art lives here.
so do you.
TERM 3 HOLIDAY PROGRAM COMING SOON
✦
TERM 3 HOLIDAY PROGRAM COMING SOON ✦
ANNOUNCEMENT
We are proud to announce Founder of The Forge Institute, Brent Dakis, is a finalist for
Westfield Knox Local Heroes 2026.
Brent is one of three finalists, and in the running to win $20,000 to put toward our hub, programs and make this Third Space Community all that we dream it could be.
YOURS TO CREATE
The Forge Institute Inc. is a newly established
not-for-profit social enterprise supporting
creative young people (13–20) across
the Dandenong Ranges and surrounding suburbs.
Our mission is to ignite creative potential through inclusive, artist-led programs that inspire, empower, and connect. We champion youth expression by providing safe, welcoming spaces for teens to explore the arts, develop their skills, and find a sense of belonging in a world where they face constant and unprecedented pressures.
The Forge is not just a studio or a program, it is a community.
What sets The Forge Institute apart is simple: it is being built with teens, not merely for them. We champion youth expression by providing opportunities to explore the arts in safe, welcoming spaces - wherever they may be - through community-driven workshops, mentorships, and exhibitions.
By nurturing creativity, collaboration, and personal growth, The Forge helps young artists find their voice, build their skills, and forge lasting connections that strengthen both individuals and community in a world where they are facing new and immense challenges constantly.
Creativity is the medium. Belonging is the point.
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The Forge Institute Inc. exists to continue the creative vision of Brent Dakis & Ivy Dakis who held a joint passion for the creative arts and community. In the wake of her passing, The Forge Institute now seeks to empower young people through creative practice, education, and mentorship. The association provides accessible, inclusive, and community‐driven arts programs that foster personal growth, social connection, and creative confidence.
THE SEED THAT IVY PLANTED
She’d been dealing with bullying and isolation across school, transport, and online spaces, and even though I asked for help from the systems that were meant to protect her, she kept slipping through the cracks.
She felt safe at home, but she didn’t have anywhere else.
No third space.
No community space where she could land, breathe, or feel understood.
That thought wouldn’t leave me.
So The Forge became something I had to carry forward, not as a project, but as something that might help other young people feel less alone.
The Forge Institute is being built to give teens a place where they can actually be themselves - where you’re not being judged, not being compared, not performing for algorithms.
A place where you can walk in and feel that little drop in your shoulders because you don’t have to explain who you are. You can create. You can experiment.
You can talk, or be quiet.
You can be weird and brilliant and still figuring it all out.
THE FORGE INSTITUTE IS A PROJECT BORN OF GRIEF, AND A PROMISE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGE.
IN SEPTEMBER 2025, MY DAUGHTER IVY TOOK HER OWN LIFE.
THERE’S NO SOFT, POETIC WAY TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
SHE WAS ONLY 13.
recent press
STAR RANGES MAIL
3MDR | ART MATTERS
3MDR | COMMUNITY
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
WANT TO BE INVOVLED?
let’s chat.
