Established in 1974, Auburn Community
Development Network (ACDN) was incorporated in its current form in 1986.
The focus of the association is on diverse
aspects of community life. In 1998, the ACDN Community development program
included events such as At Home in Auburn: A Community Event, the celebration
of International Women's Day, the Housing, Homelessness and The Olympics
in Western Sydney Forum.
The program has strong relationships
with a diversity of services and groups, such as Immigrant Women's Speakout,
Auburn Migrant Resource Centre, Australian Turkish Social and Cultural
Trust, and Auburn Asian Welfare Centre. ACDN is particularly focused
on Youth development, Multicultural community arts, and Environment
projects.
The organisation provides a range of
services to this multicultual suburb of Sydney. Auburn is situated near
the area of Homebush, the home for many Olympic Games events to take
place in the year 2000. Auburn's distinguishing landmark is its unique
Camii Mosque, built in traditional Turkish Islamic architectural style
and, reputedly, visited on Fridays by some 1,500 worshippers.
And although Auburn is the place where
the world's biggest Turkish delight has been produced, as recorded in
the Guiness Book of Records, the area, once dubbed 'Sydney's Little
Turkey' is now host to migrants from over 50 countries, including Afghanistan,
Lebanon, Vietnam and some African countries.
To all Sydneysiders, Auburn is best
known for its annual Festival, part of Carnivale, which takes place
in September and includes participation of hundreds of local artists
and artisans. The Festival is organised by Auburn Community Development
Network.
Kerryn Valeontis - Parents
and Carers Resource Worker Funded
by Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme
Auburn Multicultural
PlaygroupMULTICULTURAL PLAYGROUPS
Currently run on Wednesday and Thursday from 10am til 12pm at Auburn
Occasional Care, 12 Station Road, Auburn. The playgroup combines a variety
of indoor and outdoor play, including playdough, sand and water play
tales, puzzles, story books etc. We belong to Fairfield Multicultural
Mobile Toy Library, so we get a wonderful selection of great toys from
all over the world, every month. We also have a worker from Ethnic Childcare,
who runs music, dancing, cooking and crafts from Turkey, as well as
other countries. We also celebrate various cultural and religious festivals
with the children, depending on the parent's involvement. We go on outing
to various places of interest for pre schoolers, around Western Sydney,
and celebrate the children's birthdays. We also take part in various
community events. This year we raised $70.00 at Auburn's International
Women's Day Celebration, with a food stall. PARENT INFORMATION MORNINGS
We have run 2 of these lately, the first in November, 2001 on Asthma
with Dr Shah from Westmead, and the second in April this year on nutrition
for fussy eaters. CHILDREN'S HAPPY GARDEN We have just received the
funding from the Dept of Housing's Community Development and Resourcing
Grants, for $6500 to develop a Children's Interactive Play Garden. This
involves children and their families planting trees and plants in their
garden, enabling them to learn about their environment and how to take
care of it. There are plans for a toddler's bike track, and planting
of nutritious snack for kids, such as mandarine tree, and strawberries,
as well as a natural "cubby" amongst mulberry trees.
Chesney Schooling
- CO-ORDINATOR / COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER Funded
by the Department of Community Services,NSW
Auburn Road,
Auburn Western Sydney
INTRODUCTION During the FY period
2000-01, the project's main community development activity focus was
identifying disadvantaged areas and segments of people in the Auburn
LGA and working with them to address their identified issues and needs.
Another feature of the project is working with staff and members of
the Management Committee to improve the overall management of ACDN.
CO-ORDINATION The Co-ordination and the carrying out of the administration
and financial aspects of the Network have become a team effort. This
is due to the assistance and cooperation of staff and members of the
Management Committee. ACDN now has an improved and better financial
management structure and process. Despite some critics, ACDN has a better
and clearer framework to budget its estimated expenditure for each financial
year. As a result of this, ACDN is in a better position to monitor each
project's income and spending. However, ACDN still has to watch its
financial situation and keep within its tight budget. A unique feature
of ACDN's Management Committee is that their Executive Committee has
been meeting frequently. An impact of this is that the Executive Committee
solved many issues and concerns raised. Another impact is that members
of the Management Committee have become more aware of the legal and
management issues in the management of the Network as an organisation.COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT Identifying disadvantaged segments of communities and people
in the Auburn LGA areas saw me coming into contact with the needy and
marginalised individuals and communities. It also saw my team of volunteers
and I finding out where the gap in services and facilities are most
predominantly in the Auburn LGA by suburbs. We have developed some projects
to address them. Gaps In Services and Facilities Thanks to my team of
volunteers, we have completed the socio-demographic profile (9) suburbs
and sub-suburbs. We then identified existing services and facilities
by: families with children, the elderly, young people, disabled persons,
people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and the unemployed.
