YCulture Metro 2020 Projects

Drug Aware Presents Borderline Theatre-Making Workshop Series

Evelyn Sook & Daniel Dosek | $3000

The Borderline Theatre-Making Workshop Series was a deeply personal project about mental health, mental ill-health and Borderline Personality Disorder. The project focused on actioning a series of online workshops aimed at highschool students that revealed how the end product (Borderline) was constructed and then later on, performed. With an initial workshop led by Evelyn, Daniel and Be that focused on the exploration of writing and devising theatre, specifically dealing with personal stories; the project then delved into a creative development showing whereby the development of script and show was discussed with youths. In the end there was five different online workshops, each led by members of the creative team and included new theatre devising techniques alongside activities the participants could complete by themselves or together via Zoom.

Auspice Organisation: The Blue Room Theatre

The Raven Presented by Drug Aware

Cassandra Lionette-Civa & Steven Clarke | $3000

A period piece about vikings that centred around the themes of conflicting interests, hard decisions and relationships. The Raven was an original script that was shot as a short film and presented to over 100 audience members at The Backlot Theatre in Leederville. With a stellar cast and a film crew of all emerging film makers; the project was an opportunity for all to develop their skills and practical experience whilst focusing on presenting a beautiful challenging periodic piece.

Auspice Organisation: Revelation Perth International Film Festival

Ugly Virgins Creative Development Presented by Drug Aware

Anna Lindstedt & Sally Davies | $3000

A creative development expedition to showcase how Ugly Virgins was written, planned and devised before eventually being performed at The Blue Room Theatre. The work explores female empowerment, sexuality and sexual health, using the sport of roller derby as a lens through which to view modern feminism. United by their love of the sport and literally nothing else, five women skate circles around shit dates, self-worth and sticking it to the man. How the hell are you supposed to win anything when you can’t get yourself out of the penalty box? Through an auditioning process and week long journey of creative development, the cast and crew of Ugly Virgins were given the opportunity to be mentored by Emily McLean; a renown director and theatre maker with decades of experience as an educator, director and artist. Before eventually bringing their work to the masses.

Auspice Organisation: Maiden Voyage Theatre Company

Abantu Presented by Drug Aware

Albertina Ncube & Linda Mbimbi | $3000

Living in the “Western World”, we are often not exposed to the creative industry in Africa. ABANTU Exhibition was a one day photography exhibition showcasing photographers based in Zimbabwe. The event presented eight Zimbabwean creatives with each individual showcasing five of their best images, as well as live music from local artists including Princess Khanya and Tina Muzondo. As a follow up to the documentary film ‘ABANTU - People of Art’ which was filmed in Zimbabwe, Abantu the Exhibition provides a stunning showcase of the countries natural and urban beauty.

Auspice Organisation: Multicultural Futures

Drug Aware: December Project

Ava Hart & Luci Young | $3000

A group of eight young contemporary dancers from Perth developed a self-devised contemporary dance piece that was performed across a weekend at the Art Gallery of WA. The majority of team at the time were just finishing school and are now perusing the creation of a platform to develop skills and networks. Performed at the Art Gallery’s ‘Pulse Perspectives’ exhibition, they wished to explore the concepts of self and the representation and reflection of young peoples voices in contemporary society.

Auspice Organisation: Co3 Australia

‘With Me, We Walk’ Supported by Drug Aware

Rebecca Riggs-Bennett & Ellen Hope-Thomson | $3000

Launched over a weekend in three parts, ‘With Me, We Walk’ was an electronic album that was released by local artist Elsewhere/Rebecca. The theme of this album and its visuals were a response to pandemic behaviour patterns, both imaginative and physical. Through an online collaborative workshopping session, artists involved with the creation of the album learned valuable skills in relation to developing music and the process of joint art practises. With this information they were able to respond to the segmented launch verbally and in conversation with the artist; they were then also able to film themselves moving to the final track of the album, The Gorgeous Nothing, with the footage to inspire the choreography for its music video that was released in August 2020.

