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Information and Cultural Exchange | 26th Annual Report | January to December 2009
26th
January to
December
ice.org.au
2009
Annual Report
26th
to
Annual Report January
December
2009
Contents
Overview of ICE
4
Creative Enterprise Program (CEP)
29
ICEMAP: The Visual Guide to ICE
6
CEP: Create Media
30
Chairperson’s Report
8
CEP: Switch and Switch Academy
32
Executive Director’s Report
9
CEP: Artfiles
34
Cultural Development Program (CDP)
10
CEP: Connect: ICE’s Community IT Project
36
CDP: Youth Digital Cultures
11
Making Links
36
Project 5
15
CEP: Consultancy Services: Parenting Stories
37
SBS TV Campaign
15
“Raising Kids Together” Wins Award
38
CDP: The Urban Music Project
16
CEP: Consultancy Services: Refugee Legal Information DVD
39
CDP: Hip Hop Projections IV
17
CEP: Consultancy Services: Mt Druitt DV Campaign
39
CDP: Project Collaborations
18
Research and Policy Program
40
CDP: Arab Film Festival Australia
19
Lena Nahlous Named Creative Catalyst
41
CDP: Digitales
21
Cybermohalla
41
CDP: Western Sydney Screen Culture
23
People, Partners and Supporters
42
CDP: Tropwest
24
Financial Statements
46
CDP: DigiDiaries
25
Digital Refuge
26
CDP: East London West Sydney
27
KP11 Exhibition
28
Overview of ICE
In 2009…
With over 100 nationalities calling it home,
Greater Western Sydney is one of the most
culturally diverse communities in the world.
This complex region is currently exploding
with stories, global influences, fresh
interpretations and new collaborations. It’s
here that Australia’s changing multicultural
identity is being imagined and realised, and
ICE is at the centre of this process.
Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE)
works at the intersection of arts, culture,
technology and community. ICE projects
engage diverse communities, build capacity
in digital media and arts practice, and tell
the stories of this extraordinary place.
From its new expanded premises in the
heart of Parramatta, ICE manages its
flagship programs — Switch, its digital arts
access centre (in partnership with
4
Parramatta Council), and Artfiles, its
artist support program and directory.
ICE also has also had huge success in
delivering digital media, community
development and arts programs that
engage thousands of individuals, artists
and communities annually. It’s known and
respected for projects with newly arrived
migrants and refugees, and young people
at risk.
Now entering its third decade, ICE has
expanded rapidly. It is a key producer for the
Australia Council and a driving force behind
the successful Arab Film Festival Australia.
It’s also a dynamic and committed team of
people who stretch themselves and their
resources to the limit, delivering new,
exciting programs to meet the creative
needs of Sydney’s charismatic west.
5
GOALS
1 Innovation
2 Incubation
3 Capacity
4 Communication
5 Alliances
6 Continuity
Generate fresh forms of
cross-cultural expression
and models of community
digital engagement.
Seed new arts,
community and digital
media enterprises,
projects and practices
to sustainability.
Build capacity of sociallyexcluded communities to
share their stories,
deepen participation and
effect change.
Amplify Western Sydney’s
diverse and creative
voices through the
exhibition and promotion
of bold new work.
Build strategic alliances
and partnerships to
strengthen operations
and boost creativity.
Develop sustainable
operations so programs
build momentum and
provide genuine pathways
for ongoing participation
within and beyond ICE.
KEY PROGRAMS
ICEMAP: the Visual Guide to ICE
Cultural Development Program
1
3
4
5
Creative Enterprise Program
1
2
3
6
With a program that includes hip-hop theatre productions, digital storytelling and a
national film festival, the Cultural Development Program encourages collaborations
between diverse communities and the arts sectors, to develop new models for CCD
practice and produce exciting new digital works. This program also supports artists
and creative workers via a range of professional development initiatives.
This program seeds new enterprises, develops employment and professional
development opportunities for artists and communities and supports creative and
entrepreneurial leadership. It manages projects such as Artfiles, Switch Digital Arts
Access Centre and is overseeing the establishment of ICE’s Creative Enterprise Hub.
1 Supports and progresses cultural development in Western Sydney, developing new
models of practice
1 Seeds creative social enterprises, and develops employment, training and professional
development opportunities for creative producers and artists in communities
2 Produces high-quality community-led media projects with a focus on urban culture
2 Builds digital capacity of ICE and other organisations
3 Develops strategic interventions that connect communities and cultural institutions
3 Strengthens capacity for ICE to become sustainable, providing revenue-generating
services, including producing media products and campaigns, running digital arts and
media training and hire of Switch centre and equipment.