The findings revealed that most community facilities and services are
in the Auburn town centre. None are in Silverwater and very few are
in Berala. As a consequence most of the needy in Silverwater and Berala
have to travel to Auburn town centre for community services such as
general information, family support, youth and disabled services to
name a few. There is a need to establish community facilities such as
community houses / neighbourhood centres in different parts of the Auburn
LGA. Local residents, especially those with special needs and who are
isolated and marginalised, need community facilities and services to
be close to where they live. A strategy which we came up with was to
establish neighbourhood centres / community houses in selected areas
especially Auburn North - Silverwater and Berala. It is our belief that
community houses / neighbourhood centers, if established, can hold and
build supportive neighbourhoods by and for the elderly, families with
children, women, youth, disabled people and people of different cultural
and linguistic backgrounds in these area. Working With the Marginalised
and Needy Contact with workers and community services such as Auburn
Council, Auburn Migrant Resource Centre, STARTTS, Temporary Protection
Visa Support Group and Workers, and the Auburn Community Development
Working Team has exposed and put me in contact with one of the most
needy and marginalised communities in the Auburn LGA - temporary refugees
and asylum seekers. These people have very limited access to existing
social and community services such as Australian Migrant English Service,
Migrant Resource Service, Community Health Care Service. These marginalised
people who are unable to be assisted by DIMA funded community services,
have become one of my work target groups. It is fortunate that I have
a network of community partners to work with. I learn and share a lot
with them especially when the going gets tough! FOCUS FOR THE NEXT YEAR
There is a lot more to be done in the community together with local
people and other workers. The main challenge of the job is - building
supportive neighbourhoods by and for the people, especially the needy
and the marginalised in selected Auburn areas and among selected communities.
LUCY
SKRINNIKOFF - ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT WORKER
Funded by WESTERN SYDNEY AREA
ASSISTANCE SCHEME NSW - DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AFFAIRS & PLANNING
I commenced my employment as an
Administrative Support Worker with Auburn Community Development Network
Inc. in August 2000. As the organisation had grown and expanded over
the last 25 years there was an urgent need to employ a part-time Administrative
Support Worker to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. A successful
submission for funding was made to Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme
NSW-Department of Urban Affairs and Planning who agreed to fund this
position for two years. After this the funding will be provided by the
Department of Community Services. This position aims to identify issues
and the needs of the community to provide training, support and assistance
in administration and finance, free of charge to any community organisation
or any new and emerging community group. Auburn Community Development
Network's long time auditor/accountant who was working off site was
due to retire end of financial year 1999/2000 and the new tax system
was being introduced in July 2000. This was another reason why the position
had to be created. A computer with MYOB accounting package was purchased
so the financial aspects of ACDN would be managed at the centre. It
was quite a challenge to develop, implement, improve and maintain the
financial and administrative aspects of the network which are now streamlined
efficiently and effectively. This involves paying all the bills on time,
staff payroll, superannuation, PAYG tax and lodging the Business Activity
Statement on a monthly basis for payment of GST. It also involves budgeting
and liaising with the accountant. Monthly evaluation and planning of
each project's Profit & Loss for the month is an important factor in
keeping within each projects budget. Estimated budgets for all projects
for 2001/2002 have now been approved by the ACDN's Management Committee
members. I look forward to being of service if and when it may be needed
in the community and wish all staff and the Management Committee members
a profitable year. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to thank Western Sydney
Area Assistance Scheme NSW-Department of Urban Affairs & Planning for
funding this position initially and the Department of Community Services
who will continue the funding at a later stage.
Libby Tonkin -
Youth Development Officer
Funded by the Department of Community
Services, NSW
Her work addresses the needs of
young people in the Auburn area through creating employment opportunities,
youth services, youth centres, sporting and recreational facilities
and lobbying of youth crime prevention projects. Libby works with young
people in Auburn municipality. Many of them are of non-English speaking
background.The youth services in the Auburn Local Government area currently
consist of: direct youth service, at Auburn Youth Centre, with two Youth
Workers and Adolescent and Family Counselor; Youth Development Officer,
at ACDN; youth accommodation, part of BarnadoÕs Youth Housing Program;
structured recreational programs, at Auburn Lidcombe RSL Youth Club;
Early Adolescent Intervention Mental Health Workers, who provide services
in Arabic and Vietnamese languages. Auburn population of young people
between 12 and 24 years is, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics
1996 data, almost 10,000, which forms more then 19% of population. In
Auburn, some 23,1% young people, according to the same data, speak language
other than English at home One of the Auburn community events is Youth
Week. In 1998, the event included Shopfront Art, featuring some 80 works
submitted from Auburn Girls High School, Granville Boys High School,
Birrong Boys High School and Christian Community High School. Based
on the theme 'Celebrate Our Culture', the project also featured a Train
station graffiti which included participation of over 60 young people.
