Big hART will deliver the Punkaliyarra Project, a leadership and cultural connection program for young Aboriginal women at risk of or already disengaged from education and future employment, using digital arts and reconnecting with traditional knowledge. Working with the local school, the project will directly engage 25 young women in creative skill-building and cultural mentorship, fostering leadership, cultural preservation, and increased educational engagement within the community.
Requested Amount: $49,910 from a total project cost of $188,320
100 Women funds have been requested to cover artist engagement, cultural mentorship and program delivery costs.
Who is the organisation and what is their mission?
Big hART Inc is Australia’s leading arts and social change organisation. Their mission is to tackle injustice by delivering community-driven solutions to entrenched social issues.
Big hART creates high-quality art with communities, builds community resilience, and drives long term social change, particularly in disadvantaged regional areas. Big hART has been resident in Roebourne since 2010 engaging with a broad cross-section of the community.
What is the project that the 100 Women grant will support?
The Punkaliyarra Project is a leadership and cultural connection program based in Roebourne, WA. It combines digital arts education with traditional knowledge transfer to build the next generation of female storytellers and leaders. Senior women and Elders will oversee and guide the project to ensure a community-led approach responsive to the needs of young Aboriginal women. Specifically, the project is designed to provide participants with creative skills and opportunities for meaningful re-engagement in education and the community.
Who is the project for? Who else will benefit?
The project is for 25 young Aboriginal women in Roebourne who are disengaging from education and future employment opportunities. Additionally, 150 indirect beneficiaries, including Elders, community members and families, will benefit from the cultural preservation and leadership development that the project fosters.
Why is the project needed?
The project addresses the urgent need for young Aboriginal women in Roebourne to reconnect with their culture, develop leadership skills, and find alternative pathways to education and employment. This need arises from high rates of disengagement from school, excessive unemployment, elevated rates of sexual abuse and family violence, over representation in the prison system, cultural disconnection, and limited access to technology and digital skills, all of which contribute to broader social and economic challenges in the community.
This need arises from high rates of disengagement from school, excessive unemployment, elevated rates of sexual abuse and family violence, over representation in the prison system, cultural disconnection, and limited access to technology and digital skills, all of which contribute to broader social and economic challenges in the community.
What are the planned outcomes for the project?
The project aims to enhance cultural connection, build digital and creative skills, and foster leadership among young Aboriginal women in Roebourne. Planned outcomes include:
- increased educational engagement and/or steps towards employment
- improved self-confidence
- the preservation of cultural knowledge through creative outputs.
The project also seeks to create positive community impacts by strengthening intergenerational relationships and providing a platform for young women to express their identities and aspirations.