4 Provides access to digital media and technology to communities who typically lack
access
5 Skills and builds capacity through professional development, mentorship and
partnerships
4 Identifies and develops new markets, business and sponsorship opportunities to
support ICE’s growth and sustainability
5 Enables professional development, profile, pathways and opportunities for Western
Sydney artists
Research
| WORKS ACROSS PROGRAMS
Positions ICE as a key generator and repository of new knowledge and innovations for the
cultural sector. Generates dialogue and research within ICE and across the sector around
intersections of culture, arts, technology and community in Western Sydney and spearheads
innovative research and development.
6
Operations
| WORKS ACROSS PROGRAMS
ICE is underpinned by its operations team, which
supports all programs, strengthens organisational
infrastructure, develops efficient systems, and
ensures our sustainability and economic viability.
© Information and Cultural Exchange, 2010
Synergy
ICE programs work together to
mutually reinforce and support
outcomes, fill gaps, break new
ground and make connections.
7
Chairperson’s Report
As Chair of the Board of ICE I am very
pleased to take the chance, in this report, to
celebrate and reflect on ICE’s extraordinary
achievements, not only during the past year,
but also across two and half decades of
creative and cultural development work in
Western Sydney.
In recent times, while maintaining our
fundamental commitment to all our
collaborators in Western Sydney, ICE has
spread its influence to the national and
international level. For example, over the past
12 months, we have developed exciting
projects with creative communities directly
connected to the Middle East, London, Hong
Kong and Vietnam. Also, our continuing
involvement with the Arab Film Festival
Australia has seen us consolidating
partnerships around Australia, with the
Australian Centre for the Moving Image and
the National Film and Sound Archive
becoming partners in the nationwide tour of
the festival.
In recent years we have developed
important new agreements with our major
funding partners, enabling us to plan more
strategically. Our business planning has
guided us into a long-term role as a Key
Producer with the Australia Council and
secured us another triennium of funding from
Arts NSW, two of our valued partners. We are
thrilled to combine this with three-year
partnerships with the British Council, Screen
NSW, Australian Human Rights Commission
and ongoing support from key supporters
Parramatta City Council and Community
Services — Department of Human Services.
This financial consolidation has given us
the opportunity to reorganise ICE, and we are
well advanced in a restructuring process
which has increased the organisation’s
resilience and given us enhanced capacity to
address the challenges, opportunities and
workloads looming locally, nationally and
8
Executive Director’s Report
internationally in the next few years.
This year ICE has moved to larger
premises. The new building is, admittedly,
something of a “renovator’s delight”, but the
terms of tenancy are extraordinarily
generous, and we are indeed delighted to
report that we have secured a significant
Federal Government infrastructure grant to
assist us with the costs of making the new
building exactly fit for all our purposes. With
these improvements to be implemented in the
first half of 2010, we look forward to
delivering exciting new programs and
intensified engagement with all our partners
and communities over the coming years.
Working with ICE, my gratitude and
admiration grow constantly, as I observe the
dedication that all our staff, contractors,
volunteers, board members and collaborators
pour into the organisation. Even in these
times of change and larger social pressures,
the ICE workers continue to amaze and
delight with their generosity, ingenuity and
tenacity. The same goes (and then some!) for
our visionary Executive Director, Lena
Nahlous.
On behalf of the Board I thank and salute
everyone involved in our treasured
Information and Cultural Exchange.
Professor Ross Gibson
ICE Chairperson
As a grassroots and independent arts
organisation, ICE has an important role to
play in the complex ecosystem of social
creativity. Our work fosters vibrant, diverse
and cosmopolitan voices in our society.
In 2009 we expanded our vision of being
a digital arts hub for Western Sydney to one
that not only produces outstanding work but
can also physically host media makers,
screen producers, sound and music artists
and communities. We moved into larger
premises in the heart of Parramatta and
received a substantial capital works grant
of $1.5 million from the Federal Government’s
Department of Education, Employment
and Training.
We also secured three significant State
Government grants towards this work and
entered a partnership with the Parramatta
Catholic Diocese who have subsidised
our tenancy.
In 2010 our new premises will house a
custom-built recording studio, green-screen
room for filming, and media training rooms.
