Skylark Community Murals Project

An initiative from the young people involved in the Inala Flexi EADP at Jugglers Art Space.

A big shout out to the Inala Flexi Centre and Brisbane City Council for coming together with us to deliver this deadly community development and artistic project in Inala, Brisbane. If your local, go check out the Skylark Street Murals Project.

We see Mother Earth holding and letting us go – she knows Reciprocity –
We watch as she is stood on by men with linear visions of progress since English colonization. Her hair the complex natural ecology of mangrove wetlands holds a story of resilience and connectivity of life and how Aboriginal people have engage and nurtured her life force since time immemorial – We see images and artifacts referencing pre-colonial trade and stories with Chinese Dutch, French, Macassan, Arab, and Portuguese being uncovered by the earth.

We see words being typed coming from the swamps
and land and the leaves – These stories held in the earth are handed down through oral tradition and what we now call art and performance are being written on paper – we honour the power in our stories and ways of telling and finding them – so many that were silenced and lost- So many stories are held in the streets and diverse people of Inala and this is a great local strength. We see the story sent off in a paper plane – a reference to working in the modern context – the stories are making marks and cracks in the concrete walls. The inclusion of the postcode onto the concrete wall shows how locals celebrate Inala and the very strong sense of community connection, belonging and pride The paper story is later caught by Mother Earth again- in a birds nest as time is cyclical and we will return to where we come from – Mother Earth holding and letting us go – she knows Reciprocity.

Project Co-ordinator & Artist: Nina-Rae Smith
Lead Teacher: Jo Campbell
Massive thanks to the artists: Libby Harward aka. Mz Murri Cod, *LUCKS and Xato Stencil