BLAK TO THE FUTURE

I was so excited to have been invited to take 40 students down to the Wominjeka festival and Blak to the Future exhibition at the Footscray Community arts Centre two weeks ago. This inspiring, challenging, and important event included hard hitting and thoughtful work from young Katen Balla, one of our indigenous students in year 8. Together with other young indigenous artists and curators, a space was created for a range of installations and artworks that helped my students gain some understanding of what young urban Blak participants feel about their home, their identity and their desire to see themselves positively in the future of Australia. The work was strong and provocative. We were guided through the exhibition by Katen, and his sister Rosie Kalina, who gave voice most eloquently to the ideas, contexts and passions behind the different works. 

From a homage to American rap artists and the protest movement in that genre, to video installations, makeup designs, a decolonised living space, original protest banners and a large bingo board complete with shocking quotes, my year 7 and 8 classes were filled with a whole new perspective and many questions were raised. I didn’t realise what great listeners my classes were, you did the College proud.

Huge shout out to Katen and his family, to the FCAC and to 100 Story Building in Footscray for helping organise the workshops and this thoroughly stimulating exhibition. What a great community we have in Footscray.

Emma Schmidt - Drama teacher