And we are also planning a Creative
Enterprises Hub to host a range of digitalmedia-based business and entities.
We are deeply grateful to our partners
and sponsors (p42) for their support,
particularly our core partners Arts NSW,
Australia Council and Screen NSW. Thank you
also to our dedicated state and federal
members — Julie Owens MP, the Hon. David
Borger, Tania Gadiel MP and the Hon. Laurie
Ferguson — your advocacy has been crucial
in securing support for our new centre.
I am inspired by the talent, commitment
and passion of the ICE team. It’s been an
intense year, including introducing a new
organisational structure and the relocation.
Thank you for your perseverance and
brilliant work. Highlights of the year included
staging hip-hop theatre work-in-progress
East London West Sydney with the British
Council (p27); Vietnamese Stories, which
brought generations together through digital
storytelling and our powerful new screen
work in Penrith’s Koori Youth Yarn-Up (p14).
Meanwhile the Arab Film Festival Australia
(p19) took its celebration of Arab stories to a
national audience for the first time.
Our dedicated and hardworking Board
have provided the backbone and support to
ICE to enable this growth. Thank you to all
the Board, and particularly our committed
and dynamic Chairperson Ross Gibson.
Growing up in Western Sydney I was
constantly told that you can’t make a “real”
living from your art. So it’s now a great
privilege to lead an organisation that is
supporting artists to realise their creative
dreams.
Lena Nahlous
Executive Director
9
CDP
Cultural
Development
Program (CDP)
Youth Digital Cultures
As the arts explosion rocks Western Sydney, practitioners are turning to new media forms
to express their ideas. Digital stories, film production and storycubes are among the
creative tools passed on to others by the emerging cultural leaders of Youth Digital
Cultures.
YDC equips young leaders with the skills and resources to bring an arts project
from an initial idea into a reality. Through training, mentoring, advice and resources,
YDC empowers cultural creators under 25 and shows them how to pass these skills on
to others.
The three-year project involves participants from diverse backgrounds who have
developed creative projects within their own networks, such as the Vietnamese and
Koori communities of Western Sydney. These arts projects have touched thousands
of people, opened new creative frontiers and accelerated social change.
In 2009…
With a program that includes hip-hop theatre productions,
digital storytelling workshops and a national film festival,
the Cultural Development Program encourages
collaborations between diverse communities and the arts
sectors, to develop new models for CCD practice and
produce exciting new digital works.
The CDP is responsible for the planning and direction of
ICE’s cultural development activities, including innovative
projects, professional development programs, mentorships
and collaborations, as well as the production and
presentation of works.
The CDP supports and resources grass-roots initiatives,
provides advice and information, and generates dialogue
into the synergies between culture, arts, technology and
community in Western Sydney. The program produces
high-quality, community-led cultural projects, connects
communities and cultural institutions and develops
strategic cultural interventions.
10
The YDC program was packed with
performances and presentations, showcasing
the achievements of Youth Digital Cultures to
thousands of people. A highlight was the
Cabramatta Moon Festival in August, when a
selection of Vietnamese Stories were
projected on huge outdoor screens to a
crowd of 70,000.
Koori Young Yarn Up
Six Koori filmmakers as young as eightyears-old refined their skills in scriptwriting,
sound recording, filmmaking, editing and
photography in this four-day workshop held
at Penrith City Library in August.
The films’ themes varied from family
grievances, social change, alcohol and drug
issues to hobbies and passions. Participants
engaged in powerful discussion and
expressed their thoughts through traditional
art forms such as painting and drawing
which were then incorporated into their
films.
The sessions were led by Aboriginal
artist and educator Zona Wilkinson and
filmmaker Maria Tran and the films explored
themes as varied as identity, passion and
football. The films were launched at
Cranebrook Neighbourhood Centre on 28
November, attracting huge interest in the
local Koori community.
The initiative developed from an
Aboriginal Youth Camp held by the
Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in January for
20 young Indigenous people from Penrith.
YDC’s Maria Tran, Urban Music Project’s Trey
Thomas and other ICE trainers headed to
Kincumber to train participants in music,
song writing and video production. They
spent a day making films and music and
increasing their technical knowledge before
a screening at the end of the day.
11
CDP
CDP
Young filmmakers join industry professionals at
Pop Series launch.
“Vietnamese Storyexchange is the first
of its kind in Australia breaking the barrier
between two generations that don’t often
share stories, thoughts, ideas and visions.”
