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Artful Dodgers Studio

A renewed creative studio for young people (16–28 yrs) navigating mental health worries and other life challenges

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The Artful Dodgers Studio provides trauma-informed, multi-disciplinary arts-based engagement for young people aged 16–28 experiencing psychosocial and intersectional life challenges.  

After a period of hiatus whilst we moved to our new site, we are ready to welcome you back to the reinvigorated program. We’d love to introduce you to the creative space we’re building for young people and share a cuppa in the garden. 

Our newly re-imagined space in Brunswick offers structured creative workshops, open studio access and relational support—all designed to nurture confidence, reduce isolation and strengthen wellbeing pathways. The Artful Dodgers Studio integrates art, care and connection, with a focus on participation, belonging, and growth.  

The Artful Dodgers studio aim to:

  • engage young people through a range of multidisciplinary arts experiences and projects 
  • foster young people’s creative expression and increase social connection, belonging, identity exploration and self-esteem 
  • provide opportunities for building life skills, creative collaboration, and learning 
  • provide referral pathways and navigation support to those who would like to engage with other services  
  • connect young people to the Ecological Justice Hub where the new Artful Dodgers Studio is located 

About the studio

At the Artful Dodgers Studio, you can:

  • realise your unique artistic skills and visions 
  • drop into our Open Studio Sessions for solo or group creative mentorship 
  • engage in our diverse programming of creative workshops across artistic mediums in one of our Create Sessions 
  • be a part of our growing community, make friends through art and influence the direction of Artful Dodgers Studio through our Connect Sessions 

Established in 1996, Artful Dodgers Studio is one of Victoria’s longest-running community cultural development programs.

An illustration of a non-binary person looking to the right and laughing

Artful Dodgers Studio is a safe and inclusive space where all people are free to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and include people from all genders, abilities, religions, cultural and identity backgrounds, and circumstances. We are NDIS friendly. Learn more about our work with NDIS participants.

Staff at the studio can also refer young people to any other support they may need, including Jesuit Social Services’ mental health, drug and alcohol, and education, training and employment programs.

See some of the programs

What can you do at Artful Dodgers Studio?

Expand each studio to see what’s on offer.

Self-paced, low pressure creative session to make, explore, find your solo corner or receive guidance.

The Studio is available for open, creative practice with access to materials and our “kit”. Artists can arrive and leave anytime within the session window.

Guided, skill-building, hands-on workshops to learn new skills or find a medium through which to express your inner world. Check out our programming in diverse artistic mediums across mixed studio arts, writing, music, poetry, beat making and crafting using natural materials.

Identity, storytelling, cultivating community and relational connections between participants. Fostering possibilities for collaboration, cultural leadership and influencing the direction of Artful Dodgers in a co-design exercise.

A space to connect with each other through creative expression.

See our calendar

Past Projects

Click the arrows to see some projects from Artful Dodgers Studio.

Braided is a podcast that threads together the intimate, challenging, and triumphant stories of a group of young people from diverse cultural backgrounds who are living with difficult life circumstances.
Hosted in collaboration with M.E.S.S (Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio), I Heart Synths was an eight-week free workshop series for young people to explore and learn through one of the world’s most cherished collection of vintage and cutting-edge synthesisers.
In collaboration with Matchworks, Essential Prints was a six-month program guiding participants through the process of creating hand-printed homewares – from printing, dyeing and sewing together pillow cases, bed-throws and baby blankets.
Beatmaking Undefeated was an eight-week series of free workshops to get participants started using Ableton Live to make original compositions and beats, as well as to record and produce tracks.
Australia fashion designer and artist Linda Jackson and Indigenous artist and emerging designer Lyn-Al Young worked with young artists from the Artful Dodgers Studios, Charcoal Lane, the Social Studio and SIGNAL to create a series of silk paintings and prints.
In collaboration with Job Prospects, Digital Voices was a six-month program where participants produced a number of video, film and animation works.
Artful Dodgers Studio partnered with Signal and artist Deborah Kelly to deliver five collage-making workshops, in which young people created a large composition from vintage magazines and materials.

Who can participate?

Any young person experiencing psychosocial and intersectional life challenges aged 16 – 28 years old can access the Artful Dodgers Studio.

