Communication, Love, Acceptance, Hope and Compassion becoming its own beacon to light the way for others in need.  And so the journey begins again.

Below are photos of the 2 existing Murals, Kez has facilitated the design and creation of over the past few years.

METADATA-START

Resilient Youth Art Therapy Project

The Resilient Youth Art Therapy Project, designed and facilitated by Kerryn Knight with Young Indigenous Youth & Monash University,  is two-fold.

The overarching purpose of the project is to foster resilience, holistic learning, confidence, and self-awareness along with positive engagement with the young participants by working with them as a team and individually, providing a sense of ownership and engagement with services and to promote positive relationships.   Kerryn ties in and mirrors the themes of the greater program developed by DDACL and Monash University to assist the participants to learn in a holistic manner.  This was achieved in two ways.  Firstly using the art therapy workshop sessions as a vehicle for teamwork and leadership as they work together towards a common goal and art outcome.  Secondly, the process of individual artistic expression provides therapeutic benefit for the participants as they find their unique ‘voice’ and style of learning.

Kerryn, through her open style of sessions and specially designed ‘leaving ceremony’ as a ‘Rite of passage’ process promotes a sustainable support network for the participants as they get to know each other in a non-judgemental and relaxed environment at Kindred Art Space for social and emotional wellbeing.

Lion HeART Art Therapy Project with Whitelion

 

 

 

 

14925271_1143488972394372_2970373509956012283_nBuilding self esteem and confidence.  Expressing through Artwork with others

This successful 4 week program facilitated by Transpersonal Art Therapist Kez Knight at Kindred Art Space involved many creative processes that the young participants got involved in and gained Confidence in themselves, showed them how to tap into their Resilience and provided them an opportunity to get to know each other in a non-judgemental relaxed environment.

Processes included Symbol Beads, Tree of Me, 20161214_141501Story Boards and a Group Wall Hanging

NEAMI Art Therapy Project – Tree of Me Process

neami-striveneami-1

The Art Therapy Project with young people connected to the NEAMI National Service have completed their first process of the 4 week project.

 These beautiful trees where created following a guided meditation taking them on a journey to discover their inner strengths and possibilities.  This therapeutic process uses symbolism of a tree to look at and make meaning of where they have journeyed from, the face they share with the world and their inner feelings.  Over the next few weeks the young participants will use various materials such as clay and painting in therapeutic creative processes facilitated by Transpersonal Art Therapist Kez Knightneami-ripe

St Bernards Primary – Family Board Project

The St Bernards Primary School Family Board Project involved 170 + School Families engaging in an Art Project that was both meaningful and beautiful.

 
Each of the School families attended sessions held over several days where Kez Knight facilitated the process and guided them to create a Family Story Board.  Each board was stenciled with the School logo to represent the School family and then each family added a vsiual representation of their family on the board.  Once all the beautiful boards were completed, they were hung in the School Hall.  At the end of 2016, all the Year 6 students were handed back their story board in the special leaving ceremony where they could take their school family with them as a memento of the years they have spent at St Bernanrds.
stbernardsstoryboardproject20162016-09-07 07.41.212016-09-07 07.41.46