Testimonial from Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

“A unique aspect of this co-design process as implemented by VACCA Project Development staff was the conscious effort to provide a value-add for participants beyond the $100 Coles Gift Voucher, which is essentially just a monetary exchange for time. While a voucher is essential to both promoting the event and valuing the contributions of participants, combining the community consultation with a Creative Workshop provided a value-add for participants beyond financial compensation.

This workshop combined water colour, stencils and acrylic painting with accessible techniques any beginner could utilise. It was facilitated by a Yamatji artist, Maegan from Red Tree Community Arts, who provided all products and guidance for the workshop. This elicited a lot of positive feedback from participants and overall created a safe, community-oriented space with more meaning and more engagement than a dry, paperwork-based community consultation and questionnaire.

Quotes from young people regarding the Creative Workshop:

"This is the best artwork I've ever done."

"I used to do art in high school and ace it, so this is my thing. It's therapeutic for me."

Quotes from other participants regarding the Creative Workshop:

“This artwork has to come from me. In my painting, Bunjil is flying down from the sky bringing a storm in.”

“Can I come back and do the art session again next week?”

“I am going to take this home to show my daughter.”

Giving participants the capacity to create an artwork they have made themselves, something tangible they can take home from the workshop, in addition to lunch and a voucher supports the co-design process long-term.

Participants will be more likely to engage with services and VACCA again, they will build stronger relationships with workers, engage more openly in feedback and feel safer and more connected to culture through the co-design process – rather than feeling alienated or disconnected due to the bureaucratic formalities of other kinds of community consultations on government services.”