Approximately 12,000 young people access the Council-run Youthie youth centre each year, an estimated 75% of whom are Aboriginal. As a result, Council has established a number of popular programs, including the following.
The Aboriginal Cultural Showcase is designed to provide young Aboriginal people from all over Australia with the opportunity to perform as part of the annual Country Music Festival.
The week-long Showcase includes a schedule of daily performances and workshops, culminating with the Showcase Finale, exposing the week’s most talented performers.
Winanga-li Youth Social and Emotional Wellbeing Day is held every October. It attracts around 70 Aboriginal young people in Years 9 to11 for a day of cultural celebration and learning.
Each year, The Youthie charters a bus to take a group to the Myall Creek memorial service.
In 2008/09, The Youthie attracted funding from the Foundation for Young Australians to engage two Aboriginal young people in a 12 month fulltime Community Work Traineeship. Both participants successfully completed the program.
For more information on the Aboriginal Cultural Showcase, visit the Annual Cultural Showcase website. For information on the programs offered at The Youthie, please contact Council’s Youth Services Co-ordinator on (02) 6766 4645.