Brisbane Powerhouse will soon be transformed into a powerful public portrait of support for Queensland’s sick and injured kids led by Children’s Hospital Foundation.
From 9 June to 14 June, the Powerhouse will light up with drawings of home created by children receiving care at Queensland Children’s Hospital and community supporters.
This activation is part of the Foundation’s statewide Drawn Together: Help Make Hospital Feel More Like Home community art project, inviting Queenslanders to share what “home” means to them, with selected artworks projected nightly onto the iconic riverside landmark.
Connecting community to the cause
The large-scale projection on Brisbane Powerhouse will feature contributions from regional communities, families and children in hospital alongside works from leading Australian artists, including Nick Caldwell and First Nations artist Tori-Jay Mordey, creating a collective portrait of Queensland and the places people call home.
CEO and Artistic Director of Brisbane Powerhouse, Ms Louise Bezzina, said she was looking forward to seeing the community art project come to life.
“Brisbane Powerhouse has always been a place where Queensland stories are shared and communities come together, so we’re incredibly proud to help bring this statewide expression of support for sick children and their families to life,” Ms Bezzina said.
Earlier this year, Children’s Hospital Foundation hosted community art workshops in Warwick and Mackay, inviting the communities to express what home means to them, with the final pieces to be among those displayed on Brisbane Powerhouse.
Supporting children across the state
One in three children travels from outside Greater Brisbane to seek care and treatment at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Their families’ sense of normal life is completely uprooted – families are made to stay somewhere unfamiliar, away from their support network and away from the comfort and security of their own home.
For them, hospital quickly becomes a home away from home, often for weeks or months at a time.
In 2025 alone, Queensland Children’s Hospital cared for 833 more rural and regional patients than the previous year – a 5.5% increase – highlighting the growing number of families leaving their homes and communities behind to access life-saving care in Brisbane.
Children like Evie know that experience all too well.
Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis just weeks after she was born, Evie’s family suddenly found themselves travelling from Chinchilla to Brisbane for ongoing specialist care and extended hospital stays.
Through the support of the Children’s Hospital Foundation, Evie and her family found comfort during those visits through bedside play support, art packs, Paw Play support dog visits and Music Therapy, offering moments of distraction during painful procedures.
Now, Evie’s own drawing of home will be projected onto Brisbane Powerhouse alongside artworks created by communities across Queensland.
Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO, Lyndsey Rice, said the projection reflects the strength of communities coming together to support families facing long hospital stays.
“This project brings Queenslanders together in a very visible way, showing sick kids and their families that wherever they come from, their community is standing beside them,” Ms Rice said.
“Through the support of the community, the Children’s Hospital Foundation helps fund the wrap-around care that makes hospital feel more like home.
“It’s these moments of comfort, connection and normal childhood that help children and families get through some of the toughest times of their lives.”
Help make hospital feel more like home
From community workshops in Mackay and Warwick to submissions created by children inside Queensland Children’s Hospital, Help Make Hospital Feel More Like Home is turning personal reflections of home into a shared statewide expression of care and connection.
Launching ahead of tax time, the installation highlights how community donations help fund the practical and emotional supports that help children and families beyond clinical care.
The projection is available to the public to view and visit throughout the week, encouraging them to reflect on what home means to them and how they can help ensure every child has every chance to thrive.
Supporters across the state can also contribute their own drawing or message of comfort through the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Virtual Gallery of Home and make a tax-deductible donation.
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The difference that shapes their world
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