At the core of it is young people feeling seen and having their voice heard, which is profoundly healing… And when they feel like they matter, I then see them finding the confidence to step up in their community, support others and stand up for the rights of young people.
Deep in the South West of WA is one of the most culturally diverse regional centres in the state, with more than 50 different language groups. It is also a gathering place for young people in the Great Southern who travel in for school or other activities.
Building on strong regional connections from a previous program, Community Arts Network (CAN) identified Katanning as an ideal location to expand its successful intercultural, multi-disciplinary youth program, which builds confidence and fosters community and cultural connections.
CAN’s Now Sounds Katanning works with young people aged 12 to 25 years old with a focus on bringing Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse communities together to share and celebrate culture. Some of those participating will be in school, others not, but for most, access to local music, the arts and the opportunities they create has been extremely limited. Now Sounds is designed to flip that, using creativity to help young people find their voice, develop life skills and shape healthier pathways.
Program producer Laura Mangen designs and coordinates the creative residencies, where every six weeks, artists with different specialities deliver hands-on workshops.
“It’s deliberately not one size fits all,” Laura said. “Each individual will have a different experience, participating in ways they feel comfortable.
“It could be through rap where they’ll be encouraged to have a crack at making lyrics and beats, but where it’s not mandatory to get up on stage.
“After finding out what the young people are interested in, we also offer workshops in photography, videography, painting and illustrations. And common to each and every area is supporting them to write their own stories.”
Even though the program is in its early stages, Laura has already noticed the positive changes.
“One of the things I love is seeing them leave whatever is going on in their lives at the door and become completely immersed in what they are doing, experiencing joy and self-expression, what we call ‘flow’, sometimes for the very first time,” she said.
At the end of the year there will be a collective song and video, and the goal is to tie in all the different types of art and contributions. In the long-term, CAN hopes that the project will support young people to develop life skills that strengthen their health and wellbeing and sense of belonging in the community.
Visit Community Arts Network to learn more.