The Aboriginal Child Artists of Carrolup Arts, Education, Health & Wellbeing, History, Human Rights, Indigenous, Social Justice, Youth Our project involves the production of a feature length documentary focused on the Story of the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup, one of the most important post-colonisation stories of the Noongar people of South West Australia. The documentary will be supported by a unique Storytelling, Education and Healing web-based resource that contains a wealth of content focused on the Story and related issues.When teacher Noel White arrived at Carrolup Native Settlement in Western Australia (WA) in 1946, he was unable to communicate with the traumatised Aboriginal children as they were so fearful. The children had been removed from their families as part of government policy and lived in squalid conditions. Mr White connected with the children and inspired them to create beautiful artworks that gained public acclaim. They also displayed outstanding educational, musical and sporting achievements.Seventy-one-year old Englishwoman Mrs Florence Rutter was so captivated by the children and their art after visiting Carrolup, she asked the government if she could promote the art. They agreed. In 1950, whilst Mrs Rutter was exhibiting the artworks to much public acclaim in Europe, Mr White faced intensified jealousies and conflicts with other white staff at Carrolup. The government closed the school at the end of the year.The children’s dreams of a better future were shattered by this closure, and by the adversities they faced in a white-dominated society that considered them 'inferior'. The dreams of one artist, Revel Cooper, became a nightmare when he faced a charge of murder in the state’s Supreme Court.The Carrolup Story has never been told in full. It is a Story which shows the resilience of Noongar children in the face of considerable adversity. The children’s talents and achievements challenged the foundation of a government’s racist policies. Their art inspired four generations of Noongar artists.The film will in part be based on the book Aboriginal Child Artists of Carrolup written by David Clark, an Emeritus Professor of Psychology, and John Stanton, former Director of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, to be published in early 2019. It will provide insights into John Stanton’s 40- year journey investigating the Carrolup Story, which included helping bring back to WA part of Mrs. Rutter’s ‘lost’ Carrolup collection from the USA that was exhibited in Katanning in 2006. The Carrolup Story still unfolds today.The film will involve a narrator; interviews with Noongar Elders and artists, survivors of Carrolup, and other Noongar people; experts in the field of healing trauma; the voices of actors, and re-enactments.Our web-based resource will contain a wealth of content (film, text, audio) related to the Story, galleries of our ‘assets’ (artworks, photos, documents, letters, etc), and education about the healing of trauma. 

REDEMPTION Arts, Community, Disability, Education, Health & Wellbeing, History, Human Rights, Indigenous, Refugees, Social Justice, Welfare, Youth “If you don't accept people can change ~ no one has an incentive to change..." Myuran Sukumaran (17 April 1981 – 29 April 2015) was an Australian who was convicted in Indonesia of drug trafficking as a member of the Bali Nine. In 2005, Sukumaran was arrested in a room at the Melasti Hotel in Kuta with three others. Police found 334 g (11.8 oz) of heroin in a suitcase in the room. According to court testimonies of convicted drug mules, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were the co-ringleaders of the heroin-smuggling operation from Indonesia to Australia. After a criminal trial, Sukumaran was sentenced on 14 February 2006 by the Denpasar District Court to execution by firing squad. Australian death-row prisoner Myuran Sukumaran made a personal appeal for mercy to Joko Widodo, painting a portrait of the Indonesian president and signing it with the words 'People Can Change'. After lodging an appeal against his sentence, this was initially dismissed by the Bali High Court. A judicial review conducted by the Indonesian Supreme Court on 6 July 2011 affirmed the death sentence. Sukumaran’s plea for clemency was rejected by the President of Indonesia on 30 December 2014, and Sukumaran was expected to face execution, together with Chan. The execution was carried out on 29 April 2015. Myuran Sukumaran led an art studio for his fellow prisoners during his time in Kerobokan prison, where he was mentored. Myuran taught English, computer, graphic design and philosophy classes to prisoners. The portrait of Mr Joko Widodo signed 'People Can Change' is his most recent work. He painted the oil on canvas artwork in Kerobokan prison in late January 2015, in his final weeks there before being transferred to Nusakambangan Island. Myu painted multiple self-portraits while on Nusakambangan. His final painting resembles a bleeding Indonesian flag. He was recently awarded an associate degree in fine arts by Curtin University. Myuran Sukumaran had his first major Australian exhibition at the Campbelltown Arts Centre in January 2017, curated by noted Australian artist, Ben Quilty. ‘Alone from night to night you'll find me  Too weak to break these chains that bind me I need no shackles to remind me I'm just a prisoner, don't let me be a prisoner From one command I stand and wait now From one who's master of my fate now I can't escape for it's too late now I'm just a prisoner, don't let me be a prisoner.’

REVEL Arts, Education, History, Human Rights, Indigenous, Social Justice The untold story that chronicles the thought provoking life of Southwest Aboriginal artist Revel Cooper.May 1960. Excerpts from a letter written in Prison by Revel Cooper.“At the age of six my mother died. Having no one to care for me I was warranted to Carrolup Native Settlement to be cared for by the state government. When I arrived at Carrolup it was just getting under way for the second time. Living conditions there were of the very lowest standards.As a child I attended school on and off, for how long I just don’t even wish to remember. The compound gang we called ourselves consisted of boys, girls, unmarried women and countless unmarried mothers.The dormitories were huge stone buildings, they had two rooms and one bathroom. The unmarried mothers having the room next to the boys.In the latter part of the war we had no schooling at all. One supposedly kind superintendent to keep us out of mischief supplied us with rubber and leather to make catapults to our hearts desire. After slaughtering birds and other species of wild life (including domestic cats) the novelty wore off. Then we turned our attentions to glass windows, then we turned on one another.Fights were numerous between women, men, boys and girls. Bad language wasn’t considered as such among us and was used as normal words in our everyday speech.There was open love making at every corner under every tree. At the time, we saw no reason why we boys and girls should practice what we saw. The results of what we got up to at every opportunity would shock any normal present day family.We were locked in our respective dormitories at 5pm winter and summer with no drinking water, an open sanitary bucket was placed in the centre of the floor. Being afraid of the supernatural, we were afraid to leave our beds at night. The stench of urine soaked rugs and mattresses were something that only the ones that lived in there could bare to smell.We had our bullies among the elder boys. In the winter they visited our beds, if we had three rugs we parted with two or else. If we had one they took that for spite. We dare not report these culprits because we knew the results, no matter what we did against them we always paid”.The migration from mission to prison to alcohol did not stop Revel Cooper from becoming a prolific artist who spoke for the rights of others, whilst playing a major role in pioneering the unique style of Noongar art that thrives and inspires artists to this day................. The writing of this script is underway.