Metro Tunnel artwork brings colour to Kensington childcare service

Panels from a Metro Tunnel Project mural have found a new home at a Kensington childcare service, giving a splash of colour to the early childhood education and care service’s garden.

About 12 panels from a 120-metre-long hoarding that had been used to fence the nearby western tunnel entrance construction site have now been installed at the Kensington Community Children’s Co-Operative (KCCC).

The original mural was painted by renowned street artist Mike Makatron and friends in early 2019, featuring images based on ideas from the community about what they loved about JJ Holland Park – play, pets, family and fun.

Under the guidance of the artist, children from the centre helped paint the big letters of “KENSINGTON” on the artwork.

When the hoarding was no longer needed at the construction site, the Metro Tunnel Project (with the approval of the artist) offered to donate and install some of the panels at the centre.

KCCC program leader Karen Bonson said the artwork had provided the centre with a “really cosy and homely” feel.

“What we wanted was to really have these really big birds and bugs peeking through the bushes and plants on our fence line because our fence was very bare,” Ms Bonson said.

“We’ve got a big praying mantis peeking through the bushes.

“The scale and the colour is incredible.”

The artwork was a part of the Metro Tunnel Creative Program, which aims to keep worksites vibrant and attractive during construction of the city-shaping project.

Ms Bonson added, “A lot of the work we do with the children is talking about the land and the place we’re on, particularly the First Nations people were the traditional custodians and then the change of the land and the space over time, with Metro Tunnel being a big part of that because that’s actually changing the landscape before our eyes.”

“Because some of the children were involved in the painting of it, they’ve been going over to look at it. It’s been really lovely to keep some of that.”

KCCC student Riley, 3, with his arms outstretched, said, “it’s big, it’s so big. It’s bigger than me.” •

Caption: Artwork from a Metro Tunnel Project mural was recently installed at the Kensington Community Children’s Co-Operative.

Photographer: Kit Edwards.