Creative ID: 654
North Shore
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths):
I am the founder of a trust that was formed in 2018 and is a non-profit organisation committed to shining a light on diversity across Aotearoa and manage all the projects with the help of an amazing team. We’re story-tellers of the untold communities of Aotearoa, using print and digital media to showcase the beautiful stories and images we come across every day in our local communities, workplaces, and education sectors. Our magazines have been distributed to some schools and public spaces (with the help of local board funding) and funders.
We are inspired by the urge to shape narratives around the diversity across Aotearoa, in a way that will encourage New Zealanders to combat discrimination and racial prejudice. We have created a platform of narratives that bring cultural awareness and an insight of diversity that will challenge prejudice perceptions through understanding, celebration, and acknowledgement. A space that will welcome and embrace people from all different backgrounds as significant and valued, part of our inclusive Aotearoa. Challenging perceptions on cultures and raising awareness through bringing a raw sense of authenticity. For example, narratives that capture the resilience displayed by migrants and refugees on their journey to Aotearoa and bring awareness to cultural traditions from a variety of backgrounds.
We are dedicated to challenging perceptions that will welcome people from different backgrounds to be included in narratives that make up Aotearoa and its people. Empowering communities and leaving nobody behind as we continue to shape and facilitate these dialogues. With the help of some funding, we would love to connect with schools and potentially look at cultural activities and initiatives where children can get involved, learn, and have fun. For example, we could invite cultural performers to come to assembly and perform or create print collateral together to be posted around schools. We have plenty of options and ideas, but are short of funding and connection to schools.
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with:
My CV outlines my track record of community and youth work and is available on request. Recently I took part in an art exhibition that captured people's resettlement process and their migration to NZ. Here I shared my story in a form of creative writing, talking about the struggles as a refugee kid, and the transition to NZ and finally life as a Kiwi. This story was supported with images of my family in a refugee camp, the hardship we faced, and the opportunities NZ gave us. This is my most recent project.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes:
My previous jobs include a youth development manager and youth coordinator with a non-profit in Auckland working with former refugee youth. Because this was a new role, it gave me the freedom and flexibility to create a number of youth activities. Over the years I led many youth projects, such as MRRC Youth Initiative, working with resettled youth at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. This project was important and special, as this was where we first came in 1997 as refugees. So giving back to the place that offered so much hospitality was great. Here we would dance, paint, exercise, and take part in sporting activities once every 6-week intake.
Once a month we would meet with youth leaders over pizza to discuss things happening among the youth community, such as the issues youth face, the achievements, and how we can better equip these youth members so they can help the youth within their communities.
It was a pleasure organising World Refugee day with Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre and Red Cross, which was youth focused. We had face painters, clowns, balloons, sporting comps, dance performers, creative stalls, and great food. It was amazing to see the smiles on their faces, giving them some hope for freedom and safety. Over the few years at ARCC, we hosted many youth events with funding from Ara Taiohi.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice:
We produce diversity magazines and initiatives that focus on sharing cultural diversity. We are interested in this because we want to provide school students with information on different cultures and religions, what they practise, why they practise it, their food, the costumes, and anything related to their culture. We believe it's important to educate youth at a very young age, exposing them to different cultures that make up New Zealand. Whether it is through school visits and talks, or magazines or other print collateral that children will find interesting.
We have sent our magazines to schools and have received very positive feedback. We recently had a meeting with Ministry of Education staff who work with former refugees and resettled communities who support our project (hence the connection here) and are very supportive of our work and find it vital. There is also not much around cultural diversity being shared in schools – we have cultural days where kids can dress up in their cultural clothes or have a lunch to share their food from different cultures, but there is so much room for more cultural education. We believe understanding leads to empathy, and if students are exposed to some of these cultures, migration stories, and suffrage as refugees, they will be more understanding and empathise with students, rather than be racist towards them. We believe if we start this initiative (especially because NZ so is multicultural) then in 10 years’ time the number of racist attacks at schools will reduce.