Margot Hardy Gallery

Indigenous School Students Mentoring Program

This art exhibition is the culmination of art projects and workshops completed in 2010 by 6 local high schools under the stewardship of the UWS Indigenous School Student Mentoring Program (ISSMP).

A number of high schools across Greater Western Sydney participated in the ISSMP during 2010, including: Airds High School, Ambarvale High School, Leumeah High School, Sarah Redfern High School, Hoxton Park High School and James Busby High School. Projects ranged from creation of artworks, Indigenous celebrations and even producing a DVD on a visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park with Aunty Frances Bodkin.

In additional to completing the projects, the Year 10 and 11 students have participated in a diverse range of academic enrichment workshops.

Each component of the program is designed to improve Indigenous school student retention rates, engaged learning and, over time, participation in tertiary education. Students also gain more confidence, communication and teamwork skills as they progress through the program.

Background

The schools involved in the ISSMP program in 2010 completed the following projects:

Airds High School: A group of eight Year 10 students worked with their mentors to produce three large artworks. The works bring together designs created by all the students involved. One design features a conceptual representation of the mentors helping their mentees to grow and flourish.

Ambarvale High School: A group of Year 10 students organised a day of Indigenous celebration and recognition, inviting students from Rosemeadow Public School and younger Indigenous students from the high school to participate in Indigenous games, artwork creation and Traditional storytelling run by Tharawal knowledge-holder, scientist and educator Aunty Frances Bodkin.

Leumeah High School: A group of Year 11 students produced an artwork for the school foyer. The work draws on the story of how the white waratah became red and also features the lyrebird which is the primary symbol and a totem of the D'harawal people. The artwork was presented to the school principal at the investiture of the 2011 school captains and prefects.

A group of Leumeah Year 10 students also participated in the program, and they were helped by their mentors and the Year 11 students to create a DVD based on an excursion to Featherdale Wildlife Park with Aunty Frances Bodkin, who related Aboriginal stories about Australian birds and animals.

Sarah Redfern High School: Year 10 students, along with their mentors, organised a special event for Year 1 and 2 students from the adjacent Sarah Redfern Primary School. The event promoted Indigenous cultural awareness and featured four different activities including; boomerang painting, story-telling, dance and the decoration of cupcakes.

Hoxton Park High School: Year 10 students, along with the help of their mentors, have produced artworks for the school library. Each student produced an individual artwork and collaborated on a group artwork as well.

James Busby High School: a Year 10 student and her mentor organised an excursion for Year 7 Indigenous students from the school to view the Mil-Pra exhibition of Aboriginal Art at Casula Powerhouse. Following that the students painted boomerangs in Aboriginal designs.