During the youth week, the Auburn train station and Franklins mall saw
three music groups: a rock band, Tongan Choir from Christian Community
High School, and 'Aziz', a Turkish band from Granville Boys High. "When
consulting with young people, they often comment that there is nothing
for them to do. Nowhere to 'hang out' without getting hassled by Police
or security guards. To address issues such as employment, all levels
of government, young people and community groups need to plan together
for youth facilities and/or services as part of their overall community
plans. Facilities need to be planned and developed in consultation with
all sections of the community and young people must be included in the
process." - says Libby. There is a great need for further services
and facilities. Libby's own recommendation would be a "Multicultural
and/or multi purpose youth centre/services, incorporating different
services such as employment and training programs, alternative recreation
opportunities etc, to be used by different cultural groups and which
could be accessed after hours".
Vahid
Vahed -Multicultural Community Arts Worker’s Annual Report
November 2002
Blue By
Tamirat A'Gebramariam
In 1998, Auburn Community Development
Network employed me to continue with the work that has been initiated
and some in progress by the Multicultural Community Arts since 1992. The
job entailed research, advocacy on behalf of the communities from culturally
diverse backgrounds in the Auburn LGA and wider communities for artistic
and cultural needs, as well as to initiate new Community Cultural Development
projects and expand on the promotion of Auburn through the street festival
and screen culture activities via the video editing and multimedia facilities
already existed at the center since 1996.
Projects initiated
1998-99
1st and 2nd Editions Auburn International Film
and Video Festival for Children and young Adults: This event
was initiated to promote Auburn and its communities globally, as well
as establishing a platform for children and youth to express themselves
through multimedia and screen culture activities.
Parramatta City Council, NSW Film and Television Office, NSW Ministry
for the Arts funded the first 2 editions.
ACDN Website: CCD Project involving young
people of Auburn LGA to design ACDN Website in a series of workshops
by professional facilitators and artists.
Australia Council for the Arts (CCD [Development Category]) funded this
project.
Messengers
From the West: CCD Project involving 3 young Arab
Australian women multimedia artists from Western Sydney to produce three
short video art reflecting a hybrid identity. The works have been exhibiting
and traveling to numerous national and international festivals and have
been broadcasted on American Cable TV and Community Television Sydney
C31. NSW Ministry for the Arts (Western Sydney Region Category) funded
this project.
1999-2000
CINEWEST multimedia: An association was
formed to be concerned specifically with screen culture and multimedia
activities in the Western Sydney region due to a great need expressed
by the communities and organizations as well as individuals and educational
institutions locally and regionally. The focus of this organization
has developed to promote screen culture activities in the Western Sydney
region and beyond, produce, present, promote and distribute child and
youth produced multimedia works locally, regionally, nationally and
internationally as well as national and international exchange programs
for children and youth.
SAF
(School of Animated Films) and Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films):
Three youngsters from Auburn were selected to travel to Croatia and
attend one of the most innovative animation festivals in the world in
Zagreb, as well as to participate in the 25th Anniversary of SAF in
a series of animation workshops conducted by internationally known animators
such as David Ehrlich (USA) and Frantisek Juressic (Slovakia).
Australia Council for the Arts (CCD [Development Category]) and SAF
funded this project.
aRt eXperimenta:
Seven emerging multimedia artists were trained at ACDN to produce eighteen
half an hour episodes for Community television Sydney C31. This program
comprised of interviews and showcase of emerging artists from the Western
Sydney region from non English speaking backgrounds as well as broadcasting
Australian and international short films or videos made by all ages.
ACDN funded this project.
2000-2001
Beauty and the Beast: A conceptually based
fashion show by two emerging women artists from none English speaking
backgrounds, each defining different themes relating to their conflicting
identities in Australia.
Carnivale 2000 funded this project.
