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Project work with Mt Druitt Indigenous Church (2008-10)
Willmot Indigenous Children's Photovoice (2008)
Willmot Public School partnered with Mt Druitt Indigenous Church and Bridges in a PhotoVoice project for Indigenous Students from Stage 3 classes. 15 students participated in a 10 week program in which they learned digital photography skills. Bridges took a resilience-based approach and worked with children and to some degree their community i.e. family, school and broader community. The program included an excursion to Campbelltown Art Centre where the students viewed an Aboriginal Photographic Exhibition and had a workshop with renowned Aboriginal Photographer, Mervyn Bishop. Later in the program students went on photographic excursions around Willmot and to Featherdale Wildlife. The program culminated in a celebration day in which the photographs were screened to an audience of family, community members and Stages 2 and 3 classes. With the help of Aboriginal Puppeteer Chris Burke from Gracie’s Productions each student and their photographed were celebrated. As part of the project the students created a book which they titled "Willmot is the place to be".
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View the book
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In this process, the children felt a sense of pride in themselves and the area they live, they learnt photography skills, had a sense of contributing to their community and created more connections with each other as well as other groups in their school. Bridges supported their school in organising a launch of the booklet. At this event the children were identified as VIPs and were congratulated in front of their peers from other classes, their parents and teachers.
The Photovoice project engaged with the children around their personal, cultural and community strengths in order to build on the factors in their lives that will increase their resilience both now and in the future. The students experienced positive Aboriginal role models through Mt Druitt Indigenous Church, the Indigenous staff at Willmot Public School and invited guests and excursions. Students, parents and workers had the opportunity to work with famous Aboriginal Photographer Mervyn Bishop and attend the “More Than My Skin” Aboriginal photographic exhibition. Here they met Aboriginal arts workers and curators. As a result of attending this exhibition, the children were featured in Indigenous newspaper, Koori Mail. In the final phase of the project, students met and worked with the Yarramundi Kids puppets and pupperteer Chris Burke, who has Indigneous-specific puppet shows based around child protection and resilience.
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Teachers and family members indicated changes that have taken place for the children, including the children being more confident, less isolated within the school and more understood and connected with other school children.
As a direct result of the project, Wilmott Public School embarked on a whole of school pride project, with all students taking photographs. The Photovoice project booklet continues to connect students to the broader community, and has been presented as part of the "Yarramundi Kids" program on National Indigenous TV.
Mt Druitt Indigneous Church runs a number of community groups, including a weekly Recovery Group, Youth Group and Kids Club. Through a continuing partnership with pastors Rick and Kayleen Manton new projects were and are being run supporting the church. Bridges provided a series of eight sessions to the Recovery Group on use of Photovoice. Counsellors were also available for recovery group members, and some outreach counselling has followed. Bridges attended meetings with the Indigenous church leadership group to identify how Bridges could support them. The group requested support around training in counselling, domestic violence, child protection and drug and alcohol. Bridges linked the Mt Druit Indigenous Church with Mt Druitt TAFE. The initial contact at TAFE, Dave Nash, was involved in Bridges Stage II. This has resulted in eight of the church's community leaders to gain accredited training in child protection, provided by Mt Druitt TAFE.
Linking clients with community (2009)
One of our indigenous clients, linked with the Mt. Druitt Indigenous Church, who attended counseling sessions at Bridges told us he was interested in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The worker connected him to the famous Gracie Academy in Blacktown. Chris, the instructor, offered him a sponsorship. As a result our client has been attending the classes and has plans to bring his knowledge back the children in his community.
Narrative Training in partnership with the Dulwich Centre (2010)
Bridges organised for training in narrative methodologies for the members of Mt Druitt Indigenous Church and for other community members and workers. David Denborough and Barbara Wingard from the Dulwich Centre came over Dulwich Centre in Adelaide to provide this training. As part of the workshops a CD was developed and stories were shared between the group in Mt Druitt and an Aboriginal community in Hermannsberg. The stories included experiences related to grief and loss, resilience and hope.
"Bridging" and valuing the knowledge of the members and leaders of the Mt Druitt Indigenous Church
Bridges has also created opportunities for the Church leaders to attend particular forums and meet with other workers, as well as to share their knowledge and wisdom with Bridges and other organisations.
Comments from Mt Druitt Indigenous Church
Rick and Kayleen made the following comments as part of an independent evaluation of Bridges work :
Kayleen Manton said "Bridges has enabled us to grow as people, supported our church members and encouraged us to stand on our own two feet. We feel welcome at Bridges and Bridges is welcome in our Church. They make us feel relaxed and we feel part of the family".
Rick and Kayleen described the relationship they have now with Bridges as being very different from when they first met. They described a growing partnership between the two organisations that is less reliant on individuals and more based on the agency as a whole.
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