Artful Dodgers Studio is a haven where I can just be myself. I’ve had help from lots of services in the past but they only looked at my problems, not at who I am as a person. The studio is a place where I can be me.

Artful Dodgers Studio participant

Where is the program offered?

Artful Dodgers Studio is based at the Eco Justice Hub in Brunswick, Melbourne—an accessible venue close to public transport.
Address: 3 Saxon St, Brunswick VIC 3056

Phone: 0491 298 206

Email: artful.dodgers@jss.org.au

Instagram: @artful_dodgers

The Artful Dodgers Studio is open weekdays on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

  • Morning Sessions: 11-1pm
  • The Studio closes for lunch break from 1-2pm
  • Afternoon Sessions: 2 – 4pm

Tram 

Route: 19 to Broadmeadows 

Stop: #21 Brunswick Town Hall / Sydney Rd 

Train 

Route: Upfield line 

Closest station: Jewell Station 

Bus 

Stop: Sydney Rd/Glenlyon Road 

Routes: 506 

To express your interest in volunteering or doing a student placement at Artful Dodgers Studio, please visit our volunteering page or contact Branka at jssvolunteer@jss.org.au.

It’s not just a place where young people can play music and do art – it’s a space where they can realise their unique potential and explore who they are.

Get involved

To learn more about joining, visiting or hosting at Artful Dodgers Studio, please contact the team at artful.dodgers@jss.org.au.

Download the referral form

Supporting Artful Dodgers Studio

Artful Dodgers Studio thrives on community support and welcomes contributions.

Artful Dodgers Studio thrives on the support of the community. We gratefully accept donations of art and music equipment. Please email us at artful.dodgers@jss.org.au or call us on (03) 9415 8700 to discuss your contribution.

Some of the materials we often need are:

  • paints and paper
  • boards and canvas
  • ceramic equipment
  • easels
  • musical instruments

Your tax-deductible donation will go towards supporting Artful Dodgers Studio participants. Donations and funding enable us to:

  • provide a creative haven for young people
  • provide social and material support to young people, including linking to training and employment programs and mental health support services
  • provide art materials to young artists

To donate to Artful Dodgers Studio, make a donation and select ‘Artful Dodgers Studio’ as your campaign.

Artful Dodgers Studio is grateful for the wonderful support that enables us to keep our doors open – across government departments, philanthropic partners and individual community members.

Volunteer with Artful Dodgers Studio

We’re looking for volunteers to join our creative community at the Artful Dodgers Studio in Brunswick.

Artful Dodgers is a welcoming, trauma-informed arts and music space for young people (16–28) navigating mental health and life challenges. Through art, music and culture, we create a space where young people can connect, build skills, and express themselves in safety and at their own pace.

We’re seeking practicing artists, creatives, and/or community-minded people who are interested in peer support, mentorship, and working alongside young people in a non-clinical, creative environment.

What you’ll do
  • Support Open Studio sessions (art + music) 
  • Help set up and pack down the space 
  • Offer gentle, peer-based support to participants 
  • Assist with creative activities and workshops 
  • Contribute to a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment 
  • Support behind-the-scenes studio operations and admin tasks 
Who this is for

This role may suit you if you:

  • Have a creative practice or interest in the arts/music 
  • Are curious about community cultural development and arts-based wellbeing 
  • Bring lived experience of mental health challenges or experience supporting others (valued, not required) 
  • Enjoy working alongside young people in a respectful, non-judgmental way 
  • Are reliable, grounded and open to learning 
What you’ll gain
  • Experience working in a trauma-informed, arts-based community setting 
  • Opportunities to build skills in facilitation, peer support and creative engagement 
  • Insight into working at the intersection of art, wellbeing and social justice 
  • Connection to a supportive team and creative community 
  • The chance to make a meaningful impact in young people’s lives 
Commitment

We ask for a minimum commitment of one shift per month for 6 months.

How to apply

Read through our Volunteers Role and Purpose Statement and send an expression of interest with a Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae and/or short statement about yourself to artful.dodgers@jss.org.au

Download our Volunteer flyer
Download our Volunteer purpose statement

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