Using traditional Indigenous arts to break down cultural barriers and tackle racism in schools is the aim behind a new program due to start in Shepparton later this year. The new project Be Woke-Be Anti-Racist has been developed by the Mooroopna-based Point of Difference Studio using the skills and connections of newly appointed Indigenous community engagement co-ordinator and Yorta Yorta artist Tammy-Lee Atkinson.
Ms Atkinson said the 10-week program of after-school activities would use weaving and painting classes to engage Greater Shepparton Secondary College students from different multicultural backgrounds. “We’ll be bringing in a couple of Elders to teach kids weaving, and the best thing about weaving classes is that it can be done anywhere – like sitting under a tree,” Ms Atkinson said. “We’ll be able to talk about Aboriginal history while we weave, and in the painting classes we will use anti-racism themes such as ‘do you see me or do you see the colour?’,” she said.
The Point of Difference Studio in MacIsaac Rd, Mooroopna, was founded just over a year ago as a space to empower local youth of colour and different cultures. Co-founder Betul Tuna said the studio had been entirely self-funded for the past year, but was now able to employ staff including Ms Atkinson, after receiving funding in the first round of the Victorian Government’s Anti-Racism Taskforce initiative earlier this year.
She said the studio had also received support from the GSSC, Shepparton Bulls Rugby Club, and Kaiela Arts. Ms Tuna said the new antiracism schools program was an exciting and important development for the studio. “This is about education and awareness around racism. We’ve created a campaign against racism – Tammy has already designed the artwork to be used on posters and T-shirts,” Ms Tuna said.
“The idea is to teach young people with migrant backgrounds the history of racism in Australia, so we’ll be talking about pre- and post-colonisation and about the history of the country they are living on,” she said. She said the Be Woke Be AntiRacist campaign would start in Term 4 at GSSC with about 20 students, from which a team of young ambassadors will be selected to spread the message within the school.
Ms Tuna said because the activities were after school, students from other schools would also be welcome to attend. She said a key aim of the program would be to connect people from different cultures. “When we talk about being woke, we mean removing the barriers between all of the pocket communities or the marginalised and bringing them together,” she said.
“This is an opportunity to change something – and I give credit to the senior school leadership for recognising that it’s time for change,” Ms Tuna said. Ms Atkinson said the Be Woke Be Anti-Racist program would start in the first week of October, depending on the COVID-19 restrictions at that time.
Anti-racism message in art
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