DEADLINE EXTENDED! Paint Your Town, Express Yourself: ‘Street Speak’ – an exciting new art project to enhance public space and deter graffiti has been launched by Hawkesbury City Council. Hawkesbury community groups, organisations and high schools are invited to submit mural designs by young people between the ages of 12 and 24.
Street Speak is an urban art project that aims to provide a platform for local young people to creatively express their vision and connections to the Hawkesbury through art. Five grants of $5000 each will be awarded to the top five art entries. Council is calling for Expressions of Interest from local community groups and organisations that support young people in the Hawkesbury. Applications deadline extended – now closing 7 June 2024.
Organisations who are interested in taking part in the art project are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest to submit an art entry that can demonstrate that they meet the criteria. Successful applicants will receive an art project package, including guidelines for art and large format canvasses to depict their ideas. Council strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and groups to apply.
To be eligible, community organisations and community groups must operate services for young people aged 12-24 in the Hawkesbury and can demonstrate experience in one or more of the following areas:
- planning and implementing activities with young people
- enhance public space and deter graffiti, through urban art or other diversion projects
- has delivered programs that explore themes relating to youth in the Hawkesbury.
All applicants must be via high schools, community groups or community organisations that hold an ABN. Applicants will be required to sign an agreement that confirms that the art produced will be suitably appropriate for public exhibition (guidelines will be provided).
Members of the public will vote on art entries
The selected art entries will be judged by the Hawkesbury community from 13 June until 21 June – via Council’s community engagement website at
The Top 5 voted entries with the highest votes will each receive a $5,000 grant for their community organisation or community group to support their youth programs.
In addition, young people from the community organisations or community groups in the voted Top 5 entries will have the chanceto work with a local renowned graffiti artist on art murals at a prominent public location in a town centre in the Hawkesbury. Selected art entries that comply with the entry guidelines will be displayed in various locations around the Hawkesbury. The Street Speak Urban Art Project is funded under The Graffiti Management Grant (Western Sydney).
