As a teenager, Abbey would rush to the Davoren Park shopping centre every Saturday with her sister and mum, eager to join the art program Pom Pom run by Carclew and funded by AnglicareSA’s Communities for Children Playford.   

“My sister and I were both artistic kids, so we would be able to come to Pom Pom and spend time together with mum,” Abbey said.

“It was a free activity for us to do that we could afford. It was the highlight of my week.”

Now, a decade later, the budding artist has returned to that same program – not as a participant, but as a practitioner.

“It’s a great full circle moment of doing my dream job and pursuing something I am passionate about, and then seeing all these kids at Pom Pom and being able to tell them I was once one of them,” Abbey said.

 

 

Pom Pom is a contemporary art space where young artists aged up to 12 years can drop in and create their next masterpiece.

Every workshop is run by a different artist from Carclew, like Abbey, who teach the children about a different creative practice, such as drawing, painting, collage, ceramics, and jewellery making.

Abbey said growing up in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, there were challenges and few opportunities for her to explore her creativity, which made Pom Pom all the more appealing to her.

“Art wasn’t as accessible for me, because I came from a low socio-economic background, and materials can be expensive,” Abbey said.

“Pom Pom supported me as a young person coming from the northern suburbs to make that connection to art making and pursue that as a career and passion.”

Now, Abbey is a multidisciplinary visual artist who primarily works with installation, sculpture, and video, with her personal background living in social housing fuelling her artistic practice.

 

 

“My artistic practice explores the experiences of home from the perspective of a low socio-economic upbringing,” Abbey said. “I weave narratives of place, public housing, and my experiences of that. I try to make work that integrates with the community and incorporates their opinions and stories.”

Abbey said her goal as a practitioner at Pom Pom and a visual artist was to make art accessible for young people in the northern suburbs.

“I want young people in the northern suburbs to know that expressing their experiences and their feelings through art making and creative practices, such as music or dance, is a possibility and something that you can actually pursue.

“Being able to talk to the kids and their parents, understand where they are coming from through my own lived experience, and to help them feel like they can open up is so important.

“To give them a safe space to share their ideas and talk about their creations makes such a difference.”

Jayde Milburn from AnglicareSA’s Communities for Children Playford team said the goal with funding community programs like Pom Pom was to provide local children access to free activities that could build on their capacity, skills, and passions.

“Communities for Children is all about building the capacity of our community and Abbey is a true reflection of that,” Jayde said.

“Without Abbey having access to free programs in our community, such as Pom Pom, she would not have had that exposure to organisations such as Carclew. For Abbey to now be working as an artist at Carclew in her dream job shows the importance of the work we do in Communities for Children.”

AnglicareSA’s Communities for Children program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

 

Ready to get creative?

Pom Pom offers a mainstream program as well as a relaxed hour program with children who have sensory needs or are neurodivergent. The program runs during the school term and school holidays. No bookings are required.

Relaxed hour:

Where: Davoren Park Shopping Centre, 45 Peachey Road, Davoren Park

When: 10am – 11am Saturdays during school term, 10am – 11am weekdays during school holidays

Mainstream program:

Where: Davoren Park Shopping Centre, 45 Peachey Road, Davoren Park

When: 11am – 3pm Saturdays during school term, 11am – 3pm weekdays during school holidays

For more information, please visit Carclew’s website.