From 2019 to 2022, Heaps Decent teamed up with the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga to deliver the multi-artform ‘No Borders In Our Sky’ project.
The interactive augmented reality (AR) experience features the original artworks of around 100 young locals and explores notions of home, community, identity and belonging. They will be accessible through an app available from the 1st of April 2023!
Who are we now as a community, and who could we be? No Borders In Our Sky brought diverse young people together to express their vision for harmony and belonging, and to tackle global issues arising from prejudice and racism at a grass roots level. Over 3 years they explored music production and visual media, and created a number of public outcomes in the local community.
Heaps Decent is thrilled to introduce our second feature artist of the year, That Gurl Bella. HD writer Amy recently chatted to the up-and-comer about her role models, her future in the music industry and her process of songwriting at such a young age.
That Gurl Bella is an inner-west Sydney-based rapper, singer, and songwriter. Using her unique and smooth as silk vocals, she writes and sings in the same vein as the classics that she grew up listening to. She has always loved music, and from a young age has idolised top-tier singer-songwriters like Selena Quintanilla, Christina Aguilera, rappers Kurtis Blow & Eminem, and other rap, pop, and R&B superstars. She has created a lot of songs over the years, and works with Heaps Decent producers to take her tunes to the next level, with her latest song receiving rotation on Triple J.
Lil Arts is a 17 year-old indigenous rapper from Walgett and Waterloo. He is part of the recently formed Sydney hip hop group Young Guns Original, sharing stories and observations from their lives growing up in the neighbourhood with hooks the kids love. YGO has played festivals and shows around the city including Balmy Nights at the Rocks and toured regional NSW with local legend Kobie Dee on the Block Party tour. Most recently Lil Arts had his biggest audiences yet, when he opened for The Kid LAROI on his latest tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Princess Atlantis is a 17 year-old Aboriginal and Lebanese musical artist from Western Sydney. With an ear for melodies, she writes and performs genre-bending, infectious future facing club bangers. Her inspirations range from the unbeatable songwriting femme-fatales such as Amy Winehouse and Lana Del Rey, to the wit and unapologetic attitudes of rappers like Kanye West and Azaelia Banks. She has played shows at Balmy Nights in the Rocks, Saferoom as well as the Qween’s Ball at Luna Park’s Big Top. So far she has released 3 singles receiving radio play on Triple J and FBI.
We would like to thank the Pantera Press Foundation for their generous support of the Heaps Decent program. The Foundation recognises the impact and importance of creative development and self expression for children and young people – essential parts of learning and wellbeing. They are helping us increase access and inclusion in song writing and music production.
Heaps Decent runs a weekly workshop with the young people of Key College in Redfern, a private College run by Youth Off The Streets that provides education for young people without stable housing. Heaps Decent have been leading weekly music workshops at Key College since 2008 with great success!
Home Base is our weekly workshop providing studio time and music production. Run as a drop-in format for young people to come and record with one of our facilitators, Home Base is a great opportunity to build skills and work on new content. We regularly run sessions in Redfern, Glebe, Haymarket and Woolloomoolloo.
Riverina and Wagga Sessions is an ongoing workshop project in the Riverina hub of Wagga Wagga in NSW and greater Riverina area. The project consists of workshop visits at various centres around the Riverina region with numerous community partners.
The Big Up program focuses on music creation and appreciation skills, building confidence and self-expression. It aims to help at-risk young people to find alternative ways to engage with education and become engaged members of the community. The project takes place at schools and programs within Youth Justice Centres and schools for young people with behavioural challenges right across NSW.
Heaps Decent Augmented Reality Heaps Decent has been working with young people around Australia making digital artworks that you can view via our Heaps Decent augmented reality app. How to Use Download the app! App store Google Play Enable camera access for the app Ensure you have reasonable network connection or wifi Point your phone […]
Tirkandi Inaburra is a cultural centre for First Nations Youth in Coleambally, NSW. It aims to empower teens to develop and draw on their own resilience in order to take responsibility for their own lives, develop strategies to deal with their problems and minimise risk taking behaviours. The promotion of self-confidence, identity and cultural pride is […]
We’re delighted to support the creative expression of young women, and those wanting to enter the music industry with skills development and mentoring.
