Arts, Culture and Table Tennis: How to Liven Up Your Local Community Space

Arts and sports: rivals to the bitter end, especially when it comes to government spending.

We imagine council budget meetings being completely diplomatic until one is allocated more spending than the other. 

Then, a massive fight breaks out with artsy people throwing paint and berets at the sporty people and the sporty people throwing dodgeballs at the artsy people.

But like the girl in those Old El Paso ads says… “Porque no los dos?” (Why not both?)

This is why PONGO created the world-first (needs verifying) CANVAS ping pong table. 

It lets people not only enjoy a table tennis sesh with friends or family, but also dope street art. Here’s how we do it:

PONGO’s CANVAS ping pong tables

While we don’t have a collection of original Van Goghs or go around to fancy art exhibitions, we do have an appreciation for local street art and what it means for the community. 

Street artists are urban visionaries. Where we see a brick wall, they see art. 

And where we see a boring old ping pong table, they see… more art. (Sorry, we’re not the creative ones here.)

How our CANVAS table works:

Turns out, you can’t just grab any old table tennis table, chuck some watercolours on it, and call it art. We tried that. It ended terribly. 

So, instead, we worked with Dulux to create a special outer coat on a PONGO Permanent table which mimics the feel of canvas. This allows artists to rock up, do their thing and treat the table just like a real piece of canvas. Except it’s 100 times cooler, obviously. 

Mural painting events

More than just a product, our CANVAS tables provide an experience. We’ve held mural painting events which allow people to actually watch artists paint the tables in real time. They get to see it happen, making art and placemaking a socially sharable experience, and then get to enjoy the table in their local park. And every time they play on that table, they’ll get to say ‘Hey, I was there when that was painted!’. How’s that for a sense of tightknit community?

Why our CANVAS ping pong tables are perfect for local parks, schools and community areas

Why is this so awesome? Let’s explain:

• Promoting activity
  Table tennis is good for you. You move your body, you have a laugh with mates, and you have fun: three key ingredients to good physical and mental health. 
• Creating a vibrant space
  Pretty much everyone can agree that it’s nicer to look at a beautiful mural than a plain concrete wall. Same goes for ping pong tables. Our CANVAS table takes art and unleashes it into the real world, like a band of wild stallions galloping across barren plains… was that artsy enough for you?
• Making it meaningful
  Whether you want something that reflects the local flora and fauna in your area, or a tribute to traditional custodians of the land in the form of an Aboriginal dot painting, you can make ping pong meaningful with our CANVAS tables. 

Get in touch with your mates at PONGO to learn more about our super cool CANVAS tables. Made from 100% aluminium, our PONGO CANVAS tables don’t just talk the talk – they walk the walk, too. These guys are rain-resistant, UV-resistant and bad-vibes-resistant. Contact the team at PONGO to get started today.