Joseph Hieu Dinh, 2009 Australian-Vietnamese of the Year
Vietnamese Stories and Vietnamese
Storycubes
Powerful and intensely personal memories
were explored at the Vietnamese
Storyexchange on 26 September. Difficult
journeys to Australia, identity, family, joy and
despair, struggle and triumph, as well as
aspirations for the future of the community
were among the themes of this exhibition
launched by Fairfield Mayor Nick Lalich at
Cabravale Leisure Centre.
The event was the culmination of two
fascinating projects, providing a counterpoint
to each other. The first was an intensive minifilmmaking workshop for young people
facilitated by Maria Tran and Dennis Nguyen
over five days in June. Participants learned
skills in scriptwriting, cinematography, image
manipulation, editing, and preparing films for
online delivery.
The second project was with Vietnamese
elders, inspired by the ‘storycubes’ idea of
UK-based Proboscis. Through the workshops,
held over four Sundays in June, the elders
gathered photos and images of importance
to them, which were blown up and printed on
each cube face. Audience members and
artists could engage with the photos, pick
them up, stack them, and use them as a
prompt for storytelling.
For the 30 participants, the projects
travelled into difficult territory, exploring
emotive issues long buried in the post-war
years that impact on the Vietnamese
diaspora globally. It opened up
communication between the generations
and attracted international interest which
led to a YDC presentation in California
(see p14).
Pop Series
Racism, substance abuse and public safety
were among the challenging subjects
explored by participants in the Pop Series
program. Over 12-weeks in late 2008,
19 young Fairfield screen makers produced
six two-minute films.
On 8 May 2009 more than 120 people
packed into the Fairfield School of Arts to
watch the filmmakers battle it out for the
Best Film and People’s Choice awards.
Filmmakers pitched to the judges who
included John Winter (producer of Rabbit
Proof Fence), Jeff Purser (producer of
Cedar Boys) and Genevieve Clay (2009
Tropfest winner).
Real or Imagined by 19-year-old Moses
Kuteesa took out the awards for Best Film
and People’s Choice. Moses, a recent refugee
from Uganda, delivered a heartfelt pitch for
his first short film which tells a very personal
story about indifference and alienation.
Professional Development
In April, digital artists and musicians
attended an Online Marketing session hosted
by the innovative internet marketing
company Geekdom.
YDC received core support from the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA). YDC was also supported by
Arts NSW, Australia Council for the Arts, Artstart NSW, Sydney Community Foundation, Fairfield City
Council, Vietlish, Department of Immigration and Citizenship through the Diverse Australia program,
ArtStart NSW, Penrith City Council.
Koori Youth Yarn Up was managed by ICE in partnership with the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry.
StoryCubes and the StoryCube storytelling techniques were devised by UK creative studio, Proboscis
(http://proboscis.org.uk | http://storycubes.net).
12
13
CDP
Project 5
In September, nine participants met with
both Fox8 executive producer Lara Hopkins
and Australian actor Daniel Amalm when
they were invited onto the set of the reality
TV show about boxing, The Contender, at
Sydney Olympic Park.
Presentations
The work of the YDC project attracted
significant interest and Project Coordinator
Maria Tran presented at the University of
Wollongong in June, Brisbane’s Multicultural
Summit in October and at Wentworth Falls
TAFE in December.
Screenings
Rumble Picture’s Maximum Choppage: Round
2 was screened in Brisbane on 30 January,
while Rumble Pictures’ other series of shorts,
Downtown Rumble went online on the ABC
website (www.abc.net.au/triplej/tv/comedy/
downtownrumble.htm).
Screenings were also held at ShortCuts
(see p23), the Mori Gallery launch of the Lilla
International Women’s Network, and on 31
October Maria Tran and Joseph Jieu Dinh
hosted Filmmaking in the Vietnamese
Diaspora at Fairfield School of Arts.
Around 70,000 people had the
opportunity to see films produced through
the Vietnamese stories project on huge
outdoor screens at the Cabramatta Moon
Festival on 27 August.
Forums
YDC participants presented at a range of
forums in 2009 that directly engaged around
200 young people, including Australian
Youth Forum in February, Youth Speak Out in
March and the School Youth Leadership
Summit in May.
Wrap Party
Fifteen young people from various projects
attended the evaluations and wrap up on 12
December to contribute their feedback on
what worked on the program.