Auspice Organisation: Tura New Music

WA Youth Literary Magazine - Pulch Presented by Drug Aware

Luisa Mitchell & Jay Anderson | $3000

Filling a gap in Perth’s literary ecosystem - Pulch is an online magazine that aims to facilitate a local youth orientated arts movement that creates a community of young creatives, a space for them to develop their skills, and a publishing opportunity to showcase their talents. Through a series of poetry, short fiction, personal essays and experimental ways of writing; Pulch curated different stories from a diverse group of youths to cultivate a magazine like no other. Looking to express your own creative work whether it be fact or fiction? Head over to Pulch Mag to submit your pieces.

Auspice Organisation: Centre For Stories

Press, Flex, Relax: Presented by Drug Aware

Ailsa Waddell & Sandra Lopez | $2825

The Press, Flex, Relax project engaged nine emerging artists and writers to create work around the themes of trauma and mental health. The work was culminated into a zine that focused on the idea of grounding and reflecting on difficult moments in a safe environment. The zine was exhibited online as a part of Bedroom Mountain programming, and slow arts festival by Paper Mountain. Hard copies were for sale on the website at a sliding scale and during the launch party in October 2020. The zine had a physical launch and was also published online.

Auspice Organisation: Paper Mountain

Drug Aware Presents: our mä

Tanya Jane Rodin & Harry James Blyth | $3000

our mä was a dance / film project that aimed to archive the stories of three grandma’s through the lens of a young person’s curiosities. The project had three integral components. The first was the ‘Young People’s Panel’ workshop at King Street Art Centre that was an interactive workshop with seven young people on the panel who shared their stories and memories of their grandmas. The second was the ‘Cuppas’ with the three grandmas in their homes which was three sessions of oral history, baked goods and tea, and movement. The third component was the culmination of movement moments from the ‘Cuppas’ made into a mini dance film.

Auspice Organisation: Co3 Australia

Friendly Footprint Presented by Drug Aware

Madelaine Cannell-Lunn & Galvin Phuong | $3000

As part of the Sustainable Bayswater program, Friendly Footprint was event for young people aged 12 - 25 in the City of Bayswater to learn simple and practical sustainability skills. The day offered free workshops at Environment House with information and activities to give young people skills to live more sustainability. Events such as basket weaving, composting, growing an edible garden, clothes swap and making beeswax wraps were offered on the day. The project was also an opportunity for the City of Bayswater Youth Advisory Council to act as young leaders and organise a youth-led event that inspired other young people to do things in their community.

Auspice Organisation: City of Bayswater

Drug Aware: 6K Cypher

Roshan Mann & Zaahen Kahn | $3000

Shining a spotlight on the Perth hip-hop and rap scene, the project organisers developed a cypher style video with local artists and produced a fifteen minute short film shot at various venues around Perth. The producers aim to champion the growth of hip-hop in Perth and spread a positive messages through the personal stories of each artist profiled.

Auspice Organisation: West Australian Music

Drug Aware: The Invisible Illness Project

Samantha Martin & Jacqueline Pelczar | $3000

What is an invisible illness? Chronic conditions that are not visible to our communities at first glance such as fibromyalgia, endometriosis, chronic fatigue and chronic migraines. This project focused on the research and development of an online video series about invisible illnesses to promote awareness and create community. The project was then showcased at a community screening at The Backlot.

Auspice Organisation: Revelations Perth International Film Festival

Áváreh آواره & Found Presented By Drug Aware

Elham Eshraghian-Kaakansson & Raneen Koursari | $3000

Áváreh آواره & Found is a visual poem; a creative expression that bears witness to the lived experiences of First and Second generations Iranian-Australians. Curated by local artists Asha Kiani & Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson, the exhibition was a culmination of works by the Second Generation Collective. Using multi-modal art forms, Áváreh آواره & Found explored the journey of the First Generation who fled Iran during the 1979 Revolution, and their children, the Second Generation, who have grown up in Boorloo, Western Australia. The artists have passionately engaged with their community over a year-long process, unwrapping the stories of their families who navigated execution and imprisonment due to religious persecution during dramatic socio- political shifts implemented in Iranian culture. Hearing from their elders, parents, grandparents and peers, the Collective used The Arts to disentangle the complexities of growing up as Iranian-Australians with a dual-identity, a complex cultural heritage, and a yearning to identify with ‘home.’

Auspice Organisation: Centre For Stories