Yamatji Region News

New Children’s Book from West Australian Indigenous Artist

Posted: February 1st, 2013

Filed under: Indigenous Arts, Indigenous Books, Indigenous Culture, Magabala Books, Norma MacDonald Spinifex Mouse, Nyungar, Yamatji.

West Australian artist Norma MacDonald will release her new illustrated children’s book next month through Indigenous publishing house, Magabala Books.

Spinifex Mouse is the tale of a cheeky, spinifex-hopping mouse who lives in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Written and Illustrated by Ms MacDonald, the book will be available from February 2013 in bookshops across Australia and online from Magabala Books, www.magabala.com

Magabala Books is a not-for-profit publishing house based in Broome that aims to promote, preserve and publish Indigenous Australian culture.

Norma MacDonald descends from both the Yamatji and Nyungar people of Western Australia. Spinifex Mouse follows on from her 2011 success, Stolen Girl, also published through Magabala Books.

Applications for Mid West Art Prize 2013 Still Open

Posted: January 15th, 2013

Filed under: City of Greater Geraldton, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, Indigenous Arts, Mid West art Prize 2013, Yamaji Art

Applications for entry into the 2013 Mid West Art Prize are still open to all artists throughout Western Australia.

This will be the third year the Mid West Art Prize takes place, with the exhibition scheduled to open at the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery on Saturday 2 March 2013.

There will be a total of $45,00 in non-acquisitive awards presented across seven award categories. Application forms are available from the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, or can be downloaded from their website.

Yamaji Arts manager Allison Yearwood has wished all artists of the region good luck, and any new indigenous artists that would like assistance in setting up their profile can contact the centre via the Yamaji Art Website, or on (08) 9965 3440.

For more details about the Mid West Art Prize 2013, please contact the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery on 9964 7170 or email grag@artgallery.wa.gov.au

Entries close 4pm Wednesday 16 January, 2013.

www.artgallery.cgg.wa.gov.au

2013 Mullewa Community Trust Grants Program

Posted: November 30th, 2012

Filed under: City of Greater Geraldton, Mount Gibson Mining Ltd., Mullewa, Mullewa Community Trust Grants Program

Applications are now open for the 2013 Mullewa Community Trust Grants program.

Each year, the Mullewa district receives funding from Mount Gibson Mining Ltd which assists community development initiatives.

In conjunction with the City of Greater Geraldton, the program allocates funds to groups who can demonstrate how their activites would benefit the community.

To be eligible, projects proposed by community groups should be in the areas of youth leadership development, arts and cultural activities, sports and recreation, community welfare or tourism.

Community groups are also encouraged to submit joint grant applications.

Application forms can be obtained from the Mullewa district office, or downloaded from the City of Greater Geraldton website.

Applications close 28 December 2012.

Badimaya Book Launch

Posted: November 21st, 2012

Filed under: Badimia, Bundiyarra, Irra-Wangga Geraldton Language Program, Joe Benjamin, Mt Magnet

This will be a great event in Mount Magnet by the Bundiyarra Irra Wangga Language Program celebrating the books of Joe Benjamin, Badimia culture and language.

Protection for Lake Moore in Midwest WA

Posted: November 9th, 2012

Filed under: Badimia, Heritage, Lake Moore, National Native Title Tribunal, Yamatji.

Artists Honoured at Yamaji Art’s New Home

Posted: October 16th, 2012

Filed under: Charmaine Green, Geraldton, Indigenous Arts, Mid West, Murchison., Yamaji Art

Lakiesha Green-Ryan, Allison Yearwood and Charmaine Green of Yamaji Arts.

Yamaji Art, the Aboriginal owned and operated art centre in Mid West, Western Australia, has opened its new doors at the Bill Sewell Complex in Geraldton, along with its website launch, yamajiart.com

The new gallery space was officially launched on Friday 12th October, with a tribute event honouring the memory of two artists who played an integral part in the growth of Yamaji Art.
Representatives of the McIntosh and Boddinton families celebrated the memory of the artists with speeches, songs, dancing and a tree planting ceremony.

Yamaji Arts Manager Allison Yearwood said, “Today was about celebrating the lives of these two women who helped us so much, who brought us to the point of now having our own space. We’ve grown from a little art centre to this, and our new website is showing local work to international audiences. We are here opening our doors and we hope the community feel this is their place to share.”

www.yamajiart.com

Educational training programs for young women in Geraldton

Posted: October 8th, 2012

Filed under: Geraldton, Hairdressing., Indigenous Employment and Training, Indigenous youth, John Willcock College, regional education, Shine Today

SHINE is an award winning educational program based in Geraldton that empowers young women with the skills and tools required to build a successful career. The program takes place within a purpose-built hairdressing salon at John Willcock College, and aims to develop confidence in girls at risk of leaving school by inspiring them to learn through a hands-on, fun and engaging environment. SHINE offers skills and leadership training to indigenous and ‘at risk’ girls aged between 13 and 15, and prepares these students for future traineeships and placement within the workforce. For more information on the program, visit the SHINE website.

Yamatji Dolls and Yarning on show in Geraldton

Posted: October 3rd, 2012

Filed under: DEERW, Geraldton, Geraldton Regional Community Education Centre, Northampton, PaCE, WA Museum

Dolls and Yarning is an exhibition of dolls created by Yamaji parents, grandparents and young people in Geraldton and Northampton, Western Australia.

The exhibition comes after a series of doll making skills were learnt and shared in workshops during the year, that included yarning about family, learning, culture, play and education. As the creative process unfolded these inanimate objects came to life as the dolls and yarns became closely stitched together while Aboriginal ways of teaching and learning were explored, honoured and celebrated.

The exhibition runs until 5 November at the WA Museum Geraldton, Batavia Coast Marina.

Dolls and Yarning has been developed and presented by Western Australian Museum Geraldton in partnership with the Geraldton Regional Community Education Centre. The Dolls and Yarning project is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) through the Parental and Community Engagement (PaCE) program.

For more information contact the Geraldton Regional Community Education Centre on 08 9921 4477

Language programs in Geraldton

Posted: September 10th, 2012

Filed under: Badimia, Bundiyarra, Gnulli, Irra-Wangga Geraldton Language Program, Malgana, Nanda, Wajarri, Wajarri Dictionary

• Language Awareness Community Workshops on the languages of the Murchison-Gascoyne Regions (including Badimaya, Malgana, Nhanda, Wajarri and Yinggarda).
• Community Wajarri Language Classes (held on Saturday mornings at the Bundiyarra complex)

   

• The Master and Apprentice Language Teaching Model; where younger people (apprentices) learn to speak language with support from older speakers (masters)

   

• Community Language Nests focusing on the immersion of children between 0 – 5 in their local language

YMAC is a proud supporter of the Bundiyarra Irra Wangga language program