Marnin Studio, a social enterprise in Fitzroy Crossing, is the first venture partner of Social Ventures Australia’s WA venture philanthropy portfolio. Marnin Studio is an arts and therapeutic studio operating out of the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre. In this article, we share a few stories about recent activities at the Studio.

In July 2016, the Studio ran an Artist in Residency program, bringing two professional artists up to Fitzroy Crossing for a six week training program that focussed on developing the women’s technical and design skills in bush dyeing, screen-printing and block printing.

The Studio travelled to Darwin in August 2016 with six of the women for the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair; the biggest Aboriginal art fair in Australia. The trip was a huge success with the Studio selling $10,000 worth of products, which was double their original projections.

The Studio has also started engaging women and families in the surrounding communities and have identified four communities with interest, support and facilities to run art therapy programs. They are now developing a timeline for the programs, which will be led by local women, providing them with additional income as well as opportunities to engage younger women in productive and therapeutic activities.

Finally, the Studio has recently undergone a renovation, separating out the on-site store from the studio/art therapy area. This has improved the shopping experience for tourists, resulting in increased sales. Most importantly though, this has improved the therapeutic experience for the women by creating a separate and safe space for them to engage in their art practice.