Projects
People thrive when you empower them to shape their own story
Mentoring
Over 2019-2021 our Foundation has supported diverse programs for mentoring in music and the arts which has had over 40 individual visual artists and musicians participate across the country. The mentoring programs include
Youth song writing and performance as part of the “They Took the Children Away” project in partnership with the Archie Roach Foundation and the Culture Is Life Foundation.
Mentoring workshops for emerging women artists to further develop their career plan and goals across both music and poetry as part of the “Reconnect” program conducted in partnership with the Arts Centre Melbourne and senior mentors with the foundation.
Rock music camp for young First Nations women at Worawa College to amplify their voices and use music to provide a culturally safe empowering and confidence building experience in partnership with Girls Rock Melbourne.
The ‘In The Park’ Series of outdoor concerts to showcase established First Nations artists performing their own music in partnership with the City of Yarra.
Grant Support
Covid has severely impacted the wider arts community and we have not been an exception. It has caused us to reschedule and cancel multiple events and programs, however we have adapted. We set up an internet fund raising appeal in April 2020 to support our community during Covid and Bad Apples Music publicised it alongside the release of their hit HouseFyre (Lockdown Video) by Briggs and Tim Minchin. The general public provided wonderful support and by December 2021 we had raised over $50,000 which we were able to distribute to First Nations artists and high priority Indigenous health services.
Yawala Program
The Yawalyu program was a series of highly attended and curated performances across venues Melbourne in 2019 and 2020 with many talented artists including Maylene Slater-Burns, Allara Pattison Briggs, Maurial Speerim, Alice Skye, Bumpy, Kee’ahn, Lauren Sheree, Madi Colville, Key Hoo, Jess Hitchcock, Fred Leone, The Deans of Soul, Carissa Watts and Scott Darlow.
Growth – community, culture, First Nations artists. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities include many artists on the verge of taking their musicianship and creative practices to the next level.
Instilling a sense of leadership (young and old), working together and with community leaders and Elders to create culturally safe spaces of development and strength.
Staying in touch with artists and the community. Helping remove obstacles that artists (particularly young people) are facing in the commercial mainstream music industry and other creative industries.
There will be distinct pathways through the programs for young people and established artists. Our focus will start with young people in select geographic areas/cohorts, and as the Foundation grows our reach will become wider.
Access the philanthropic and corporate sectors to genuinely advance First Nations young people and emerging artists and build lasting relationships with these partners.
Position ourselves as change makers with the arts sector and in community development.
We nurture talent, and utilise our extensive networks to curate safe and healthy opportunities for artists and arts workers. Creating programs that have positive and lasting effects for the artists and the industry.
Partners
We could not do this work without our program and funding partners and thank them for their support. Our major partners in 2021 include:
Archie Roach Foundation
Arts Centre Melbourne
Australian Communities Foundation (National Crisis Fund)
Aboriginal Housing Victoria
Bad Apples Music
City of Yarra
Girls Rock Melbourne
Vic Health
Modernisters
Worawa College
Sony Music
Universal Music