Chicken — Alana Hicks, 2019

WRITE

• Write a personal reflection about a time when you have had to stand-up to someone else. Describe what happened, include personal feelings and reflections, think about whether it went better than or worse than expected. How did you feel before/during/after? How did it change you?

DRAW/MAKE

• Create a design for your own piece Aborigine inspired artwork, Punu or carving for a Coolamon or shield: take inspiration from animals, and symbols which have significance to the Aborigine people. When finished try creating one which shows your own home culture. Create a paper mache version of your design, remembering to build up areas to add form, height and depth.

DRAMA

• Create a two-minute script with two characters who disagree, one must outsmart the other. How will they do it? Their disagreement could be about anything, but your audience need to know that one is in the right. How can you convince your audience to side with them, or feel more connected to them?

MUSIC

• Listen to some examples of Corroborees music from Australia. Specifically look at the instruments used and the distances from which you can hear them. Why would this be important? This music is used to pass on folklore and histories from generation to generation using mime and song. Scotland has a similar historic musical culture. Learn a little about both, then create a piece of music which tells of specific event in your life, or in our culture. How will you create depth, atmosphere, emotion?

DANCE

• Learn a traditional Aborigine dance (Corroboree) and perform it together, splitting into specific roles and supporting one another. This is about being part of a community, so look for instances when you can help one another memorise sections.

SOCIAL SUBJECTS

• The indigenous people of Australia include people from both the mainland and Torres Strait Islands. These islanders are distinct and are mostly part of Queensland but have separate governmental status. The indigenous people here come from a vast range of cultural groups living in these lands for around 50,000 years: it is only in the last 200 years or so that they have become collectively referred to as Aborigine. Find out about the initial interactions between the Aborigines, the Torres Strait islanders and the white colonists who arrived between c1788-1890.
• Bringing many cultures together to create one shared identity is incredibly difficult. What types of issues would be created? Which areas would pose hurdles? How do you think they overcame them? Now research and assess out how effectively they did this.
• When the British arrived to try to colonise Australia in the late 1700s - 1800s there was dreadful conflict. Create a poster which shows how both sides would have been feeling at this time. What do you think they thought of each other? Which strategies did each side use? What were the consequences?