Starship Mural Campaign: Kids Reveal What Makes Them Happy

MEDIA RELEASE
16 October 2013

Starship Mural Campaign: Kiwi Kids Reveal What Makes Them Happy

Nearly 500 children have participated in a Mercury Energy mural campaign designed to brighten up the walls of Starship Children’s Hospital.

Kiwi kids were asked three questions to help generate ideas for the murals which will be designed by AUT University graphic design students.

The children were able to respond online, through email and by more traditional pen and paper methods.

Mercury Energy GM, James Munro, said the responses provided a heartwarming and powerful reminder of the importance of Starship, with some of the most poignant answers coming from past patients of the hospital.

“We had a great year with the Star Supporters Club and Mercury Energy together raising a record $1 million over the past year for the refurbishment of the level 6 Neuroservices and Medical Specialities Ward and we’re really proud to continue our involvement with the mural project and help bring these insights on happiness to life.”The first question, ‘What makes you happy?’ garnered a great response from kids:

Three-year-old Miss C was admitted to Starship earlier this year where she had life saving treatment on a brain aneurysm. Her mother asked her what it was that made her happiest.

“I just asked her the question: ‘What makes you happy, Sweetie?’ and she replied, ‘Rainbows.’ When I asked her why rainbows made her happy, she replied: ‘Because after the rainbow, the sun comes out.’”

Other answers included: Sushi, puppies, volcanoes, noodles, bulldozers and fairies. But the most popular answer by far was, simply, Mum.

The second question asked children for their ideas on what they would invent if they could invent anything.

Eight-year-old T wanted to build a robot that could do the housework for Mum and Dad so the family could spend more time playing together.

Other suggestions were, a drive-through restaurant for dogs; rocket gumboots; lemon flavoured tomato sauce and a homework machine.

Again, past patients of Starship provided some thought-provoking responses.

Ten-year-old Miss J, wants to build a machine that stores memories and dreams so no one forgets.

Seven-year-old Miss K would like to invent a rainbow with a golden pot to catch ‘all the bad sickness in.’

The last question asked kids to imagine their perfect world.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, perfect worlds for children were very much based on loved ones and pets.

“Birds on trees, grass, sun and sky, I would see a parrot, a sheep and lamb, and me and mama and daddy and baby brother and nanny and papa all holding hands.”

However, for one twelve-year-old boy, his perfect world was very much centred on place.

“My perfect world would be Christchurch like it used to be.”

The third-year AUT students will now take the children’s answers and incorporate them into the mural designs. Once complete, Mercury Energy support will see the students’ designs transferred onto the walls at Starship hospital, where children will be able to see their own ideas of happiness come to life.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Mercury Energy is the retail business of Mighty River Power Limited, supplying energy to residential and commercial customers throughout New Zealand.

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