Painting a dolphin to support mental health

Fremantle Ports proudly supported an engaging art activity at Coogee Live that shone a light on child and adolescent mental health.

Through Fremantle Ports’ support, well-known WA artist Kevin Bynder worked with festival-goers to paint a statue of a dolphin over the festival weekend (7 and 8 March).

Fremantle Ports Manager Corporate and Community Relations Neil Stanbury said the interactive art installation, called Kevin Bynder x The Big Splash, brought together a number of important areas for Fremantle Ports.

“We were keen to support Coogee Live as it is a fantastic weekend of events for the community,” he said.

“In addition. we were proud to support the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and its Big Splash campaign again.

“In 2018, when the Foundation initiated The Big Splash campaign to create a focus on child and adolescent mental health, initiate conversations and raise much-needed funds for mental health, we provided support. 

“For The Big Splash, a huge pod of wildly colourful dolphin sculptures was painted by local artists and made into an art trail exhibition around the streets of Perth.

“The health of the maritime environment is very important to Fremantle Ports and in Fremantle Inner Harbour and Cockburn Sound we often see dolphins.

“We have supported dolphin research at universities for many years.

“So, enabling this activity at Coogee Live complemented the four focus areas of our community investment program: community enrichment, education, the environment, and arts and culture.”

“We were also excited that artist Kevin Bynder led this activity.”

Kevin Bynder (above) designed the West Coast Eagles Indigenous Round jerseys as well as the Perth Scorchers uniforms.

To complement the interactive art installation, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation created an activation at Coogee Live, engaging children to talk about mental health.

A naming competition held at the festival resulted in the dolphin being named Bunuru which is the Noongar Season of Adolescence (February and March).

Fremantle Ports has donated the painted dolphin to Hillman Primary School, in Kwinana.

Fremantle Ports has been a long-term supporter of the school, providing scholarships and funding for the community garden.

Bunuru the dolphin at Hillman Primary School  with Lynette Hunter (Executive Assistant), Ben Jamieson (Principal) and students Naveen, Rhiannon and Patrick