Page 18 - AYC Annual Report 2017 - 2018
P. 18

Community Capacity




                                                                       Building


                 14.




                 Creative Youth Convergence: Youth Voices for Change
             AYC worked extensively with its partners to create and   day collaborative event bringing together 150 youth, 10
              implement the first ever Creative Youth Convergence: Youth   professional Western Sydney artists, 7 partner organisations
             Voices for Change in April 2018. This full day event brought   and 7 schools!
             together 6 Western Sydney based professional vogue, slam
             poetry, music and dj performers, 5 local schools, 85 young
             people and 6 community organisations for a full day of
             community-based arts education.  The day was held at AYC
             culminating in a public youth performance showcase.

             Birrong Boys High School, Auburn Girls High School, Granville
             South CAPA, Merrylands High and Parramatta High School
             partnered with AYC in bringing grades 8 - 10 students, both
             male and female to the event. The result was overwhelming.           Photo
             Youth learned from professional artists the powerful effects
              of using the arts to articulate the stories of their lives. They
              learnt that through their voice they can create change within
             their communities and for themselves. Participants took
             workshops in art, creating dj sets, song production, vogue
             and dance choreography, and writing life story poetry that   Mothers & Sisters Iftar Dinner
             can be turned into performance.                   AYC held a Mothers & Sisters Iftar Dinner with partners Auburn
                                                               Diversity Services Inc, Cumberland Council and Community
             The success of the project sees AYC planning a second   Migrant Resource Centre in August. The dinner brought
             Creative Youth Convergence: Art Works during mental   together 75 women and young women from Vietnamese,
              health  awareness  month  in  October  18.  It  will  be  a  two   Afghani, Pakistani and Turkish backgrounds/ cultures to

              .                  “I LEARNED THAT JUST BECAUSE I’M BROWN DOESN’T MEAN I

                                                                          CAN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE”

                                              (Feedback from, participant aged 14, Auburn Girls’ High)

                         “TODAY I LEARNED THAT THERE ISN’T ANY SUCH THING AS FAILING.”
                                                 (Feedback form, participant aged 13, Granville South)


                       “TODAY I HAD FUN, LEARNED ABOUT VOGUE & HOW SOME ART COMES
                   FROM PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE BLACK, & I CAN BE PROUD OF WHO I AM”
                                                    (Feedback form, participant aged 14, Birrong Boys)










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