Text, Ritual and Performance Conference
Following the success of ICE’s Vietnamese Story projects (p13),
Maria Tran was invited to represent ICE at an international
conference in California on 2-4 October to elaborate on the
strengths of the process.
The Southeast Asia: Text, Ritual and Performance (Seatrip)
International Conference explored themes of digital media and
its relevance to Southeast Asian communities and their
diaspora. Conference attendees from around the world discussed
the ‘arts and media in everyday life’ and their contribution to
the complex issues that diasporic communities face.
Maria collaborated with Dr Ashley Carruthers from the
Australian National University to present on “Vietlish: New
Media in the Vietnamese Diaspora”, inspiring participants to
look at ways of implementing similar projects in the US.
14
The energy of art in the making, and the
distinctive creative talents of four leading urban
and street artists were combined at Project 5,
held live at Cockle Bay Wharf on 17-19 December.
Artists Ben Frost, Shannon Crees, Beastman
and Phibs spent three evenings painting four
works in front of thousands of summer revellers
on the Cockle Bay waterfront, inspired by the
sounds of DJs 206Collab.
The project was a partnership with aMBUSH
Gallery and Wiltshire and Dimas Management.
In 2010, the works will be sold at a charity
auction, with proceeds going to support ICE’s
programs for young and emerging urban artists
in Western Sydney.
SBS TV Campaign
ICE appeared in lounge rooms across
Australia with the launch of advertisements
on SBS One TV in mid-June. Thanks to the
sponsorship of the new SBS Foundation, ICE
reached a national audience by broadcasting
short advertisements about the Arab Film
Festival and ICE’s purpose and programs.
The advertisements feature mini films
made by three ICE participants — Nancy
Kamara on being more than a young African
refugee, Asamaa Farzam’s award-winning
digital story about seeking asylum by sea,
and Ali Kadhim’s story about training his
crew of le parkour traceurs. The Arab Film
Festival advertisements drew national
audiences to the Festival.
The advertisements will run until mid2010 — check them out here: ice.org.au/
newswire/2010/01/catch-ice-on-sbs.
15
CDP
CDP
The Urban Music Project
Urban Music Project workshops create a space for people to talk about the tough issues —
such as cultural identity and racial tension — and learn ways to respond to these
pressures through music.
The project engages young people from disadvantaged, marginalised, at-risk and
diverse backgrounds through hip-hop music workshops, forums, events and
performances. They learn to produce creative digital works (hip-hop tracks, digital stories,
documentary video) as they gain skills in performance, self-expression, writing and digital
production. At the same time, they demonstrate to the wider community the power of
urban music.
In 2009…
Duets CD Launch
The launch of one of Sydney’s edgiest and
most ambitious hip-hop albums was greeted
with enthusiastic media attention and
national airplay on Triple J.
Duets Volume 1 is the 6th release on
ICE’s Suburban Grooves record label
featuring seven young emerging artists from
Western Sydney teamed with established hiphop acts who mentored them over three
months. Around 100 people attended the
launch on 27 November at one of Sydney’s
leading hip-hop venues, Melt, Kings Cross.
The album was released through iTunes on
28 November and in stores on 5 December.
‘Duets’ is being distributed on iTunes and
through Fish Records
Anti-Racism Workshops
Eight young participants explored their
reactions to recent racial violence in their
area through hip-hop workshops with True
Vibenation in February and April. ICE
developed the workshops in partnership with
Granville Multicultural Community Centre for
young people from Sudanese, Fijian, Filipino
and Lebanese backgrounds, who produced
eight songs during the course.
(see p11), the Pacific Artists Forum at Penrith
Art Gallery and the Pacific Forum at Granville
High.
Participants were also in demand,
performing at Harmony Day in Blacktown, Fiji
Independence Day and during Refugee Week
at Fairfield High and Holroyd Parramatta
Migrant Resource Centre. They also attended
mentor sessions with the Geekdom internet
marketing company and acclaimed UK-based
musician and producer Spider Johnson.
UMP also partnered with other ICE
programs on the challenging Stories of
Change, Pacific Specific and Refugee Allstars
projects (p18).
Other activities
UMP coordinator MC Trey presented at many
forums and workshops throughout the year,
including at Koori Youth Yarn Up in January
Supported by Department of Immigration and
Citizenship, Artstart NSW, Granville Multicultural
Community Centre, Blacktown Youth Services
Association, Arts NSW, Australia Council.
