headspace Geraldton -Acknowledgement PlaquePrint Page

All headspaces across the country received the plaques in their local Aboriginal language as an acknowledgement of the land the office sits on and it’s elders, past and present. The stunning plaque and its accompanying artwork, was painted by Riki Salam.

The walls of headspace Geraldton will be a little brighter in the coming weeks as two pieces of artwork by local artists and a collaborative plaque acknowledging the land’s traditional owners are revealed.

Across the country, Headspace centres will adorn their walls with Acknowledgement of Country plaques.

Headspace Geraldton community engagement officer Reggie Richardson said staff at the Marine Terrace headquarters had decided to put their own spin on the nationwide ceremony.  “We wanted the wording of the plaque to be relevant to the area so we’ve chosen to do our own wording,” she said. “It’s about building the relationships with the traditional owners of the area and acknowledging them as the carers of this country that we operate on.”

Headspace recently put out the call for young Aboriginal artists to submit their work and three pieces caught the eye of the panel of selectors. The collaborative effort by students in John Willcock College’s Learning Achieving Developing and Succeeding program impressed the panel.

Submissions from two young local artists, Khyesha Ryan and Mia Parriman, also made the cut. Ryan and Parriman are from Ngala Mid West Gascoyne’s Learning Engagement And Participation program, which provides a small and supportive environment to build on participants’ strengths and develop skills needed to succeed and thrive.

Ryan said she had been refining her painting through the LEAP program and was enjoying the process. “It came together in about a week and I’ve done a couple of paintings before,” she said. “It’s pretty much just a hobby at the moment but we pick up the brushes pretty much every day when we go to LEAP.”

Those who have submitted their pieces will be invited back for the unveiling of the plaque, alongside Aboriginal elders and stakeholders. Ms Richardson said displaying the paintings at the headspace centre was a great way to showcase the work of young local artists. “We wanted submissions from young people that had created pieces of art that inspired them,” Ms Richardson said. “Now when people come through they’ll be able to see these lovely paintings, know the artists and keep their eyes peeled for any further work that might be out there for sale.”
The Geraldton Guardian (WA), 16 November 2016.

During 2016–17, headspace commissioned we are 27 creative an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander design agency and Positive Social Solutions, to develop a bespoke artwork that captures the essence of headspace and its service offerings that are specific to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and communities. In consultation with the headspace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory committee members and headspace centre staff, the artwork • Mind • Body • Spirit • Culture • Country was created and launched during Reconciliation Week in May 2017. The artwork also provides the backdrop to the headspace Acknowledgement of Country plaques. Each headspace centre developed wording for their plaque, specific and relevant to their local community. This was a targeted engagement initiative to encourage collaborative work with local Elders and community members to acknowledge the Traditional Owners, First Nation Peoples and country where the centre is located. This initiative was driven by the organisation recognising the importance of fostering ongoing respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to open dialogue around the mental health and wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in communities.
headspace, Year in Review, 2016-2017.