Urban Seed News
Urban Seed News
Urban Seed Annual Report 2004
December 22, 2004
The Urban Seed 2004 annual report is now available.
Click here to download.
For a hard copy call 03 9650 4023.
Urban Seed responds to recent media
December 21, 2004
Urban Seed staff Sue Hogan and Brent Lyons-Lee responded to recent media around injecting drug use in the city by writing letters to the editor of The Age, Herald Sun and Melbourne Times. The following was published in the Melbourne Times.
Give help, not punishment
The heroin death toll has reached 100 for this year, according to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. There is a community perception that tougher policing reduces the number of heroin deaths. This does not appear to be the case. Urban Seed, a community organisation in the CBD, responds to the drug-use that occurs in the lane at our back door. Most illicit drug users we speak to share the human story of trying to cope with life. When people's lives have spiralled to the point of street based drug use, punitive responses will not help. People using drugs need support and avenues of treatment.
Classic princibles of supply and demand will ensure that an illicit drug trade continues. A singular focus on supply reduction is futile given the nature of this black market. Don't we need to put more enrgey and resourses into reducing demad? Why are the people using illicit drugs in the first place?
Sue Hogan, Brent Lyons-Lee/
Urban Seed/Collins Street/Melbourne
Melbourne Times 8/12/04
The new urbanseed.org goes live!
December 10, 2004
The new look urbanseed.org website went live today. The site aims to refect the work of Urban Seed as well as meet the diverse demands of the people we connect with.
Special thanks to the team at Mintleaf Studio for their hard work.
Laneway Mural Project Launched
The Baptist Place Mural project was launched on December the 8th. The 3 murals depict issues of Koori, Vietnemese and Anglo injecting drug users in Baptist Place.
For more information on the project contact Pieter Keldan on 03 9650 4023 or email pieter.keldan@urbanseed.org.
A major project this year has been the laneway mural project. It was designed to visually improve the laneway and increase ownership of the space while engaging injecting drug users with messages of harm reduction. Focus groups were held with injecting drug users from different cultural groups who use the space. These included Koori, Vietnamese and Anglo people. Themes from these groups were used to develop three murals within Baptist Place. The mural project was launched December 8 2004.
Pain in the Arts - Exhibition Launch and Calender
December 01, 2004
On 17th November 2004 Urban Seed’s recreational art class Pain in the Arts, held its first exhibition and calendar launch. Pain in the Arts is open to all those who attend lunch at Credo Café. This year the class has run every Wednesday afternoon and over 30 people have participated throughout the year.
Paul Toms, a professional artist has guided the participants through various artistic disciplines including photography, drawing and painting.
The class has given participants who often find themselves marginalised in the community, the opportunity to express themselves through artist means and explore their creativity.
One of the participants Esmeralda said of the art class,
“I think they have give me my artistic streak; they have helped it come out.”
The exhibition has been extremely popular, with many of the artworks being sold to help fund next year’s class. The Pain in the Arts 2005 Calendar featuring the artworks is currently on sale for $15. Inquiries:Ph.9650 4023.
