Embedding First nations recognition into School Holiday Programs
A Case Study
Yarra Plenty Regional Library (YPRL), serving the communities of the Banyule City, City of Whittlesea and Nillumbik Shire in Victoria, Australia, recognises the vital role public libraries play in fostering understanding of and engagement with Australian First Nations culture. In mid-2022, our codesign work with local First Nations communities resulted in calls for stronger representation of First Nations history and culture within our library spaces and programs. In response to this, YPRL made a commitment to embed First Nations cultural experiences in all of our School Holiday Programs. This pledge reflected our Library Plan, which highlights that creating ongoing opportunities for children and young people to connect with First Nations people increases meaningful engagement and learning.
We worked with a range of First Nations artists, presenters and organisations to design and deliver a suite of traditional and contemporary activities acknowledging and celebrating the significance of First Nations culture, knowledge, and history throughout the region. Our staff have also been supported to learn from and deliver First Nation activities in the library setting. In late-2022, staff members attended the City of Whittlesea Early Years and Conservation Conference, strengthening community connection, collaboration and inclusion. This conference fostered knowledge sharing and skill development in traditional play-based practices. At this time, local First Nations facilitator Aunty Sharon Hughes encouraged our staff to learn about and deliver a Possum Skin Painting inspired event at Lalor Library.
In this session, children and families engaged with the practice through discussion, film demonstration, learning resources, and experimentation with natural paint on calico. Community response to our First Nation programming has been very positive. At the Possum Skin Painting session, children were excited to tell their own stories through painting, and were able to talk about their own families and what they thought was important to share in their artwork. Parents commented that they had never heard about the artform before and thought it was wonderful to see their children exploring it.
Mill Park Library and Thomastown Library also introduced digital experiences of First Nations culture during School Holiday Programs in 2022, including Dhinawan in the Sky and Thalu: Dreamtime is Now. Created by Tess Reading, a Gomeroi woman from Tamworth for Code Club Australia, Dhinawan in the Sky engages children in 131 coding and animation activities, inspired by traditional knowledge of the Dark Emu Dhinawan, star tracing stories, and time. Directed by Tyson Mowarin, Thalu: Dreamtime is Now immerses participants in ground-breaking virtual reality experiences, exploring stories, cultural heritage and contemporary issues of the Ngarluma Aboriginal people of northern Western Australia.
Children have participated in boomerang throwing, traditional games, performance and music making at their local library, with parents and carers increasingly giving positive feedback on these experiences.
Moving forward, all YPRL branches will continue to offer a range of opportunities to engage with First Nations culture during our School Holiday Programs and beyond. By offering unique and meaningful engagement with First Nations culture beyond what children might encounter in the classroom, YPRL’s School Holiday Program activities continue to support increased community awareness and respect for First Nation histories, languages, traditions and contributions. In the spirit of reconciliation and truth-telling, events and activities also amplify local First Nations voices and stories, inspired by and reflecting YPRL’s emerging Deadly Collection and endorsement of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
‘Will you be doing more of these? He had such a good time and it’s so good for them to be learning from Elders.’ Parent of participant
Guest Authors: Kate Hansen Programs Manager Yarra Plenty Regional Library Debra Fothergill Coordinator, Programs & Engagement Lalor Library Yarra Plenty Regional Library
