milestones

Recent Milestones

The Forge Institute is now officially incorporated
As of 1 November, TFI was formally recognised as a not-for-profit association under Victorian law. This gives us a legal foundation, governance structure, and the ability to establish stronger funding pathways.  Our board consists of:

BRENT DAKIS President
REN CUTTRISS Deputy President
MARINA SCOTT Treasurer & Secretary
SHAYLA KING Youth Advisory Delegate
LIAM PAAPAA Marketing & Communications Officer
GRACE DE KLEYN Lead Youth Ambassador
ALESHA SANGRAR Education Coordinator & Child Safety Officer  

$20,000 fundraising milestone reached
This first major target, our "Pilot Phase" is complete... After only 2 months of activity, and less than a month of "official" operation. These funds are crucial in helping us with early development, consultations, press and media publications like FEVERDREAM, insurance, outreach.  Without your contributions, none of this would have been possible.

Local media coverage
The Forge has now been featured in selected local publications and radio media across the Dandenong Ranges. This visibility is already leading to increased community engagement and support, as well as early interest from schools and youth workers.  You can listen to the 3MDR interview online here, and see the publication in the local newspaper here (Front page, and Page 7).

Forge Forums Underway
Our first round of Forge Forums took place this past Tuesday evening. We had several new Youth Ambassadors step forward, along with incredibly thoughtful contributions from local teens who shared what they need most from a space like this. Their insights are already shaping foundational decisions around workshop structure, accessibility, and what the future “home” of The Forge should feel like.

The next round of forums will be held in Belgrave on December 9th, and all young people aged 13–20 are welcome to attend.  (Details of the time and location will go up on instagram)

January 2026 Workshops Confirmed
We’ll be delivering our first summer workshops in photography, life drawing, calligraffiti, and painting (oil) sessions. These pilot classes will help shape our long-term program structure and will act as our first “stress test” for systems, policy, and youth-driven feedback.  

Ready for Launch
Behind the scenes, a huge amount of structural work has now been completed. Our bank accounts are open, public liability and volunteer insurance are active, and core administrative systems are now in place. Policy development is well underway across governance, child safety, staff induction, and workshop procedures.  This backbone allows us to begin delivering programs with confidence, transparency, and strong safeguarding frameworks from day one.    

Child Safety Policy Framework in development
Our intention is to well and truly exceed "the bare minimum" when it comes to child safety.  This includes integration of the full AHRC Child Safe Principles, WWCC requirements, mandatory facilitator training, quarterly specialist sessions for our staff, and bi-annual debriefing with psychologists. Child safety is, and will remain, a non-negotiable core pillar of the organisation.

FEVERDREAM Volume 1 in production 
FEVERDREAM Volume 1 is officially at the printers and should be arriving early next week for delivery to everyone who pre-ordered. We’ll also have a limited number of copies available for purchase at the Burrinja Art Fair on December 6th, along with additional stock distributed through selected locations around the Hills.

This first volume is deeply personal.  It was confronting in some places where articles I had written 6 and 9 months ago were suddenly out of context, but overall I’m incredibly proud to finally share it with the community that has carried us to this point.  


I imagine there is probably other milestones I could share here, as there's just been a lot going on, but I think if you've read this far as it is, that's already an achievement.. 

What’s Coming Next

Full ACNC Charity Registration
This process is already underway, and we expect to complete this fully in the coming months (its quite the task). Charity status will open doors to new funding, grants, philanthropic partnerships, and tax-deductible donation status.

January Pilot Workshops
The next 4–6 weeks will involve promoting, filling, and delivering these workshops, collecting feedback from attendees, and refining our youth-consultation approach.

Governance & Advisory Circle Expansion
Including formalising the Youth Ambassador cohort, establishing Youth Advocate Delegate responsibilities, and strengthening the professional advisory network (psychologists, educators, artists, youth workers).

Initial Launch Phase Preparation ($180,000 Target)
The next major fundraising goal is the Initial Launch Phase, which includes feasibility studies for securing a permanent space, expanding staff capacity, and offering up to 10 ongoing programs across the term.

I am hopeful that this will unfold over the first half of 2026, with multiple funding pathways being explored by several team members.

Fever Dream Magazine: Volume 2
Editing and submissions are underway now, and printing is scheduled for quarter 1 2026. This publication will solidify the FEVERDREAM platffform and feature several local professional and youth artists. 

A Quiet Thank You

The Forge Institute actually exists... truly exists... when it was just an idea, and something I knew had to be pushed in those early weeks despite how difficult and exhausting it was.   It exists because of you, and the others receiving this email. Every donation, every message, every conversation, every offer of help has carried this project through the hardest, most unbearable months of my life and into something that has purpose, structure, and a future.

Over the next few months, I’ll continue to share updates as we move through our early rollout and begin trying to form some kind of foundation for the permanent home The Forge.

If you ever have questions, ideas, connections, or suggestions, I welcome them wholeheartedly.

Thank you again, for believing in Ivy, for believing in me, in this vision, and in the young people who will choose The Forge as their creative home.

Tread softly,