Big Name Street Artists Paint Live For Charity: Vexta, Haha, E.L.K and Reka; The Rocks, Sydney

Some of Australia’s hottest street artists go to play for the return of Project Five at The Rocks – fast becoming Sydney’s definitive charitable live art show.

Project Five Volume Four welcomes leading lady of street art Vexta; finalist in the 2011 Metro Gallery Art Award, E.L.K. (Luke Cornish); in high demand, abstract surrealist painter, REKA (James Reka); and HAHA (Regan Tamanui) whose 10 year history of exhibiting adds punch to the line up.

The sounds of the Future Classic Deejay’s will be pumping beats live on the turntables throughout the weekend.

Street artists VEXTA, HAHA, E.L.K. & REKA will bring the vibrant colours and life of art to The Rocks, working live in front of onlookers to create unique pieces of street art on four large 2.4m x 1.2m panels.

Check it out on Friday 9th March between 6pm – 8pm at Rocks Square, The Rocks.

On completion, the works will be displayed in the foyer of the Cleland Bond Building at 33 Playfair Street, The Rocks - before they are auctioned off by Bay East Auctions Head of Art, Anne Phillips on March 22 (6-9pm) – in Project Five’s fourth charity auction.

All proceeds from the auction go to charitable arts and media organization Information and Cultural Exchange (I.C.E), who run creative arts programs for Marginalized youth in Western Sydney.  The live art event runs from Friday March 9 6-9pm, across the weekend between 12-3pm.

Live Art and Music

9 March

Opening Night

6pm - 9pm

The Rocks Square, Playfair St, The Rocks

10-11 March

12 noon - 3pm

Engage with artists creating live street art, with Future Classic DJs on the turntables.

The Rocks Square, Playfair St, The Rocks

Artist Talks

12 March

11am - 12 noon

An opportunity to get up close and personal with Project Five artists who will discuss the state of street art in Australia, their bodies of work, and personal experiences working in Australia and overseas.

New artworks created as part of Project Five will also be on display at the Artist Talks event before they are sold on 22 March at a charity auction to raise funds for community arts group Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE), a leading supporter of emerging artists in greater Western Sydney.

Websites

Project Five — Volume4

http://www.project5.com.au/

The Rocks official website

http://www.therocks.com/

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Cardinal Spin

http://www.cardinalspin.com.au/

Coca-Cola Australia Foundation funds innovative youth rehabilitation program

Creative arts used to inspire change in marginalised youth...

With help via $220,000 funding from the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation (CCAF), Mission Australia’s Triple Care Farm (TCF) has expanded their Creative Arts Vocational Education (CAVE) program - a specialist youth rehabilitation and treatment initiative.

The financial support from CCAF to date has rapidly expanded the program, with funding providing new facilities and equipment as well as the employment and training of a full-time CAVE course coordinator. As a result, 156 students completed the program in 2011.

To celebrate the success of the program to date, CCAF advocate, Shannon Noll hosted youth involved in the CAVE program to a private session at the Australian Institute of Music– giving them a behind-the-scenes look into the music industry as well as treated them to a live performance.

Shannon Noll, describes the program and day with the kids as inspirational, commenting on its ability to inspire significant change for youth involved, "As a musician, I know how powerful the arts can be, and that is why I support the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation and Triple Care Farm in their effort to use creative arts as a tool to rehabilitate and inspire youth towards a better future".

• TCF is a unique and successful residential program for young people experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness or acute behavioural problems. TCF covers 45 hectares of farmland in NSW's Southern Highlands and offers young people aged 16-24 the chance to develop emotionally, socially and vocationally in a safe and secure environment. 

• TCF’s experience shows that creative arts programs are an innovative and effective way of rehabilitating youth; as such, CAVE operates as an integrated aspect of their holistic residential rehabilitation and treatment program. 

• CAVE uses the creative arts - including music, visual art, drama and film production – as alternative forms of self expression and education for youth in the program. Further, it provides opportunities for students to increase confidence, employability as well as develop other skills they need to make a successful, and sustainable, reintegration into the community.

Nichole Sullivan, supervising psychologist of CAVE and spokesperson for TCF commented, "Involvement in the CAVE program has seen an increase in positive outcomes for our students across the board.

"Students who intensively participated in the CAVE program tend to have an increased length of stay at TCF, which means they are engaged longer and are therefore more likely to benefit from the other activities and treatments we offer.

"Hence, results for young people involved in the CAVE program indicate reductions in substance use and dependence and increased quality of life."

“We have also found that these students had better outcomes after leaving TCF, with a higher proportion involved in work or study, including three former students who are now directly employed in a music-related vocation.

Jim Bird, Chairman of CCAF, says "The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation is proud and delighted to support Triple Care Farm and the CAVE program. It is an admirable program, that we believe truly makes a difference to young people in their journey toward rehabilitation".

CCAF first supported TCF and CAVE in 2010 when it was a pilot, and since then has been the primary financial supporter of the program.

Websites

Coca-Cola Australia Foundation

http://www.coca-colaaustraliafoundation.com.au/

Mission Australia

http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/

Shannon Noll official website

http://www.shannonnoll.com.au/

Hill+Knowlton Strategies

http://www.hkstrategies.com.au/

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com