Bringing lived experience into the Magistrates' Court
Court Services Victoria commissioned co-design workshops to translate lived experience of the justice system into permanent artwork for the Victorian Magistrates' Court.
The Context
Court Services Victoria wanted the Victorian Magistrates' Court to visually reflect the communities most affected by the justice system — a brief that required direct, trust-based access to young people with lived experience most institutions can't reach on their own.
The challenge
That kind of brief needs direct, trust-based access to young people with lived experience of the justice system, access most institutions cannot build on their own.
Our approach
Culture Spring led co-design workshops bringing together multicultural young people with lived experience of the justice system and multicultural artists, translating that lived experience into original artwork concepts.
The impact
The workshops produced original, community-informed artwork now installed in the Victorian Magistrates' Court — a permanent civic asset built from lived experience rather than external interpretation.
“Working with CMY’s Culture Spring initiative has been a highly positive and valuable experience. Their team brought strong cultural insight, a genuine commitment to youth participation, and a thoughtful approach to embedding culturally meaningful artwork within a justice setting.
Culture Spring helped ensure that cultural representation was approached with authenticity and respect, while keeping the voices and experiences of young people at the centre of the process. Their collaborative approach, responsiveness and ability to navigate cultural considerations added significant value to our partnership.
We greatly appreciated Cultural Spring’s expertise and their commitment to creating opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to contribute in meaningful and visible ways to embed cultural safety.”
