Mindfulness Art Project

In 2020 local artist Martha Jabour won an Inner West Council Art Grant to deliver the Mindfulness Art Project at Marrickville West Primary School. The project was a pilot for schools having had previous success when implemented at Westmead Hospital and women’s health centres with NSW health. The project utilised visual art practice and meditation with school children to develop imagery and creative process that reduces their stress and anxiety. Collaborative content was then digitally illustrated as a mindfulness portal and installed in the school grounds for community use.

The project aims to increase community connection through art in the public domain, providing a range of access points for the community to both participate in, and enjoy arts and culture.

Martha worked closely with Connect Marrickville, which is a school as community centre located within the school (who supporting families raising young children from birth to 8 years in the local area). Together with a team of Aboriginal artists, educators and leaders they ran a series of workshops with students to create the series of works.

This project brought together 12 students from year 5 and 6 who were identified for their creativity to develop a series of site-specific public artworks for the school grounds, that visually explore mindfulness and calm.

Over the term students explored meditation with digital photography, drawing, paint, and printmaking techniques, combining them to produce artworks about nature, calm and feeling good.

The contributions of all participants were facilitated and creatively produced by artist Martha Jabour with digital illustration from Jim Paton. Aboriginal mindfulness and cultural imagery were facilitated in collaboration with Aunty Kerry Kelly MWPS Education support Officer and proud Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Yuin woman and Aunty Linda Coe, proud Wiradjuri woman.

Thanks to Lindy Alwis, MWPS Wellbeing Facilitator and for her support and assistance with the project.

Series of art works created and students interpretation

Blue Stones Running Water Portal

“Reminds me of the stars and the moon or maybe it’s water or the sky …. It’s like a flower or a star fading into the distance”

“Honestly it looks quite cool... so cool in fact everyone can see something different in this.”

The image digitally combines Aboriginal led painting and drawings of students on paper and stones.

Sacred Waterhole Portal

“This waterhole is a place I go to in my mind when I want to be on Country. It’s a place I went with my mother and where I take my children - to connect them to who they are and where they come from”

“Aerial view of the land… from a bird’s eye view …. Lines connecting and linking to become mother earth, one land, one community.”

“This makes me feel like there are so many things we don’t know”

Dot Portal

"This portal reminds me of nature, so amazing yet confusing"

"It reminds me of a flower …makes me feel calm"

"It grows like a flower"

"I love the shapes, colours, and background".

Hands Portal

So happy …so many colours…like looking into the sunshine through the forest
…. I love the colours and the aura of the hands ...it makes me feel happy"

This image combined the children’s digital photography of the garden with nature and mandala inspired stamps and prints including handprints.

MAP Mindfulness in Art Projects - if you would like to reach out to Martha Jabour about running this program in your school please contact Marrickville West Primary School.

Many congratulations to the students involved with this magnificent, thoughtful and soulful work, Martha Jabour project initiator, MWPS and to the Aunties who shared culture and learnings throughout this project.