It’s springtime and that means with the warmer weather comes new street art!

I stumbled upon an inspiring wall mural off a little lane near Flinders St and Exhibition St.
As part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, Aerosol Arabic teamed up with Crooked Rib to create a two-story tall mural that combines some of the best graffiti + stencil techniques and a profound message on climate change.  I encourage everyone to see this.

Location:
Spark Lane, off Flinders St, Melbourne
Between Spring St and Exhibition St

Aerosol Arabic

In the news

We are back! Apologies for the delay but we’ve taken some time to map out our 2009-2012 strategic directions.

We’ve decided that the best use of this space would be to share our thoughts and information regarding intercultural happenings across Melbourne and further afield.

As spring and summer approaches, there are a lot of good things coming up.  We can’t wait!

Oxfam have this great interactive simulation going on in Albert Park called Refugee Realities. They have constructed the various parts of a refugee camp- housing tents, water station, border crossing, and integrated them into a simulated experience for adults and schoolchildren that takes them from the time refugees leave their homes, make their way to the camp and start camp life. It brings a tangible reality to the refugee experience.

I see real benefit in simulations. Simulation exercises can push people out of their comfort zone in a “safe” environment. Safe because we can choose the level that we participate and engage in the simulation. Safe because we have a choice to stop the simulation or ignore various unpleasant aspects. We are safe in the knowledge that it will end in due course and by the end of the day we can go home to our reality. After we feel safe, we have room to explore and learn about how we are affected by the possibilities and constraints of the environment.

Intercultural training simulations allow people to see how they would react, internally and externally, and provide the participant with not only awareness and appreciation for the target culture but can also provide invaluable self awareness for the honestly sincere participant.

It was fantastic to hear that so many school groups have already signed up to participate in Oxfam‘s Refugee Realities.

http://www.oxfam.org.au/