Mural Project Towards Tolerance

Melbourne’s street art is world famous and students will be able to get amongst it through a project planned for 20th November.

Artists Mike Makatron and Karena Bravo will work with up to 40 high school students from various cultural groups to paint a mural on a street-facing wall at 83 Dover St in inner city Cremorne.

Themed 'Cultures without Borders 2' the project will teach young people about the importance of multiculturalism, tolerance, understanding and inclusiveness.

Earlier in the day students will take part in an educational workshop to explore their identity as individuals within their community and as part of multicultural Australia. A team of youth leaders will engage in pre-planned activities to promote and emphasise the theme of the event.

Mike Maka is primarily a painter who works in a variety of media, mainly on walls, canvas and illustration on paper. He has travelled and created work around the world, painting the Berlin Wall to the River Ganges. An active member of Everfresh Studio since 2006, Mike has exhibited extensively through Australia and in group shows in Brazil, Japan, Miami and New York. He has works in private and public collections locally and abroad, including acquisitions by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, as well as working in institutions such as National Gallery of Victoria and MONA Tasmania.

His artwork captures a world in which the natural forces fight back against humanity, reclaiming the earth from the uncaring advance of civilisation.

Karena Bravo is a multidisciplinary artist from Colombia. Her work is feminine and self- explorative. She uses mixed media techniques to represent Black Women and Women of Colour, their bodies' shape, hair, and style, highlighting their connection with nature and spirituality and representing their beauty, strength, and vulnerability. Her work aims to be a tool for empowerment, building self-acceptance and confidence.

The project is an initiative of Gen2Gen, a not for profit educational organisation committed to teaching youth about acceptance, tolerance and the recognition of all people and Courage to Care, an organisation that informs and educates Australians about the dangers of prejudice, racism and discrimination.

Organisers Elana Lewin, Lani Brayer and Sharon Stone, together with their team from Gen2Gen have been planning this project for many months.

“Bringing young students together from different backgrounds to learn first-hand about each other is a first step to breaking down barriers and prejudice that will lead to understanding and tolerance. It is hoped that these student community ambassadors will share their experience and learnings with their peers,” says Brayer.

In 2019-20 the Australian Human Rights Commission received 2307 complaints on the grounds of discrimination.

This project has been sponsored by the Erdi foundation and Multicultural Victoria,so there are no costs for the participants.