Heaps Decent facilitators, armed with professional recording equipment and a whole lot of enthusiasm, lead music production workshops with a large majority of First Nations young people in the community. Joining forces with local organisations such as Wings Drop-In Centre, Heaps Decent facilitates a number of week-long workshop visits.
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Introducing our first feature artist for 2022: Princess Atlantis! The genre-bending sensation chatted with us about her first live performance, and we got the inside scoop on her influences and her musical journey so far.
We would like to announce some special grant support from the IMB Bank Community Foundation. Creative engagement provides a means by which young people can tackle their thoughts and feelings through self-expression. Heaps Decent works to empower children and youth to express themselves through music and multi-media projects. Many participants we work with experience mental […]
A big thank you to NSW ClubGRANTS. The City of Sydney RSL and Club York have provided funding assistance for our Home Base project in Redfern.
Excited to announce Heaps Decent is part of the Be Kind Sydney 2021 Day of Giving. This epic collaboration is to raise funds for 100+ local Sydney charities, including us!
Janine has extensive experience in the public education sector, and is currently managing disability programs in the Riverina. Over many decades she has worked with isolated Aboriginal communities and marginalised young people. Janine recognises the enormous potential that exists in young people regardless of life circumstances. Janine is committed to supporting work that allows the ability of young people to flourish.
We are now a registered Creative Kids provider! Young people across NSW can redeem vouchers with us. If you don’t have a voucher, claim yours at Service NSW.
The People of Post Grants gives Australia Post workforce members the opportunity to nominate a local organisation for a small grant. Big thanks to Louisa in Redfern for choosing to nominate us! Our application was successful and we have been able to purchase a new Oculus Quest headset, an exciting tool in our kit for exploring virtual reality.
We need your help to support change, positive futures, and the development of high quality Australian music with young people. Make a tax deductible EOFY donation to support our work now!
In 2020 with the support of the City of Sydney we gathered a library of found sounds made by some of Sydney’s youngest residents. When things went very quiet for a while we invited primary school aged children from several schools in the area to make some really loud noises, and these were orchestrated into “Sydney Human Beat Machine”. The resulting edit is a real celebration of the energy and invention of kids in the city.
Super happy to share this recently completed short film 3c Above Part 1: Protecting the Country. Made by emerging filmmakers Sivani Yaddanapudi & Samantha Barahona, this film looks at how climate change is impacting our local communities. It’s part of a larger Heaps Decent multi-media project in the making.
We would like to thank the Commonwealth Department of Health for supporting our 2021 Big Up program through their Youth Action Project Grant Scheme.
We are seeking Sydney based multi-media artists to join a pool of casual workshop leaders. Desirable candidates may be experienced in public art, mural creation, VR/AR technology, or digital art including animation. We encourage applicants skilled in several visual mediums.
The No Borders In Our Sky mural won an award at the Real World XR Awards! With some big competition, the mural was selected as the winner in the Diversity category.
During Artstate, No Borders In Our Sky will present a photographic portrait series titled Future Leaders as well as the interactive public art mural. In the Future Leaders series participants collaged their own additions to their portraits by hand, exploring personal identity, culture and strength.
We are excited to announce that we have received funding from the City of Sydney for Home Base workshops covering the essentials of music production and recording. Participants will be able to access a range of current equipment and technology while working with our skilled music producers. We will be commencing workshops once we can […]
After over 12 months of multimedia workshops, creating artworks, recording songs, interviews and stories, we were proud to install a large scale interactive mural that celebrates the diversity and creativity of young people engaged in the No Borders project in Wagga. 28 beautiful self portraits make up the mural, each portrait a window into the […]
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Win Tickets for Bridge Climb Terms and Conditions 1. Entry is open to Australian residents only aged 18 and over. Only one (1) entry per individual will be accepted. 2. Promotion commences 23/09/19 and final entries close on 25/09/19 at 10am 3. To enter participants must re-post this photo, describe why you want a ticket […]
We’ve worked with some amazing talent over the years & some of them will be coming together for one big night at Vivid!
