Blak Pearl studio is a creative drop-in space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

About

Blak Pearl studio is a creative drop-in space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples located at the Florence Peel Centre at 190 Young St, Fitzroy - within the City of Yarra. Historically, Yarra is a significant area for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and is currently home to around 320 Aboriginal people and several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focussed support services.

The Studio is a response to requests from Elders within the local Aboriginal community and Aboriginal focussed support services, Council strategic plans, and Health and Wellbeing Research findings. All highlight the critical need for recreational provisions and culturally safe gathering space for Aboriginal peoples in the area who are experiencing hardship and disconnection. After 18 months of engagement with an advisory group of Aboriginal Elders from the community in Yarra it became clear that a creative studio where community can pursue cultural and artistic practice was the most adequate response to the lack of community connection and engagement resources.

WHAT WE DO

This response rests on the belief that arts focussed leadership and healing programs strengthen the community’s relationships and can ensure the longevity of cultural knowledge and community wellbeing. The Studio provides the community with a space governed by leaders of the community, free access to artistic materials, tools, resources, and technical as well as personal support to pursue creative endeavours. As such, Blak Pearl is a place for the community to gather and connect in a culturally safe environment, develop and expand on artistic and cultural creative skills, share knowledge, and showcase their artistic outcomes.

WHO ARE WE

The Blak Pearl Studio was conceived by creative sector consultancy Future Tense and Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Frank Wandin (Dootrl). The pilot program is being delivered by Future Tense and the Elders Advisory Committee in partnership with BAHN Inc, North Richmond Community Health, City of Yarra, Neighbourhood Justice Centre, Connecting Home, Wurundjeri Woi- Wurrung Corporation, DHHS Collingwood Housing and MAYSAR.

OUR VISION

When fully operational the Studio will be open and staffed from midday to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday. The space provides necessities such as space and artistic resources, including equipment, materials and support. Food and drink will also be available.

The Studio aims to:

  • Establish a safe space for cultural creative practices

  • Develop artistic skills and share knowledge

  • Connect participants to opportunities in the creative sector, and

  • Create another point of contact for engaging with support services

The Studio’s overarching aims are to create pathways into the formal arts sector, to formalise into an Aboriginal-led organization, and to create an adaptable structure for other zones in Victoria where Aboriginal peoples experiencing hardship reside and lack access to creative cultural resources. The initiative is a two year trial intervention pilot to test the viability of the project. Its impact will be monitored and assessed to see if the model could be replicated in other sites.

The pilot program is being delivered by Future Tense in partnership with the following organisations

Belgium Ave Neighbourhood House Inc,
North Richmond Community Health
City of Yarra
Neighbourhood Justice Centre
Connecting Home
Cohealth
Dardi Munwurro
Fitzroy Legal Service
Red Cross
Services Australia
Kilara Foundation