A CULTURAL PROGRAM IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
SEEING S SOME OF HER INDIGENOUS STUDENTS NOT ENGAGING IN CLASS PROVIDED P TEACHER CHRISTINA PAPADIMITRIOU WITH THE INSPIRATION FOR A HIGHLY REGARDED CULTURAL PROGRAM, WRITES
FROM a pipedream a couple of years ago to splashing across the pages of Marie Claire, a program which allows Indigenous youth to embrace their roots has gone from strength to strength.
Project manager Christina Papadimitriou started the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Project: People, Culture & Country after a light bulb moment.
“I had Indigenous students ini in my class who weren’t really engaging,” said Ms Papadimitriou, who is an art teacher. “I ran an external art event and some of the students entered and did really well.
“Through that, I built rapport with them and they started coming to school more and engaging. I told the Department of Education I’d like to run a program and luckily they said yes.”
Now in its third year, the program has grown from seven schools to 11, with more than 100 students involved. Ms Papadimitriou has schools from Mt Isa, Mornington Island, Burketown and Doomadgee all on board.
“Even through COVID and with less funding we’ve still grown which is great,” she said.
The initiative was awarded the Education Queensland Showcase Award for Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Island Education earlier this year, but it hasn’t been the on only highlight.
“We were the first cultural ev event at Queensland Country Ba Bank Stadium a day before the ve venue opened,” Ms Papadimitr itriou said.
“We had all the work on di display and 200 people came. That was really exciting for all of the students involved.”
Ms Papadimitriou said students had licence to let their creative juices run wild as they d designed their works.
So impressive are the final p products, the students’ work was short-listed for the National Indigenous Fashion Awards, which then led to the opportunity to appear in Marie Claire magazine.
“They asked if we could send some of the work down to Sydney for a photo-shoot,” Ms Papadimitriou said. “So, we did and it was fantastic.”
Ms Papadimitriou said it had been great to be able to provide a platform for students to express themselves.
“It’s been amazing. Students have said they’ve gained in confidence, they’re excited to showcase their culture.
“And teachers have said some of their students, who didn’t have knowledge of their background, have gone home and asked their parents and elders. It’s really been a big positive.”
Willow Wells was part of the inaugural program in 2018 when she was a student at Thuringowa State High School.
Her mother was also involved, coming in and sharing stories with the students as they delved into their heritage.
“I took a lot of things out of it, learning about everyone’s culture and putting it out in the artwork,” Willow said.