Image supplied by West Coast Sports Surfaces
Where Sport Meets Creativity: How Art Courts Are Transforming School Spaces
Across Australia, schools are increasingly rethinking the role of outdoor play spaces – transforming traditional courts into vibrant, creative environments that encourage movement, connection and wellbeing.
At the centre of this growing trend is the rise of “art courts” – high-performance sports surfaces that combine elite-level playability with large-scale creative design and storytelling.
And while these courts may look like public artworks, the performance beneath the colour is still world-class.
Powered by Laykold acrylic court systems – the same surface trusted by the US Open, Miami Open and the Australian National Pickleball League (NPL) – schools and communities are discovering they no longer need to choose between sport performance and visual creativity.
This year, Laykold is also celebrating its 100th anniversary, marking a century of innovation in sports surfacing while continuing to evolve how courts can be experienced by schools and communities.
One of the most inspiring recent examples can be found at Naracoorte South Primary School in South Australia, where students played a key role in shaping the final court artwork.
Naracoorte South Primary School. Image supplied by Communities in Colour
Working alongside court artists Communities in Colour, Grade 6 students were invited to submit drawings and ideas of games and activities they wanted incorporated into the space.
Those ideas were then transformed into a colourful interactive pathway design that guides students from one end of the court to the other – blending movement, creativity and play into a single environment.
“Getting students involved in the creative process gives them a real sense of ownership over the space,” said Travis Thompson from Communities in Colour.
“We wanted the space to feel playful, engaging and functional at the same time – somewhere students could move, connect and interact in different ways throughout the day.”
Naracoorte South Primary School. Image supplied by Communities in Colour
The school has already reported increased student engagement during recess and lunch, while teachers are also using the pathway to help organise students into lines before class. Staff have even found the area useful as a calming and transitional space for students needing support before returning to the classroom.
Communities in Colour also recently completed another standout project in Naracoorte – a striking community basketball court celebrating the endangered South-Eastern Red-Tail Black Cockatoo, a species unique to the region.
Images supplied by Communities in Colour
Created in collaboration with a local council art class, the project gave young people the opportunity to actively contribute to the artwork while learning more about their local environment and wildlife.
More than simply a basketball court, the space became a platform for storytelling, education and community pride – demonstrating how sport and recreation infrastructure can create deeper social and cultural connections.
“For us, these projects are about more than painting a court,” Thompson said.
“They’re about creating spaces that reflect the identity of a community and giving people – especially young people – an opportunity to see themselves represented in public spaces.”
The project’s creativity, technical quality and community impact were internationally recognised recently when it was awarded Project of the Year at the 10th Sport Group Asia Pacific Project Partner Awards held in Macau.
For schools, the growing popularity of art courts highlights an important shift in how outdoor spaces are being designed.
Today’s schools are looking for environments that are multifunctional, visually engaging and capable of supporting student wellbeing alongside physical activity. With Laykold’s extensive UV-stabilised colour range and custom design capabilities, schools can create spaces that reflect their identity, values and community while still delivering the performance, durability and safety expected from a premium sports surface.
Image supplied by West Coast Sports Surfaces
Whether it’s incorporating student artwork, Indigenous storytelling, educational games, wayfinding elements or community themes, art courts provide schools with an opportunity to turn sport spaces into places of expression and belonging.
And importantly, the elite-level performance remains unchanged.
Laykold surfaces are engineered for consistent ball bounce, player comfort, durability and long-term playability – qualities trusted by some of the world’s biggest sporting events and now being embraced by schools and communities looking to think differently about outdoor recreation.
As more schools seek ways to inspire movement, creativity and connection, art courts are proving that a sports surface can be far more than just a place to play.