Artistic Director at Phoenix Youth Centre, Cymbeline Buhler, with Casey Nicholls, writer and devisor (far right front) and Beagle Boys Chronicles performers: From left to right (front): Piper Huynh and Sally Trang Ta. From left to right rear: Joana Pires, Semhar Araya Teke, Awet Araya Teke, Rexson Pelman. 71797 Picture: NICOLE SULTANA
By Charlene Gatt
WESTERN Edge Youth Arts had every reason to smile last week after receiving two grants from the Australia Council of the Arts.
Western Edge, which is based at the Phoenix Youth Centre in Footscray, has been awarded a three-year grant for its ground-breaking work in youth arts.
A Cultural Leadership Skills Development grant was also awarded to the organisation’s artistic director of communities, Cymbeline Buhler.
The funding will enable Western Edge to develop and present a number of major projects, including Chronicles Beagle Bay, a ground-breaking production in which young indigenous, refugee and migrant artists will collaborate to create a work based on oral histories from indigenous elders from the Beagle Way area in WA.
The youths have just returned from a two-week trip to the Kimberleys to gather the interviews.
Ms Buhler told Star last week that the grants would help solidify Western Edge Youth Arts’ foundations.
The group, which presents contemporary art and theatre that explores the complexities and richness of cultural diversity in Australia, runs solely on donations and grants.
“It’s so hard to get core funding for a small organisation… and this gives us three years’ running, it frees us up to put our time and energy into looking for the projects and working on them,” Ms Buhler said.
Call 9362 0046 to make a donation.
