Arty Afternoons is a creative support group at Fawkner Neighbourhood House led by an Art Therapy student. It's free to attend and runs from
2-4PM every Thursday!

Arty Afternoons is for you if:

Who runs it?

Hi I’m Mohamed! I’m in my final year of Masters of Art Therapy at The MIECAT Institute. I’m poet and artist who’s worked with video, installation, sculpture, textiles, collage, painting, illustration, improvised dance and performance. For work I am a Multimedia Technician at Makerspaces supporting the safe use of various machines and equipment. 🌺

In my art therapy practice I am committed to liberation, culturally responsive practice and staying with the process rather than drawing conclusions or interpreting behaviours. I think of therapy as a collaboration where we figure out “what’s up?” together, maintaining that you are the expert about yourself, your body and your heart.

My nature is to be curious and reflective and to make room for complexity (and maybe a bit of mischief 😉).
I believe authentic expression is part of health and wellbeing, and that a trusting and safe space is something we decide for ourselves over time. 😊🕊️

I hope this tells you what it might be like to hang out with me at Arty Afternoons 🙏

Who can come?

Any young folks (under 15) will need a parent or guardian with them.

Otherwise, pretty much anyone and everyone can come! Arty Afternoons welcomes QTIBIPOC, disabled and neurodivergent folks.‍🌟🏳️‍⚧️

If things are (or have been) difficult for you and/or you’d benefit from group-based support, then you are welcome.🤗❤️‍🩹

Arty Afternoons may act as an addition to your support network but isn’t suitable as a main source of support.🕸️

How does it run?

Make art, chat about stuff, be supported by the group with my guidance. And that’s it really! I’ll strive to lead us toward connection, expression and self-understanding. Expect a responsive space, where what happens in the moment could inform what’s next.

While it’s sorta “vibes based” you can expect us to follow this general structure:

How’s everyone doing today? 🙂
(Temperature check. How do we want to be together today? Might involve an activity)
LETS MAKE ART! 🎨
(I’ll give a prompt to follow & we’ll explore a different art form every couple months)
Show us what you’ve created! 🤩
(A time to share what you’ve made, and chat – sharing is optional!)
Whats up now? 🤗
(A time to talk about what we noticed today. Concluding the session. Might involve an activity)
Seeya next time! 👋

If that’s too vague, check out a session example below!

Session Example:

Here’s an in-depth example of how the session could go:

The check-in might look like;
An acknowledgment of country. A short activity where we draw on a big piece of paper together. What feels good? What feels weird? We introduce ourselves while we’re drawing and share how we’re finding this activity.
The art-making might look like:
I offer the prompt “what does support mean to you?”. There’s lots of art materials in the room to support you in expressing your answer. Some light music is playing to help us settle into our felt-senses.
The sharing might look like:
Some of us share our artwork and talk about it. One person shares a drawing of them on a cloud in a starry sky. Someone’s made two paper forms and shares how it’s an expression of when they had a deep chat with a friend. Some people don't share their artwork but respond to someone else by talking about a memory.
The check-out might look like;
I offer for us to think about something that stood today, and we go around the room and share if we want. We pack up, most of us take our artworks home. Then we say bye for now.

Art Materials available for you:

Fabric, Many types of Yarn, Sewing accessories, crochet hooks, knitting needles. embroidery thread. 🧵
Coloured Markers, gel pens, acrylic markers, Water colour pencils 🎨
Coloured Paper, Regular and watercolour paper, Magazines (for collage)
HB pencils, erasers, sharpener ✏️
Miscellaneous objects (teapot, small globe, feathers, string, rope etc)
Jump rings, pliers (for chainmail making!)
Scissors, glue, holepunch, stapler. ✂️
Airdry Clay (white and terracotta)
Wammys (flexible modular plastic shapes that join together, so much fun, come try!)

Anything you create you can take home (you can also leave with me, or destroy it), but please return all equipment and reusable items and be moderate with them so we can keep the art going for everyone! You’re more than welcome to bring in your own art materials or donate anything you don’t need.

Art Exploration Calendar:

You can do whatever type of art you want in session, but if you need more direction, we will explore an art form every couple of months:

May-June:
Drawing / Painting

July-August:
Poetry / Movement

August-September:
Papercraft / Collage

October-November:
Clay / Sculpture

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Arty Afternoons therapy?
Not exactly. I am still studying art therapy so I can’t officially provide that to you (yet!). Think of these sessions as “art as therapy”. That means it’s possible that you feel more connected, able process your experiences, and/or learn more about yourself through creative expression! Just keep in mind some things may be beyond my therapeutic skill and experience level. If you find things you’ve explored in session need deeper exploration with a therapist, psychologist or similar – or if you are in crisis- FNH is happy to recommend you to services and resources that provide more therapeutic or psychological support. 😊🌼
Is Arty Afternoons an art class?
Also not exactly, I’m not an art teacher! I know how to do a good handful of things, (my intro lists a couple things) although I’m here to support your expression through creativity, not teach you new skills. I cant promise a typical art class but I can promise a creative space to hang out that aims to support you.😁🦋
I feel weird about the group setting / the structure. What can be done?
That is okay. Sharing is completely optional and you’re welcome to ignore any prompt or suggestion and just do what feels right for you instead. Your honesty is more important than agreeing with everyone. If you feel uncomfortable, triggered, confused or something doesn’t sit right during session I encourage you to let me know.
Alternatively, if you want to make art together without a group, you can speak to FHN about booking a 1:1 arty session with me 🙂👥

Accessibility Information:

(Images or more details of anything mentioned are available on request!)

Location, wheel access, surrounds:
Arty Afternoons happens at the 79 Jukes Road site of Fawkner Neighbourhood House (FNH) in the Activity Room. The house has a ramp with handrail to the entrance, or one shallow step.

There is a gate around outside of the house. FNH is nearby Fawkner Library, a skate park, and many different types of support and health services. 🏡

Temperature, sounds, smells, light:
The Activity Room has a split system to control temperature. The house can be noisy on Thursday afternoons but the Activity Room has a solid door that blocks most sounds. I like to play some light music in session to help us settle into our felt-senses, but the session can be quiet if you need. There may be some smells from the kitchen or bins nearby the Activity Room. There are overhead lights which I like to keep off and use a lamp with a warm globe instead. There are windows on 3 sides of the room all with shades and shutters. 🌞

Travel by car or public transport:
There’s all day parking nearby and accessible parking close to the entrance. If using public transport FNH is a ~20 minute journey from Fawkner Station. Catch the 530 Campbellfield (10 mins on bus, get off at Ledger Ave/Major Rd bus stop, walk for 7 mins) or 531 Upfield bus (2 mins on bus, get off at Major Rd/Sydney Rd bus stop, walk for 15 mins). You’ll walk past many cars to get to the house so be careful! 🚗

🖤🕷️💎🌼🦋

Sound cool?

Visit the event page to register!

Come along! (event page here)

Arty Afternoons is a creative support group at Fawkner Neighbourhood House led by an Art Therapy student. It's free to attend and runs from 2-4PM every Thursday!

Read more below ⬇️