'Shakespeare in Carlton' began as a beautifully idealistic proposal by 4 students of the Melbourne Law School (Adora, Charlene, Gillian, Stella) to organise a Drama and Filmmaking Workshop cum Fundraising for a Weekly Drama Club for the African-Australian Community in Carlton.
With the help of Helen Gaynor (local filmmaker who recently produced an SBS Documentary on the African Refugee Community in Flemington), Arpad Mihaly (co-founder of the Fringe Festival and Coordinator of our Drama and FIlmmaking Workshop), an amazing team of volunteers who have drama and filmmaking skills, and many others, we organised a 3 Day Drama and Filmmaking Workshop held in the Law School during the September holidays. The youth, aged 13-25, had a chance to write their own scripts, dress up in costumes, use proper professional video cameras, learn the language of filmmaking (eg. wide angled shots, head shots, etc.), and the highlight - act out famous Shakespearean scenes in their own language - street language!
Basically our objectives in terms of the participants, are to target the two-limbed "acculturation" process that they undergo:
1. Psychological: self esteem and confidence issues
2. Socio-cultural and behavioural: adjustment to education and behaviour (eg working with people of dissimilar background)
- To build an ongoing relationship between the University of Melbourne ('University') and the Carlton Community;
- To assist second and third-generation immigrant youth in assimilating into the Australian education syllabus;
- To cultivate a personal link with Western literature while retaining personal and cultural identity;
- To facilitate a spirit of cooperation and knowledge transfer among people of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
The project has received support from faculty, through both funding and mentoring. We are now looking for more law students who are interested in helping the Shakespeare in Carlton project grow.
Contact shakespeareincarlton@gmail.com if you would like to be involved.
The following links also provide further information:
Helen Gaynor's Documentary on the African Refugee Community in Flemington: http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/showcases/communitycop/
#1 Feature on RMIT Video Blog - Omar and Goulled from the Drum Youth Services talk about the Project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDWLZy-i7ms
#2 Feature on RMIT Video Blog - Arpad Mihaly, Workshop Coordinator: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F9aznOQD6s
Our Website: http://shakespeareincarlton.110mb.com
Our Videos: http://www.youtube.com/shakespeareincarlton