Project                          Evidence

Connecting Wendouree is a public arts project which aims to engage and involve all members of the Wendouree Community in a process that focuses on connection and community participation. The Wendouree Action team of the Strengthening Generations Ballarat Communities that Care® Project has initiated a team of young people who have called themselves WAT? (Wendouree Arts Team) to work together with the community on this project. 

The outcome of a survey conducted by WAT? in 2003 indicated a community preference for bus shelters along the Wendouree West and Wendouree routes to be painted with a friendship theme.  The message of being connected to friends and the community is a strong one that had great resonance at the community consultation.   The linkages that buses provide, was considered to be a good way of connecting the shelters together. Each shelter would be a part in a larger picture, highly visible within the community spreading the message of friendship.

Purpose

To coordinate and implement a project that involves a maximum of seven schools and a minimum of two schools and two community organizations in the painting of six bus shelters in Wendouree and Wendouree West, focusing on the themes of friendship and connection.

To create a supportive environment that promotes high esteem amongst young people and community participants by encouraging group cohesion. To promote the project theme of friendship and foster the production of a cohesive design across all sites.

To ensure that the integrity of the design process is not altered or interfered with so that designs are facilitated and skills of participants are brought to fruition without any imposed changes or alterations.

To contribute to the celebration of the Project completion – a planned bus tour of sites and launch.

Outcome
With the assistance of local artist, Kat Pengelly as well as the Wendouree West Community House Art Group, students from Grevillea Park Primary School, Forest Street Primary School, Yuille Primary School, the Wendouree West Youth Centre and the Wendouree Arts Team (WAT) Ballarat Secondary College Wendouree Campus, six murals have been produced.
The six bus shelter murals are on display in bus shelters in the Wendouree West and Wendouree areas.

Locations of murals:
Wendouree West Community House Art Group - Gillies Street Wendouree, Opposite Stockland Wendouree.
Ballarat Secondary College Wendouree Campus - Langstaffe Drive Wendouree.
Grevillea Park Primary School - Grevillea Road, Primrose Street Corner.
Yuille Primary School - Norman Street, near Jaycee's Park.
Forest Street Primary School - Forest Street near service station and school.
Wendouree West Youth Centre - Gillies Street, near Jaycee's Park.

Completed Works
Forest Street Primary School	Grevillea Park Primary School	Ballarat Secondary College Wendouree Campus
Wendouree West Community House Art Group	Wendouree West Youth Centre	Yuille Primary School
Work in progress