6 Councils
30 Artists

Bayside City Council
David ‘Meggs’ Hooke
Lisa King
Lucy Lucy
Jason Parker
VEINS

City of Port Phillip
Kitt Bennett
Fikaris
Mayonaize
Queer-Ways
23rdKey

City of Boroondara
Anarmillas
Ling
Justine McAllister
Angharad Neal-Williams
Yan Yan Candy Ng

City of Stonnington
Melanie Caple
Giovanna Da Silva
Benjamin KNOCK
Celeste Mountjoy
Sahil Roy

City of Kingston
Bailer
Dvate
James Price
George Rose
Robert Michael Young

Glen Eira City Council
Stephanie Cartledge
BUFF diss
Juzpop
Danielle Weber

Who

This event is a celebration of Art, Culture and Community. To breath a fresh creative perspective through the collaboration of six councils that form the Inner South Metro Mayors Forum (ISMMF).

What

A mural festival, curated to engage artists and art organisations based in Melbourne, to create large scale public artworks and activations that inspire and engage the community in a meaningful way, while exploring creative and innovative paths to deter and mitigate illegal Graffiti on third party assets throughout all six council areas.

When

Urban Canvas Graffiti Pilot Program is an ongoing initiative involving all councils in a variety of creative projects. The Urban Canvas Mural Festival is only one of these programs.

If you're interested in being involved and are a local Melbourne based council, a Melbourne based Artist or Arts Organisation, please touch base with us now as we plan the next iteration of the 2024 programming and events.

Why

A State Government Graffiti Pilot Program has been established called Urban Canvas which is an avenue and direction for all six councils to explore creative and artistic ways to deter and mitigate graffiti.

How

This Mural Festival will be a collaboration between six councils:

⬤ Bayside City Council
⬤ City of Port Phillip
⬤ City of Boroondara
⬤ City of Stonnington
⬤ City of Kingston
⬤ Glen Eira City Council

Each council will provide an equal amount of Third Party Assets (TPA) to be included as locations to paint murals on. These assets will include buildings, substations, under bridges, or walls owned by TPA's that have agreed to be part of this Pilot Program.

2023 - Photo of Festival Hub by Yoshi Travel Films

DO YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED?

Urban Canvas is an ongoing program and interest of involvement is open to anyone wanting to enquire. The program is Melbourne, Australia based and we do not support International Artists or organisations as this creative initiative is about supporting our amazing local creative industry.

Get in contact with the team to collaborate or learn more about Urban Canvas.

Six inner south Councils came together to collaborate, share ideas and resources to find a solution to the management of the ongoing issues each local council faces when it comes to vandalism. If you are a Melbourne Council interested in collaborating, reach out via email.
Urban Canvas is all about supporting local Melbourne or Victorian based Artists, If you live, work or paint in any of the above municipalities, even better but we will consider involving you in our programs if you are based in Victoria. EOI’s open at the start of 2024 for the Festival but projects are ongoing and open all the time.
Email us here
Arts Organisations play a vital role in community arts and supporting creativity. If you’re interested in being involved in our programming - Youth Mentoring, Art Activations, Art Apprenticeship, Art Workshops or have an idea to collaborate with UC. We want to hear from you.
Email here
Urban Canvas rely heavily on State Government grants for Community Safety but also receive in-kind support by many amazing Melbourne based organisations. If you are interested in being involved in UC for 23/24, reach out via email

The MURALS PAINTED DURING URBAN CANVAS ARE BASED ON THE THEME OF ‘BELONG’ OR ‘NUGAL’

THE OPENING CEREMONY

Beginning Urban Canvas Mural Festival in the right way through the traditional Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country by the Traditional owners Bunurong Land Council by Uncle Josh and his Son. An amazing experience and the only right way to start the festival.

We had over 100 people from the community present with three Mayors from six of the councils and councilors from all six councils present. Over 40 Artists and creatives were there on the day to experience the traditional welcome and see first hand the amazing Hub space directed by Eddie Zammit and the Festival Exhibition in Carlisle street in Balaclava.

30 MURALS IN PROGRESS

30 Melbourne based creatives took to the streets with their paint, equipment and skill to transform 30 individual walls located in six different council municipalities in the South-East of Melbourne.

Artists had to be specific and intentional about the large scale murals having to base their design on the theme provided by Aunty Gail from the Wurundjeri Tribe of ‘Belong’ or in the Woi Wurrung language ‘Nugal’ pronounced ‘Naar-Gaw’.

Artists connected with each of their communities and locations, combining their aesthetic with the theme in mind to create amazing visual stories and works that connect with every aspect of the festival.

Here international videographer Yoshi Travel Films along with footage captured by local drone pilot and film creator Zaim.fpv put together this footage to share the amazing works in progress.

YOUTH MENTOR PROGRAM

The Youth Mentoring program was an essential part of the Urban Canvas Mural Festival and was structured to involve local youth who are based in either of the six councils of Kingston, Bayside, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Boroondara and Glen Eira.

In total we had 15 Youth engaged with 10 who assisted Elwood based Artist Decoy paint a mural in Balaclava titled 'Birds of Balaclava.

Youth Co-ordinators - Tash and Junz with the help of Artists and Muralists facilitated the program for the Youth which included:

Painting a Mural as a Youth Group with an Artist Participating in Art Workshops
Assisting Artists to paint one of the festival murals Volunteering

ART WORKSHOPS

This program was a key factor to the Urban Canvas Mural Festival and was open to the entire community to be involved in. Six Melbourne based Artists facilitated six different workshops three times over the two week festival period. Art Workshops were offered free of charge to the community to participate in. Artists Involved in the Urban Canvas Art Workshops included;