Lighthouse Foundation partners with iconic Australian artists to end youth homelessness
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Melbourne-based not for profit, Lighthouse Foundation, has partnered with iconic Australian artists Ken Done, David Booth and Rachel Castle to create a vibrant campaign that uses art to help spread awareness and BREAK THE PATTERN of youth homelessness.
Children and young people in the care of Lighthouse Foundation are some of Australia’s most vulnerable children, many with complex and challenging behaviours stemming from a range of abuse, trauma and neglect. The BREAK THE PATTERN campaign aims to raise essential funds that will enable Lighthouse Foundation to continue its essential work supporting these young people into brighter futures.
Artists Ken Done, David Booth and Rachel Castle are all well-known for their eye-catching use of colour and pattern, and their digital works will be accessible to the public from 7 June, in exchange for a donation of as little as $2. The artworks will be available to download and display as limited-edition phone, tablet, computer and social media backgrounds and screensavers.
All funds raised through the BREAK THE PATTERN campaign will go directly to Lighthouse Foundation and allow it to continue providing homes and therapeutic care programs for children and young people impacted by homelessness. Donations will be used to support young people with counselling and trauma informed therapy, to provide education resources and support services, to purchase bedding and essential items for a new young person entering care, and to pay for the utilities and upkeep of Lighthouse homes.
Eamonn McCarthy, CEO of Lighthouse Foundation says, “For the past 30 years, Lighthouse Foundation has been working to break the cycle of homelessness and is proud to be one of Australia’s most reputable and long-standing therapeutic care providers. We are now ready to extend our services to reach at-risk youth who are on the cusp of homelessness. By expanding our services to include a proactive outreach model we hope to multiply our impact, increase the number of kids in our care, and end youth homelessness forever.
“We are only able to BREAK THE PATTERN with support from our volunteers and generous donors. That’s why to kick off our goal of achieving ambitious strategic growth, we’ve decided to partner with three iconic Australian artists, Ken Done, David Booth and Rachel Castle.
“Our hope is that these intricate, joyful and patterned artworks will help raise awareness around the many young people both on the brink of homelessness, or without a loving home, and the different patterns they’ve had to break to get where they are today. With the support of individuals and businesses, Lighthouse Foundation can give more of these kids a safe community to belong to, heal with and thrive in, so they can break the relentless negative pattern of generational violence, abuse and neglect.”
Since his first exhibition in 1980, Ken Done has become one of Australia’s most celebrated artists, widely recognised for his series of original works for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. David Booth (ghostpatrol) is a Melbourne-based artist with a diverse practise, shifting between drawing, printmaking, sculpture, multimedia installations and street art. He is well known for his recent artwork, which featured throughout the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022. Rachel Castle is a Sydney-based artist who works within the homewares industry. Her brand, CASTLE, founded in 2008, aims to make accessible art, producing beautiful bedlinen, throws, towels and sweaters.
Visit Lighthouse Foundation to donate, download, display – and help BREAK THE PATTERN.
Lourdes Antenor is an experienced writer who specialises in the not-for-profit sector and its affiliations. She is the content producer for Third Sector News, an online knowledge-based platform for and about the Australian NFP sector.
