Salvos Youth & Music Project
Youth Workers
A team of youth workers, music coaches, equipment providers, community event organisers and local schools will be involved in this project. Youth workers will engage with young people by offering advocacy, early intervention, crisis response, and importantly practical and emotional support. The youth workers involved will be trained in grief and bereavement using specific strategies developed for the bushfire recovery process
The project
The project operates in 15 bushfire affected areas, providing high school aged youth with a safe place to vent and process their emotions, as well as a forum to tell their story. The project, proudly supported by Sony Foundation, aims to create a sense of inclusion in the bushfire recovery process, using music and visual arts as the tool to engage young people in these areas.
- Music: young people are encouraged to write and record their own songs. All equipment is provided, along with coaching from music consultants.
- Visual arts: opportunities are provided for youth to design album and CD cover artwork that will accompany the music, as well as banners for festival performances.
- Performance: at the conclusion of the program, youth will perform their songs at high schools or local community festivals. Finally, all groups will feature in a final festival performance, bringing together the community to showcase the achievements of these youth.
Secondary Colleges
- Secondary school Principals and music teachers will work with youth workers to identify potential participants.
- Location for a ‘safe place’ will be established in cooperation with schools however; the location will not necessarily be at the schoole.
- Project activities will be conducted during school hours.
- A performance will be planned in the New Year.
- The youth and music project will be established in 15 bushfire affected areas across Victoria, including; Bendigo, Seymour, Broadford, Whittlesea and Kinglake
David Barker, Bushfire Recovery Manager
The Salvation Army - 0407 855 099
Salvos Youth & Music Project
Proudly supported by the Sony Foundation
“… to aid in the healing process for youth in fire affected areas, telling their stories, and feeling
included in their communities.”
With the generous support of Sony Foundation Australia, The Salvation Army is establishing a network of youth and music groups at 15 locations in bushfire affected Victorian communities. This project has recently been initiated and is expected to engage with youth through to 2012. Participants will largely come from secondary schools and the project will operate in cooperation with schools, community groups and other agencies.
The project looks to engage youth through music, assisting them tell their stories and express their feelings as part of the healing process. Participants will be able to:
- Write songs on themes associated with the affects of the bushfires
- Record and produce their own songs
- Create artwork associated to the music produced
- Perform their songs across the selected communities, potentially in conjunction with festivals in affected communities
The objective of this important program is to provide youth with an opportunity to open their imagination and express themselves creatively through music as well as deal with their significant feelings of pain, loss, hope, suffering, and grief.
A team of youth workers, music coaches, equipment providers, community event organisers and local schools will be involved in this project. Youth workers will engage with young people by offering advocacy, early intervention, crisis response, and importantly practical and emotional support. The youth workers involved will be trained in grief and bereavement using specific strategies developed for the bushfire recovery process.
As part of this project a safe space will be created where youth can meet, work on their music and other activities coordinated by youth workers.
Music coaches will assist participants to compose, develop and record their music through music tuition, workshops and continual engagement. When participants are ready to record their music, computers with specific software and audio/digital equipment will be available to begin this process. Youth involved in this project will also have access to the exiting recording studios of The Salvation Army at several locations across Victoria.
Youth will also have the opportunity to showcase their work through a concert in their local area and also at a celebration, which is expected to be held early in the New Year. These events will also give others in the community an opportunity to get involved by assisting with promotion, venue set up and front of house production.
The project will offer young people an opportunity to develop skills in project management, visual arts, music creativity, music production, front of house production, recording skills, marketing and team work.
In line with the mission of Sony Foundation Australia, through this project The Salvation Army is looking to assist the recovery of bushfire affected communities by assisting youth and fostering their talents.