Spicy lineup and *FREE ENTRY*
1mob have performed shows including Good Vibrations Festival, Parklife, VIVID Sydney, and supported Bone Thugs & Harmony. They have also worked with communities and presented at Yabun Festival on numerous occasions, as well as working with Heaps Decent for several years. 1mob have shared studio time with international artists including AC Slater, Jessie Rose, Diplo, A-Trak, and collaborated with local MCs Brother Black, The Last Kinection and Street Warriors. After putting music on hold, Rhimi and Henry are back to take the industry by a storm!
This month we are celebrating 4 years of Heaps Decent tracks played on FBi Radio! Since April 2015, Heaps Decent Radio has been featured (almost) every Monday at 5pm. We did the maths – that’s over 180 songs played!
We are thrilled to announce our partnership with new music platform, Emanate!
Earlier in 2018 we attended a mini schools camp in the small northern NSW town Enngonia, to run a week of music and digital art workshops. Facilitators Ego, Charlie and Adam created some amazing work with kids from Enngonia, Louth, Bourke-Walgett and Wanaaring schools. We produced this super cute green screen music video Party in the Sky!
We’re thrilled to announce that we will be returning to Riverina Juvenile Justice Centre to run music production workshops with help from the Wagga Wagga City Council Annual Grants Program!
Co-founder of Heaps Decent and social media personality Nina Las Vegas was forced into music by her parents in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Nina brought her piano skills to Sydney and entered the exciting world of radio production, and hosted two national radio shows on triple j. In 2015 she started her own music label, NLV Records, and continues to pursue her career as a solo artist. Nina is an inspiring role model for young people, and continues to mentor them in creative enterprises.
In March we made the trip to the small town of Enngonia in northern NSW.
Andrew co-founded Heaps Decent with Nina Agzarian in 2007 when he was 22 and regularly touring Australia as a DJ. Andrew has since worked as head chef in his own restaurant, and continues to write about good food and music. Levins also hosts many podcasts, including Hey Fam, Serious Issues, Old Raps, All the Small Games and The Mitchen. Having music knowledge spanning countless musical realms, and having been a DJ since the age of 15 makes Levins an instant favourite with young people.
A key facilitator of Heaps Decent, Charlie is a DJ/Producer and man about town. Having DJd since 2005 at clubs and festivals all over, he has a diverse taste in music and a knack for imparting this on anyone who will listen. His passion lies in synthesizers and making Heaps Decent run like a well oiled machine.
Heaps Decent facilitator main man Adam started his music obsession at a young age, playing Piano at 4 years old and trying his hand at every other instrument possible until he turned 18 and discovered electronic music. He has remixed for some of the biggest dance labels in the world such as Dim Mak and Southern Fried, and performed throughout Europe, Asia and USA.
Meem is considered a pioneer in Australian electronic music-making, and has performed at some of Australia’s hugest music festivals and supported various first-class international acts. Meem has been part of the team at Heaps Decent since 2015, using his many years as a music producer and educator to engage even the shyest workshop participants.
Ego is a digital artist and has been working with us since 2015. His multimedia skillset includes video and projection, augmented reality, print, and audio-visual performance, with a trademark surreal and high intensity style. He has created projections for Vivid Sydney, exhibited at MONA FOMA, and worked on music videos for artists including LDRU, KLP, Sachi and Favored Nations. His workshop activities are on the cutting edge – exploring imagined virtual reality landscapes and the latest technologies.
Sarah has been working with Heaps Decent since 2015, and uses her extensive experience as a multimedia artist and independent filmmaker to facilitate engaging visual art workshops. Sarah has previously held the positions of Associate Director at Milk Crate Theatre, and Outreach Director at Shopfront Arts Co-op. Sarah has a Masters in Media Arts and Production (UTS), a Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting (AFTRS), and also is a qualified school teacher.
Howard is an artist, filmmaker and educator with 20 years of experience in the creative arts. Howard was previously based in London and worked with museums and galleries including The National Portrait Gallery, Serpentine Gallery and Tate Modern. Since relocating to Sydney, he has worked as co-Artistic Director/CEO at Shopfront Youth Arts, and in recent years worked for various organisations including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Living Museums, and Sydney University.
Due to overwhelming demand, The xx have added an additional Melbourne show to their Australian tour with proceeds going to Heaps Decent and Minus 18!
2017 has been a HUGE year for Heaps Decent, thanks HEAPS for all the support!
A couple of weeks back, Warner held a special screening of Major Lazer’s Give Me Future documentary, which takes a behind the scenes look at their momentus Cuba show.
