Hockey Art - Bringing Culture and Community Together

Hockey Art will be once again highlighted at the 2009 Karumba Festival of Sport as part of the ongoing hockey program in the Gulf Savannah communities of the remote north west Queensland. These communities will produce images on sticks and balls painted by young people reflecting hockey’s role in their community. The artwork will be judged and the winning community will be given hockey equipment to support their on- going programs.

Many thousands of miles away  – another Hockey Art clinic was held in Sydney in July in conjunction with the International Women’s Champions Trophy. Hockey Art was included as part of a Hook in2 Hockey Super Clinic. At this clinic – young people met the Hockeyroos, undertook Hook in2 Hockey and participated in Hockey Art.

“We were fairly brief in how we introduced Hockey Art. I explained to the children that it originated as a part of the remote program, and that there are artists who paint on the sticks to represent their culture, feelings or where they have come from.  We only used Green and Gold paint, and we asked the participants to paint on the sticks in these Aussie colours, anything they would like.  We suggested ideas of where they are from, how much fun they have watching the Hockeyroos play, what hockey means to them etc”  said Bec Waley from Hockey Australia who conducted the clinics.

"I think it was definitely a beneficial experience, and they all had a great time participating and comparing each others sticks" Bec Waley confirmed

 Hockey Art has a current program running in the Torres Strait in partnership with Tagai Tafe and the Torres Strait Island community art students. As part of the Qld 150 anniversary year celebrations, hockey sticks are being painted to reflect significant events over the past 150 years in the Island communities of the Torres Strait.

The Project is entitled “ An interactive approach of reflecting on our past and Imagining our Future” and the artwork once completed will be photographed and be produced into a booklet and presented to the communities of the Torres Strait. It will also be used to highlight the hockey program in these remote and isolated communities to the general hockey population with the view to the better understanding of culture and Islander values.

If you would like to know how to conduct hockey art clinics - contact Julie McNeil julie.mcneil4@bigpond.com

The Project is entitled “ An interactive approach of reflecting on our past and Imagining our Future” and the artwork once completed will be photographed and be produced into a booklet and presented to the communities of the Torres Strait. It will also be used to highlight the hockey program in these remote and isolated communities to the general hockey population with the view to the better understanding of culture and Islander values.

If you would like to know how to conduct hockey art clinics - contact Julie McNeil julie.mcneil4@bigpond.com