An art therapy collaboration has given local youth the chance to try their hand at designing their own shoes.
Brain Injury Association partnered with Whanake Youth to bring awareness of brain injury to the region’s young people through art therapy.
Local multi-medium artist Ricky Douglas took charge of the workshops, which saw the Whanake group design seven pairs of shoes.
“We really wanted to bring awareness about brain injury and prevention to the youth so we partnered with Whanake Youth to find us these awesome teenagers and have a bit of education around brain injury,” Brain Injury Association liason officer Emma-Jo Sanders says.
Through the Nelson City Council’s Creative Communities scheme the pairs of plain white shoes were purchased as well as paints imported from the United States which can go through the wash without bleeding or running.
While Ricky has worked with shoe art before, it has never been in a group setting.
“It was good interaction, we all had fun. They were a delightful group, everybody was happy and then we made art.”
Whanake Youth members said they enjoyed the experience of getting to do something different with their friends.
Emma-Jo and Ricky said they wanted the shoes to be of a quality that they could be onsold, if their creators desired.
“Well it is art,” Ricky says. “But they all like them and want to wear them.”
The shoes, which were completed over a six-week period, were airbrushed with diferent colours, with a stencil design then overlayed.
“I made sure we put two different colours on there and then the decal on top so it would give the effect of not quite psycadelic, but would boost the design. They come out looking real nice,” Ricky says.
Ricky has been involved with the association for 10 years and says he never knew he had a brain injury until he had some education, which is why education is important.
“They’ve been the most amazing providers.”
The Brain Injury Association will take the art therapy sessions to the Tasman district later this year.
