My-Peer Toolkit

Summary

Group Artwork is an activity that can be used for a number of purposes including evaluation. The activity appeals to creative individuals who prefer to express themselves and communicate through art rather than written or verbal speech. Group artwork promotes teamwork and encourages participants to explore their creative abilities as a group. The resulting outputs can be used for promotional purposes and as a long term reminder of a shared positive experience.

Further Details

Group Artwork can be included as an activity within a program curriculum. The activity is particularly suited to small, informal groups who have access to a venue in which arts-based activities are acceptable, e.g. a community centre or outdoor space.

Young people attending the program are invited to express interest in participating in a group artwork project. Once a core group of ‘artists’ is identified, the group can meet to discuss how the artwork project will be implemented. The following topics may be discussed:

1. What is the purpose of the artwork? Promotional material, group activity, decorate program space, a way of collecting data
2. What type of artwork will be developed? Painting, sculpture, collage, photographs, digital story
3. What budget is available for art materials and/or to pay for artists, venue hire etc
4. When must the project be completed?
5. When will the project be undertaken? Weekends, evenings, after school, weekly, fortnightly, in one weekend, etc
6. Where will the artwork be developed?
7. What skills are present within the group?
8. Are external artists required? If yes, does the group know any local community artists?
9. Who will coordinate the project?
10. How will we evaluate the project? Reflection session, questionnaire, observation etc
11. How will the progress of the project be recorded? Group diary, photographic diary, video diary etc

Creating a ‘mock up’ following the groups’ initial discussion of ideas can be helpful to check everyone is thinking along the same lines. If external artists are involved, they can help with this.

While everyone may be keen to get started on the project as soon as possible, good planning will pay off in the longer term. For example, planning to keep a short video diary is not something that can be decided once the artwork is finished.

Suggested Uses

Group Artwork has many uses:

• Promotional material
• To support funding applications
• Youth participation and engagement strategy
• Teamwork
• Evaluation of program impacts
• Leadership opportunities for young people
• Opportunity for young people to create something as a group that they can be proud of
• Opportunity for creative individual to express themselves

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