Northern Territory

YMCA of Darwin

ymca.gif - 2395 Bytes ptc.jpg - 7189 Bytes

Growing Together in Palmerston and Beyond

$57,800 Awarded

| Aims | Background | Activities | Outcomes |

Aims

This project, now completed, aimed to work through youth drama programs to:

  • reduce community conflict and negative perceptions in relation to youth, race and cultural diversity

  • increase the participation of Indigenous youth and young people from culturally diverse community groups in youth consultations and organised activities, including arts activities

  • provide more activities for members of the region's ethnic communities

  • reduce discrimination towards the Indigenous community and facilitate the Reconciliation process

  • reinforce positive attributes of the Palmerston community and provide young participants with life, employment and creative skills that would enhance their self perception and in turn their image within the community

Background

The project arose in response to particular problems in Palmerston and outlying Litchfield, including:

  • a rapid growth of young people in the community since establishment of a military base in the 1990s

  • a volatile mix existing between the newcomers and the high number of Indigenous youth already resident there,

  • older community members and some business owners identifying disadvantaged youth as a problem and threat

  • potential for conflict between various groups of young people

  • need for preventive anticipatory measures

  • difficulties at the nearby Don Dale Juvenile Justice Centre, exacerbated by the then current mandatory sentencing (automatic imprisonment on third offence *), a very volatile concern at the time, and one that especially affected young Indigenous people)

*repealed in November 2001, and replaced by other legislation concerning property offences, giving magistrates more discretion in sentencing

Activities

The project:

  • focused on disadvantaged and marginalised youth at risk, both those already convicted and those heading for trouble with the law

  • contracted nationally known youth drama company BIG hART to develop and oversee the performance project, exploring options for social problem solving activities through the arts and held workshops to identify young peoples' issues for incorporation in the performance

  • developed a "dual model" for performance rehearsal groups, one for the youngsters inside the Don Dale Juvenile Justice Centre (focusing on mentoring and kinship ties) and one for those outside (about movement, travel, displacement and unstable family life), which:

    • encouraged participants to reflect on the impact of these issues on their lives, relationships and attitudes

    • were to meet the anticipated social adjustment needs of the young people shortly to be released from Don Dale

    • were necessary because of the Centre's security regulations

    • came together for the major final performance, Wrong way, Go Back

    • gained support from local TV personality, news presenter Theona Mitaros, who agreed to appear in the performance ( a big boost for publicity)

  • incorporated a computer-animation segment funded by QUANTM (Queensland and Northern Territory Media) in the performance

  • produced Teachers' Packs for performance art workshops, including:

    • exercises to help individuals live in harmony with others

    • dramatising experiences of difference, victimisation

    • working together as a community

    • identifying attributes which help living in harmony

    • "acceptance and blocking" exercises (years 11-12)

    • mapping of areas of community disharmony

Outcomes

The project:

  • found that the impact on Indigenous young people of mandatory sentencing was a significant issue throughout the project

  • tended to develop the focus in the workshops and performances on quite a number of issues which were really beyond direct Harmony concerns * so that major concerns became:

    • familial and personal displacement

    • family violence /separation

    • law breaking behaviour/theft/offending

    • sexuality and relationships

    • drinking and substance abuse

    (* these wider issues related to young people - especially Indigenous - having difficulties in general social adjustment, which in turn led to poor relationships with other groups)

  • was the subject of an external evaluation by a community development/social work master's student at the Northern Territory University which:

    • focused on changes in general personal and social adjustment noted in individuals through the project (which transpired as the main theme), rather than assessing it in terms of more specific LIH objectives, finding the LIH connection "a bit forced" in development of concepts for the project

    • found that in practice the goals of the project were most focused on the issue of how young people use "public space", which had been the subject of complaints by business-owners to Council before the LIH project ("this project set out to engage the marginalised young people who were users of community space in Palmerston")

    • examined the young peoples' public behaviour in terms of self esteem as rated by various questionnaires

    • found that the majority of the participants' self-esteem had improved

    • found from questionnaires that individual awareness of LIH values of "harmony, tolerance and a fair go" remained low, but found that there was some public awareness raised by the public performances

    • noted that although businessmen had in effect been those to first raise the issue, they gave no support once the project was in operation

  • despite attempts, found it almost impossible to attract to the project:

    • people from other ethnic groups

    • support from the business community for youth issues

  • found many cast members frequently experienced difficulty in concentrating, fulfilling commitments, communicating and personal expression, but their commitment to rehearsals and performances and their encouragement of each other's participation was exemplary, contributing to the outcome

  • found that some young people who were perceived as "trouble-makers" in Palmerston were seen to make a commitment to the project and contribute to its objectives in an ongoing way

Previous: Living in Harmony initiative - Northern Territory grants index