Youth
The HMC offers innovative and dynamic programs for CALD youth aged 12- 25, which create exciting opportunities for young people to learn new skills and grow social connections which foster confidence and empower them to showcase their diversity and influence change for the future.
Youth initiatives:
HMC Youth Nations 2022
Giving a voice to CALD youth
Launched in April 2022, Hunter Multicultural Communities’ HMC Youth Nations is a unique opportunity for our youth to share, learn and be truly heard as they embrace identity and belonging.
Our youth, aged 17-25, from CALD Communities across the Hunter, New England and Mid Coast regions will be given a voice to represent their communities on important issues and forge crosscultural harmony.
Youth are nominated by their cultural community leaders, voted to HMC Youth Nations Council by the nominees, then elected to Council committee positions.
HMC Youth Nations Council gives CALD youth a ‘seat at the table’ linking with key action groups, regional organisations and state government. It will empower young people to address government and community leaders on issues and deliver projects via a democratic platform encouraging social cohesion and promoting a united vision.
This innovative program will empower youth to:
- influence and create change now and for the future
- raise issues impacting migrant and refugee communities directly to government
- share learnings on current local and global issues in own language with their community
- forge cross-cultural harmony and a united vision amongst peers
- build capacity for work and lifestyle through workshops, speakers and celebrations
- take ownership and drive youth activities and projects
- promote understanding, social cohesion, integration and harmony among diverse cultures
- showcase culturally diverse talents and grow future opportunities.
HMC Youth Nations links with renowned speakers and multicultural agencies to build real capacity of youth to showcase their culturally diverse talents and abilities and grow future opportunities amongst multicultural communities.
This important initiative is supported with Community Social Inclusion grant funding by City of Newcastle and endorsed by State government representatives.
Diversity Walls
Diversity Walls is a fully funded program run by Hunter Multicultural Communities that will deliver art workshops and mural painting opportunities with high school groups and organisations working with young people.
The program is designed to advocate harmony, resilience, tolerance and social harmony. A professional mural artist will host art workshops with young people focussing on mural painting skills and discussing the themes relating to ‘diversity’. Participants will be encouraged to share their stories of how they may have experienced or witnessed racism, conflict or threats and how they reacted or were affected.
A mural design will be prepared by the Artist which has been inspired by the themes raised in the art workshops. Participants will then be invited to a mural painting day at the mural site on a wall in their local community.
BENEFITS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
- Opportunity to discuss issues relating to multiculturalism in a safe environment
- Learning new skills – sketching, painting, marking up a mural, mural installation
- Building self-esteem through learning new skills
- Gaining vocational knowledge about the day to day life/ career of professional muralist
- Working together as a team
THE MURALS
- The murals will work as powerful and ongoing advocates for harmony, resilience and social harmony.
- Public art has been proven to have a strong impact on the way communities use spaces, and the way they take ownership of, and relate to, public space. This will be particularly powerful given the themes within the murals.
PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS - THE WALL STATION
Hunter Multicultural Communities is partnering with The Wall Station who are a mural and public artwork agency working with some of Australia’s most prominent street artists and muralists. The Wall Station specialise in community, council and school mural projects and will work closely with Hunter Multicultural Communities and partnering organisations to deliver this exciting project in the Hunter Valley.
All of The Wall Station artists have a current working with children check and are experienced in hosting art workshops and mural installation days. All artists carry full public liability insurance.
You can read more about The Wall Station at http://thewallstation.com
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you’re interested in getting your high school or youth organisation involved in Diversity Walls, or you have a wall that you would like to have a mural painted on please contact:
Jacinta Fintan
The Wall Station
[email protected]
0422 033 055
