Mad About the Creek involved 10 artists, working with approximately 700 children from 15 schools. Primary, secondary and special schools from around the catchment participated and the range of ages and abilities was broad.

Artwork and performances were exhibited at venues including Oxley Creek Water Festival 1998, the Inala Community Art Gallery, and the Mt Gravatt Council Library.

The project's aims were:

• to increase childrens' awareness of catchment issues, and that of their carers, teachers and the general community;
• to give children an opportunity to express their ideas for the future management of the catchment's natural resources.

The schools' projects

• Corinda State High School created limited-edition prints, posters and postcards using digital photography and computer-graphic manipulation.
• Corinda State School painted fabric panels depicting past, present and future "snapshots" of the creek.
• Corinda St Joseph's School constructed lanterns for the festival lantern parade.
• Graceville State School made giant waterbug sculptures, some in three dimensions, others in two.
• Greenbank State School screenprinted murals and T-shirts depicting local fauna.
• Holy Family School, Indooroopilly constructed lanterns for the festival lantern parade.
• Oxley State School created a performance piece about environmental history called "The Secret of Oxley Creek". School children of the present were transported back in time to talk with students from the beginning of the century.
• Richlands East State School created a "recycled creek" made from recycled materials.
• Rocklea State School constructed lanterns for the festival lantern parade.
• Serviceton South State School made dyed fabric "creek flags".
• Sherwood State School's Years 4 and 5 constructed a mural using the techniques of Emily Kame Kngwarrarye as inspiration. Year 7 created ceramic animal totems.
• St Aidan's AGS primary school created mangrove sculptures from recycled materials, highlighting human impacts on the ecosystem. The Environment Club made recycled paper products. The senior drama club developed a play entitled "Unchanged".
• Sunnybank Special School created a canvas mural depicting "Benarrawa Dreaming" using Aboriginal-style hand-printing and sprayed ochre.

Artists

Tina Bullock, Sneja Gjuracic, Margaret Ryan, Katrina Devery Stephanie Outridge-Field, Sara Lawless, John Fitz-walter, Rick Rosser, Liz Mason & Brenda Mason.

Funding: Gaming Machine Community Benefit Fund.