Youth & Community
Building networks and supporting community through engaging youth programs
Youth and Community projects provide opportunities for engagement for a youth demographic traditionally underrepresented at Arts Centre Melbourne including marginalized and culturally diverse young people. These programs focus on the development of an arts practice in youth aged 13-23, through mentoring, providing of access to resources and guidance from established artists.
Arts Centre Melbourne’s flagship hip-hop music mentoring program Dig Deep develops strong supportive community networks with Arts Centre Melbourne. Young people attending Dig Deep on Tuesday evenings in Arts Centre Melbourne’s Digital Learning Hub develop a range of skills in music production and performance techniques. Tutoring and mentoring is carried out by a combination of youth arts facilitators, established artists and studio specialists.
Through establishing networks with organisations including Multicultural Arts Victoria, Good Shepherd, Barkly Arts Centre Melbourne, Yarra Youth Services and the Push Youth Programs help facilitate youth engagement with the civic spaces and facilities of Arts Centre Melbourne.
‘Dig Deep has taught me that it doesn’t matter who is better…but the importance of doing your own thing…being authentic.’
- Participant, Dig Deep
“I love coming into town every week… I love walking around and looking at the surroundings. Arts Centre Melbourne is important because of the connections to the other programs …. It gives me the chance to get involved in other things”
- Participant, Dig Deep
"Dig Deep offers grass roots programs like ours the opportunity to collaborate with a flagship cultural institution. By offering young people from emerging and established migrant communities the opportunity to create original work in a professional studio setting, Dig Deep is cultural democracy in action".
- Program Co-ordinator, Barkly Arts Centre Melbourne, Western Region Health Centre
To find out more, visit the Dig Deep website at http://digdeep.org.au
To get in contact with Dan West, Youth Programs Coordinator at Arts Centre Melbourne’s email: youth@artscentremelbourne.com.au
Image Credit: Damian Vincenzi