Port was delighted once again to be asked to design and make the banner for the Department of Communities National Child Protection Week. Our Young Parent Centre students designed and painted the banner in conjunction with our talented and dedicated art teacher Dionne Garve, with help from staff member Dennis Colbung. The students attended the event and were praised by Minister Simone McGurk MLA and Director General Mike Rowe for their efforts.
At the event, the following was read out by YPC student Heidi Simmons, “In the art classes we attend in the senior school, our teachers asked us all to individually respond to this theme, after an initial group brainstorming session. Some of us chose to work on paper and sketched our designs and others used the iPad technology in the Procreate app to develop a banner image that reflected this message. This final artwork that you see before you, explores this year’s theme with images that have important symbolism to us as young mums. The focal point is on the two children and the father embracing his daughter, which shows the love and support which children need to thrive. We wanted to focus on cultural diversity by representing a family that isn’t the Caucasian stereotype. Both children are laughing and happy, the young boy has colourful paint on his hands, representing playfulness and fun.
The tree house is an image that is synonymous with children and their backyards, and we also feel that it represents spending important time together. Building a tree house is an activity that children do with their parents, uncles or carers, and it symbolises building something meaningful together. The doll house has a white picket fence and this represents a safe house. The dump truck is a metaphor for hard work and how we as parents will always try to guide and support our children with their chosen career paths. The dinosaur symbolises strength and bravery and the grass that frames the banner represents the parks and ovals our children need to play in. The fresh air they breathe, blue skies and sunshine are also critically important to happy, healthy children.
The style we have used is a simple, modern approach with some cubistic elements in the background to break up the vast sky. The simplistic representation of the clouds might even remind you of a wallpaper print in a child’s bedroom. Child protection week means so much to us as mums because we would always want our children protected, healthy, happy and loved”.
