On Wednesday 13 August the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) announced that the Jilkminggan Youth Activities group was successful in getting funding under the ABC’s FRRR Heywire program. This funding will enable the Jilkminggan Youth Group, known as the Jamboree Mob, to run a program of locally devised and produced community performances to raise awareness of issues that affect their community.
The Heywire Youth Innovation Grant is an annual national grants program supported by FRRR and the ABC that supports original and locally focused projects of importance to younger people. This year 12 grants were awarded across regional and rural Australia including the Jilkminggan project.
“We want to use fun and humour to highlight some of the damaging effects of alcohol and gaming on our community. We think that a mobile locally devised show would be accessible and non-threatening but still able to get a message across.” said Holly Gosden, Jilkminggan Sport and Recreation worker who is working with the core group of 15 young people ranging from 13 to 16 years old.
“We also think working together on this will also build our group and individual strengths.”
“We have a pretty solid community that is supportive of each other but we do have problems with drinking and gambling. Some of our mob are passing away too young due to bad life choices. Depression and suicide is too common in our community.”
As it is young community members devising the scripts and performing the show and building props and costume we think that it may have more effect on the community than if an outsider was to come in with the message. The community will be confronted with these issues by their own community members. We know our community better than an outsider”, Ms Gosden said.
She added “I think the process of getting it together may also be as important as the performance itself. The youth group is pretty dynamic already and real keen so it should be a lot of fun and learning for us all.
We will also get help from our school, the Sunrise Health Service and the Roper Gulf Regional Council.” Ms Gosden said.
It is planned that the community shows will be presented towards the end of the year and will travel to other communities in the region after that.
Roper Gulf Regional Council Mayor Tony Jack congratulated the Jamboree Mob and said, “The Council support our youth taking an initiative as they are our leaders of the future and already have a very good sense of the needs and issues in their communities. There is such a pool of natural talent and performers in our communities and I am pleased that this project may give some of these kids a real opportunity in a way which will also aid their community.”
For further details please direct your enquiries to Michael Berto, CEO Roper Gulf Regional Council on 08 8972 9000.
ENDS