Around
the World: Presentation and Promotion of works
that were produced in the Western Sydney region by children and young
adults as well as best and winners of Auburn International Film and
Video Festival for Children and young Adults 98-2001. This project was
hosted by Mar del Plata International Film Festival for Children and
Young Adults in Argentine and Golden Elephant International Children’s
Film Festival in India.
Australia Council for the Arts (CCD Category [Presentation and Promotion
Category]), Buenos Aries Ministry of Education and Children Film Society
India funded this project.
2001-2002
Refugee ‘First World, Freedom and Final
Destination’: Four emerging immigrant Artists (painters)
from Iraq, Ethiopia and India will be traveling to Woomera, SA to work
with the communities in order to produce a body of work to be presented
in an installation form accompanied with sound and images.
Australia Council for the Arts (CCD [New Work Category]) funded this
project.
Projects on-going
1998-2002
Auburn Street Festival: This event was
established in 1992 by ACDN and coordinated by the Multicultural Community
Arts Worker in liaison with Auburn Festival Steering Committee. Over
the years, this event became a landmark of Auburn and a platform for
many artistic and cultural expressions to be presented via music, dance
and performance. The festival began as the Moon Festival before adopting
the title of Auburn Street Festival in 1993. Auburn’s profile
has transcended from this region when Auburn festival entered the Guinness
Book of Records by producing the biggest Turkish delight (2t) in 1996.
The festival has been a community cultural development practice, which
means that its structures are hybrid and always developing to the contemporary
needs of the communities. Therefore, the festival is not commercially
driven, and because of this, the festival has been lacking sufficient
funds and support from the local and regional government funding bodies
as well as corporate sponsors.
In the year 2002, ACDN agreed to become a partner with the Auburn Council
to stage the annual Auburn Street Festival due to lack of funds. With
this partnership, the festival became an inaugural part of a bigger
Auburn Festival that Auburn Council has envisaged with not only one-day
activity but also the full week leading up to the street festival. Gala
night for the local Business’ CEOs, Business and environmental
Award Presentations and a photographic exhibition were the ingredients
of the festival this year. Auburn Street Festival attracts between 5
to 10000 spectators and participants each year and it presents culturally
diverse music, dance and performance to ‘celebrate all cultures’.
Multimedia
facilities: In 1996, ACDN purchased a SVHS editing
suite, a SVHS camera and a Mac Computer with Adobe-Photoshop and Adobe-Premier
programs installed. The grant received for these equipments was sought
from Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme (WSAAS) to make a short video
about domestic violence expressed by the young people of Auburn in a
series of workshops. The work was produced and accepted indiscriminately
by the community members, community organizations and educational institutions
as a resourceful package. Since then, the media facilities at ACDN assisted,
initiated and produced numerous productions from Auburn and wider communities.
Through an on going existence of these equipment and related activities,
the communities have become familiar with this medium as a way of expression,
specifically young people under 22 years old. The media facilities also
encouraged ACDN to establish Auburn International Film and Video Festival
for Children and Young Adults in 1998 and produced aRt eXperimenta (18
half an hour episodes about arts and artists in Western Sydney) for
Community Television Sydney C31 in 1999.
Since the year 2000, theAuburn
International Film and Video Festival for Children and Young Adults:
This event was established in 1998 as a community cultural development
initiative to promote multimedia and screen culture activities in the
Auburn LGA and Western Sydney region focusing on children and youth.
The festival began showcasing 30 works about, for or by children and
young adults with only one entry from Turkey, which was an animation
made by children less than 12 years of age. Following the first edition,
the festival became a phenomenal in attracting entries from all over
the world (12 countries in the second edition, 16 countries in the third
edition, 22 countries in the fourth edition). In the year 2002, the
festival celebrated its fifth edition with a selection of 168 works
from 41 countries.
This event is not only an exhibition platform whilst implementing related
activities as part of the festival’s programming such as; Children
and youth multimedia workshops, media literacy forums, national and
international exchange and curatorial programs. Also, the festival aims
to distribute the works that have limited or no prior distribution support
through a series of presentation and promotional strategies globally.
The festival is a competitive platform where the winners will be selected
from four categories to be awarded with Tadgell’s Bluebell Awards
and Tadgell’s Bluebell Honor Awards.
Festival categories;
1. Best film or video made by children 6-14 years old.
2. Best film or video made by young adults 15-22 years old.
3. Best film or video made by adults about or for children.
4.Best film or video made by adults about or for youth.
In the year 2001, the festival introduced a thematic category for young
adults 15-22 years old in order to encourage expressing a specific theme
in a video no more than 3 minutes duration.
