The creativity of young people in the South West Rocks and Kempsey Aboriginal communities on Dunghutti Country is shining bright.
Coinciding with NAIDOC Week 2020 is the culmination of Desert Pea Media’s (DPM) ‘Break It Down North Coast’ Aboriginal youth mental health literacy program.
DPM has partnered with the South West Rocks Fig Tree Descendants Aboriginal Corporation and Kempsey’s Macleay Vocational College to produce a short film, two music videos and material for two virtual road shows.
Funded by Healthy North Coast through the North Coast PHN program, the collaborations can be viewed online (see launch schedule below). The two road shows will be streamed at 6pm on 8 and 13 November. They include interviews with Elders and other community members by YARN Australia’s Warren Roberts.
Break It Down aims to improve young people’s social and emotional wellbeing through connection to Country and culture and encouraging strength in identity and self-determination.
“It’s an honour to be working with the mob,” says DPM chief executive and creative director, Toby Finlayson.
“This is an opportunity for communities to create conversations around serious social issues in a non-confrontational, safe environment.
“We’d normally launch the videos at community events but due to COVID-19 that isn’t possible. Instead we’re having online road shows, opening it up to the broader community and taking it to the world.”
He praised Healthy North Coast for embracing the project, which ‘gives participants self-worth, a sense of belonging and connectedness and fosters resilience and capacity’.
“Healthy North Coast’s support has helped to create a space to develop trust and connection, which is a precursor to closing the gap for Indigenous people in Australia,” says Mr Finlayson.
Launch schedule
Visit Desert Pea Media’s Facebook page to view.
Videos will also be shared on the Healthy North Coast Facebook page.
- Our Country short film – South West Rocks – goes live today, 6 November
- Online Road Show (South West Rocks) – streamed via Facebook 6pm, 8 November
- Barrunba (Dreaming) music video – Fig Tree Mob, South West Rocks – 6.15pm, 8 November
- Online Road Show (Macleay Vocational College) – streamed via Facebook 6pm, 13 November
- The Situation music video – Macleay Vocational College – 6.15pm, 13 November
Photo by Grace Newell, Desert Pea Media