Creativity key at inclusive studio

TUCKED away in Golden Square is an art studio with a difference, it’s a disability support program that provides a creative space for those with NDIS funding.

Called DONUT Studios, it’s an art space where clients can paint and draw, there’s also a recording studio to make music or record radio programs and outdoor areas for gardening and exercise.

DONUT Studios is run by parent company CBChange and studio manager Rachel O’Dowd said the Belle Vue Road creative space was a more recent addition.

“CB has several practitioners across Victoria that work with people with behaviours of concern or in behaviour management,” she said. “That side was started eight years ago. We then opened up DONUT Studios three years ago.”

Ms O’Dowd said the studio had a different name when it was purchased so they changed it, though not everyone understands the idea behind it.

“We changed it to DONUT Studios because we wanted it to be a bit fun,” she said. “But it also stands for Disability, Options, Nurturing, Unique, Talent.

“People will often tell us we’ve spelled it wrong because they don’t realise it’s an acronym.”

The name isn’t important though Ms O’Dowd said, it’s about what’s achieved by running things a bit differently from similar programs.

“Our main aim is to provide a space where our client’s purposes can be reached,” she said. “We are honest about our goals and being inclusive.

“We are fluid, sometimes our clients just want a chat for the day so that’s what we do with them.

“A lot of other places have strict programs where from 9am to 10am you do this, then 10 to 12 it’s this, it’s like you’re at school.

“I don’t get it because someone may have paranoid schizophrenia, so they have full cognition, they’re adults.”

Another goal of DONUT Studios is to provide income for some of their artists.

“We’re about to go into an online shop and do some printing,” Ms O’Dowd said. “We have one artist, Judah, who has quite significant autism, but his drawing and his repetition of patterns are gorgeous. It would look great on kid’s clothes or blankets.

“We’re really wanting to move towards actually getting small amounts of income in for their work through an online shop.”

Not that money is a concern for the artist’s themselves.

“They really couldn’t give a s*** by the way,” Ms O’Dowd said. “Our artists love the creative process. The end game is just that, creating.”