Darwin

January-June, 2000

A Living in Harmony project nominated for a Northern Territory Human Rights Award 2000

This community arts project was developed by Tracks Inc and the Torture and Trauma Survivors Centre of the Northern Territory and ran for over 6 months, beginning in 1999.

Sticks ‘n’ Stones brought together youth from refugee, Indigenous, migrant and other backgrounds to celebrate cultural identities, explore ways of understanding difference and promote racial tolerance through a wide range of creative art forms.

Sticks ‘n’ Stones was inspired by the ‘message sticks’ and ‘message stones’ of various cultures around the world - objects which have messages carved into them as symbols or words to be sent to other people or communities. This project created various ‘messages’ through art on the theme of cultural identity, racial tolerance and harmony. The messages were then ‘sent’ out to their local, national and international communities in the form of artworks, performances, postcards, film, a final exhibition (June 16 2000) and a website.

Focus was given to the Darwin High School Intensive English students and a group of refugees in Australia under six months (including Sudanese, Chinese, East Timorese, former Yugoslavia, Ethiopian). The project also reached out into these communities.

Creative Personnel

Artistic Directors: Tim Newth, David McMicken
Textile Artist: Joanna Barrkman
Indigenous Larrakia Song-Woman: Allyson Arjibuk Mills
Cultural Workshop Leader: Betchay Mondragon
Photographer: Elka Kerkhofs
Web Design: Claire Pallant

Specific Groups

Darwin High School Intensive English
Darwin High School dance students
Nightcliff Secondary School
Northern Territory International Buddhist Temple

Tracks 2000

Artistic Directors: David McMicken and Tim Newth
Office Administration: Heather Richards
Bookkeeper: Lynn Bramham
Production Manager: Eunice De Ramos

Committee Members:  David Taylor (Chair), Jackie Wurm (Vice-Chair), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), Rukshana Ramachandran (Secretary/Public Officer), Ken Conway, Kay Brown, Tania Lieman (Ordinary Committee Members), David McMicken and Tim Newth (Ex-Officio Members)