Mandurah’s entrepreneur hub, Make Place, will be adding more colour to the city’s CBD with a new 32-metre-long mural designed by local artist Emma Blyth along the laneway adjacent to their headquarters.
“The laneway is one of the underutilised spaces right in our CBD,” Make Place communications officer Skipper van Peer said.
“One day I hope all the corners of city centre are buzzing, but right now that’s just not the case.
“I’m aiming to transform the laneway from a wasted space that is overlooked into a place people value - where they can stop, think, admire and feel good.”
The organisation secured funding for the project through Shape Mandurah’s SOUP program, which gives $3000 to a community project that brings activates and transforms local spaces.
The grant also gives the winners the support of both Shape Mandurah and Make Place to assist them in transforming their ideas into a reality.
A week before a SOUP event is held in town, grant applicants receive an email letting them know if they will be presenting their project in front of the audience at Make Place or not.
Based on the applicants’ presentations, the audience, in this case 50 community members, selects the winner of the grant.
Ms van Peer said they were stoked to receive the grant, which will allow Make Place to buy the necessary materials to transform it into a reality.
She said the project hoped to bring community members from different backgrounds together to create a mural illustrating Mandurah’s identity to inject some life into the alleyway.
The artwork will focus on connection of the Aboriginal community to country and the Peel catchment.
“The specific themes for the artwork will be identified in a community workshop and then iconic Mandurah artist Emma Blyth will lead the artistic direction and painting to ensure the finished product looks awesome,” she said.
She also said the Make Place team was planning to hold special workshops throughout the mural painting process with Ms Blyth to mentor some of the region’s emerging artists.
However, Make Place has bigger plans to brighten up Mandurah’s CBD other than painting the mural.
“The mural is the first phase of a plan to activate the laneway, to make it a creative space for people to enjoy and meet others,” she said.
“As we gather more support and funding we hope to be able to integrate furniture and other interactive elements to give the space purpose.”
She encouraged residents to come on board and share their ideas in the workshop, which will be held in the near future.
“It is important that the mural represents young and old, indigenous and non-indigenous people,” she said.
“I’m really excited to work with Emma and the community to create something that tells our story, inspire’s local pride and preserves memories, plus it is going to be a lot of fun.”
Dates for the workshop are yet to be confirmed. But for more information about Make Place and the project send an email to skipper@themakers.org.au.