The Art of Community

The students in Perth have been flat out the past couple of days. In between the seafaring expeditions of Shipwreck Museum, the conservation focus of the Seed Bank, the local flora and fauna of bush tours, the colonial-meets-contemporary focus of Fremantle’s community, and the wicked past of the old prison, they’ve learned about more culture and history of this slice of Western Australia in three days than most people learn in years of living here.

Through all of these activities, there emerged a theme of human interaction with the environment and the importance of art in culture. Highlights included a cultural tour of King’s Park with a local Indigenous guide, learning about co-operating communities and how local artists have influenced law. 

Following the lead of our amazing guides, these excursions have been as entertaining as they have been informative. But you don’t have to take my word for it.  Here are some snippets from the kids themselves about what stood out to them:

“I liked learning about the community of artists in Fremantle and how the city embraces the artists and helps promote them. “  -- Emma

“It’s crazy how in the prison, the crimes weren’t even that big, they just wanted to send people here because they needed workers.”  -- Claire

“How [Aboriginal communities] were able to create the system of passports even with the language barriers and different customs.  It’s cool.”  -- Haley

“How they don’t use the word ‘convict’ anymore. It put into perspective that they want to respect people who were brought here [unjustly] in the past.”  -- Noah

“The Aboriginal art was really cool because it reminded me of the Lakota art I’ve seen.”  -- Peter

“I really liked all the dark past. That we got to see the criminals and their history.”  -- Rowan

“I had no idea that the boomerangs were used for more than just recreational.”  -- Iza

“It was cool that the didgeridoo were used to tell stories.”  -- Charlie

“I thought it was really interesting that [the Aboriginal communities] left their tools for others to use.”  -- Ella

“I thought it was cook that some of the street art was influence by big artists, like how the Destroyer’s piece was influenced by Dali. Also how the colonial and Aboriginal past is presented together – like how we got the British name and the traditional Aboriginal names together.”  -- Jeremy

“He stole my answer.”  -- Andy