Our Project Director Charlie O’Brien is a panelist at this years Electronic Music Conference.
Nina Las Vegas, Elizabeth Rose and Sparrows have recently been running all girls workshops in Sydney!
Our 10 Year celebration, I Heart Heaps Decent, was a great success! We sold every single piece and raised over $36,000 for Heaps Decent…
‘Wanderer’, 2017
graphic print
50 x 70cm
‘Handscape VII’, 2017
pure pigment on archival paper
60 x 60cm
‘Inferno’, 2016
four colour risograph print
42 × 29.7cm (unframed)
limited edition of 50
‘Element Song V’, 2017
paper, marine ply, ink, paint, graphite, wax and desert ochre
37.5 x 31cm (framed)
‘One of these things first VII’, 2017
watercolour ink and acrylic on French artisan paper
32 x 26cm (framed)
‘Shh’, 2017
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 20cm
‘Shifting Worlds’, 2017
oil on linen
69.5 x 89.5cm (hardwood frame)
Come and celebrate 10 YEARS OF HEAPS DECENT!
Join our story – a charity art auction will be held on the night, an opportunity to buy some incredible pieces by Australian-based artists while contributing to the future of Heaps Decent. All funds raised will go directly into delivering projects where they are most needed.
‘Little Hideaway’, 2017
Oil on linen
92cm x 112cm (unframed)
‘Penny Curl Always Know’, 2017
acrylic on linen
100 x 100cm
‘Untitled’, 2017
oil, archival glue, charcoal and paper on linen
51 x 70cm (framed)
Our weekly radio segment continues, with a new song from a Heaps Decent workshop played each week on Monday Arvos on FBi Radio. Tune in to 94.5FM in Sydney or online HERE at 5pm (AET) every Monday!
‘Pastel Sky’, 2017
Printed on perspex
59.4 x 84cm
‘Life’s a Peach when you’re a Skeleton’, 2017
lino print
20 x 30cm
‘Landscape Effect’, 2017
stretched acrylic and oil on linen
38 x 57cm
‘Stay Gone’
custom vintage leather jacket
‘Heaven’, 2017
mixed media on 300gsm arches paper
76cm x 55cm
‘Bite The Dust’, 2016
photographic print
84 x 59cm (unframed, mounted)
limited edition print
Chris, 2013.
Oil on linen, 41.5 x 31.5cm
‘Blazing Sun’
Digital print on archival paper
Whisper, 2017
acrylic + mix media on canvas.
84 x 92cm
‘Alphabet’
420mm x 594mm
Giclée Print on Hahnemühle 100% Cotton Photo Rag Paper (Framed)
Chroma Still Life II, 2016
Oil on linen
45.5cm x 37.5cm
Framed
‘Four White Gums’
oil on canvas
102 x 81 cm
ein Haufen unsinn
‘Untitled’, 2017
collage on card
30 x 42cm (unframed)
Alcanzandolo (Reaching Out)
Acrylic and beeswax on pine
80cm x 30cm
2015
‘Concrete Composition (Series 1) #1’, 2015
C-Type Print
32 x 40cm
Limited edition of 5 prints + 2AP
Image courtesy of the artist and Galerie pompom
Mushroom Series, 2017
Photographic prints x 5
29.7 x 42.0cm
Mounted, unframed
Limited edition
Untitled (from after-image series)
2016
Oil on linen
46cm x 41.5cm
good kid maad city
A3 plus
mixed media on birch wood
Process Painting #7, 2016
67.5 x 49.5
Oil and clay on canvas
Sleepy Lizards, 2017
semi-gloss print on non archival paper, 190GSM
100 x 50cm (unframed)
limited edition of 30 prints
‘BOSOE’
Size is 45 x 45 cm.
‘Wakey Wakey’
2017, Giclée Print
‘Cheers’, 2017
Laser print and gold foil on Natural White 250gsm paper
29.6 x 42cm (A3)
1/1 print
Digital Realities
2017
Pen, acrylic and silkscreen on stonehenge paper.
80 x 60cm
Happiness As Religion, 2017
Screen print on paper
56 x 76cm
Limited Edition of 50
‘Biscuits for Ribs’
acrylic on canvas