USING dance to bridge the gap between her African community and the wider Mount Gambier population, Zawadi Rashidi has been selected to represent the South East in a state-wide creative youth program.
The 23-year-old Mount Gambier resident, who is originally from the Congo, will represent the region in Art Squad – a program built to identify and nurture the next generation of creative leaders in regional South Australia.
Art Squad – a partnership between Country Arts SA and Carclew Youth Arts – is a program for nine people aged 19 to 23 who have an interest in arts and want to make creative projects come to life in their community, subsequently building a career for themselves there.
“I want to create a dance, music and video experience that will tell my story as a one-year old refugee in the Congo and travelling to Australia,” Zawadi said.
“Using my story will hopefully open up conversations about different communities within regional South Australia and connect young people through the program.”
She will join representatives from Ceduna, Wudinna, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Renmark, Encounter Bay and Kangaroo Island.
The members of Art Squad will be supported over the next two years to generate and deliver creative projects in their communities and will support other members to do the same in their respective regions.
Art Squad will provide support, professional development, peer and experimental learning, mentoring and a team framework for the successful applicants to develop and deliver projects.
Members practice a variety of art forms encompassing film, photography, audio, music and podcasting, visual arts, performing arts and dance.
“Art Squad will deliberately identify and nurture the next generation of regional creative leaders as they forge their own pathways,” creative producer Alysha Hermann said.
“It’s about providing them with all the connections and opportunities I had and hopefully a few that I did not.
“I’m so excited to start working with this inspiring bunch of young creative leaders – who are already doing incredible things – to see what we can make happen next in regional South Australia.”
Art Squad members will have virtual group and individual sessions and will attend an annual face-to-face catch up with the entire group to connect and support each other.
