Newsletter
Twitter
Facebook
Feed
MEDIA RELEASE
African parents to broadcast their stories
Released 27 February 2009
Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766
Multimedia stories of Sudanese and Central African families will form the centrepiece of a new parenting information pack developed by Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) for the NSW Department of Community Services (DCS).
Under the Parenting Stories project, hundreds of Sudanese and Central African families will contribute to discussions on parenting, and thousands more will hear the stories broadcast on the radio or through multimedia information packs.
“It is important that families share their stories and help each other so they feel supported and part of the community,” said Community Services Minister Linda Burney.
“The pressures on a family as they arrive in a new country and deal with a different culture and language are enormous.
“A project such as Parenting Stories is a vital tool in making that path slightly easier,” said Ms Burney.
Starting in March, the 12-month project will begin with story-sharing sessions with refugees and recently arrived migrants as they deal with settlement, cross-cultural issues and the new legal context.
Participants will then learn how to start from scratch to shape their stories into radio pieces and online digital stories at ICE’s Switch Multimedia and Digital Arts Access Centre in Western Sydney. Using industry-standard equipment and software, participants will develop skills in digital production, audio recording and storytelling.
The stories will be the basis for the development of radio plays and recordings that will be broadcast in different community languages. ICE will also distribute these stories in a pack to community and ethnic radio, religious organisations, service providers, community leaders and members.
Packs will include a CD recording of stories, as well as information and referral resources. The campaign will be monitored and community feedback encouraged to ensure the pieces receive regular airplay, and that the CD and information packages reach their target audiences.
Places are still open for Sudanese and Central African families to get involved – contact Saleh Saqqaf, Parenting Stories coordinator, on 9897 5744 or saleh.saqqaf@ice.org.au.
ICE receives core funding through Arts NSW and the Australia Council for the Arts.
RELATED PROJECTS
RELATED NEWS ARTICLES
Parenting Stories Hits the Studio | 11 February 2010
Parenting Stories Screening | 18 August 2009
Parenting Stories - digital storytelling workshop | 10 May 2009