16
Hip Hop Projections IV
The prestigious Sydney Writers’ Festival brings a thought-provoking program of
heavyweight international writers and guests to Sydney annually.
As part of the festival, the Urban Music Project presents a unique night of hip-hop,
spoken word, dance and live visuals by some of Australia’s best artists from backgrounds
spanning the Pacific to the Middle East.
In 2009…
In ICE’s eighth year of its involvement with
the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Urban Music
Project graduates joined Refugee Allstars
participants and well-known Sydney hip-hop
artists to perform for a crowd of over 200
people. The free event was held on 24 May at
Riverside Theatres and launched by The Hon.
Julie Owens, Federal Member for Parramatta.
MC Trey and BrothaBlack hosted the
event, which featured The Last Kinection,
Sistanative, Omar Musa, VJ Spook, Johnny
M, Truevibe Nation, Farid Farid, the 9 Lives
parkour crew, B-Boy crew Juse and live
aerosol art by Spice.
17
CDP
CDP
Project Collaborations
Arab Film Festival Australia
In 2009, three projects drew on the multidisciplinary skills of ICE staff in urban music
production, film-making and new media technologies.
Yallah! What’s Your Story?
Diverse stories of identity, belonging and hobbies were produced
during this project for young people from Arabic-speaking
backgrounds. It ran for four weeks, beginning on 29 September.
In October, SBS Alchemy ran a story on the project (listen to
it here: ice.org.au/podcast/sbs-alchemy-story-about-ices-urbanmusic-project). In November, two participants performed at the
newly opened Auburn Arts Market to over 100 people.
Pacific Specific
Songs dealing with love, struggle and violence gave a sharp
insight into realities for the participants in Pacific Specific.
Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Rotuman and Cook Islander youth
participated in this music and film-production project in October
at Auburn Community Development Network.
Launch
In a night of live performances, digital stories and music clips,
Pacific Specific and Yallah! What’s Your Story? were launched
together on 10 December at Auburn Community Development
Network to over 100 people.
Refugee Allstars
This hugely successful project equipped young people from
refugee backgrounds music and digital storytelling skills in
pril at Holroyd Youth Services. Hailing from Sri Lankan Tamil,
Sudanese, Kenyan, Greek and Sierra Leonean backgrounds,
participants dealt with home, migration, racism, crime and their
challenges and successes in Australia.
Refugee Allstars was launched by Parliamentary Secretary
for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services Laurie
Ferguson MP at Holroyd City Council’s ArtSpark Carnivale on
16 May. The event was attended by Julie Owens, Member for
Parramatta.
Support for these projects came from Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Foundation for Young
Australians, Sydney Community Foundation, ArtStart NSW Youth Arts, Arts NSW, Australia Council and
Screen NSW, Auburn Community Development Network, Auburn Youth Centre, Inner West Skills Centre, Fiji
Youth Initiative, Holroyd Youth Services, Holroyd City Council.
18
“Etihad recognises the festival’s valuable
contribution in fostering cross-cultural
awareness and understanding, both
within Australia and beyond.”
Lindsay White, Etihad Airways’ General Manager Australia
and New Zealand, Principal Sponsor of the Festival
Thrilling thousands of film-buffs each year, the Arab Film Festival Australia
(arabfilmfestival.com.au) has expanded from a Sydney event in 2001 to an acclaimed
national film festival.
The festival addresses mainstream (mis)representations of Arab culture by showing
alternative versions of Arab cultures, subjects and narratives to broad Australian
audiences. It encourages critical discussion through presentations by visiting filmmakers,
community forums and screenings of local films.
In 2009…
Sydney Festival
In 2009, the Sydney leg of the festival on 2-5
July at Riverside Theatres Parramatta was a
huge success, attracting 2300 people.
The program included big-picture
conflicts, moving stories from the heart of
people under occupation, of children lost, of
lovers smitten, of lives made and destroyed.
Highlights included Beirut Open City, a
sexy thriller set during the height of the
Syrian presence in Lebanon, Huriyya and Her
Sisters, an animation produced by 30 young
Muslim women in workshops supported by
ICE, and the first Jordanian feature film to be
screened in Australia Captain Abu Raed, the
story of a lonely and generous man who
works as a janitor at Amman airport.
International Guests
Directors Samir Habchi (Lebanon) and
Nicholas Rowe (New Zealand) presented at
the Festival.
Forums
The forums provided an opportunity for
public discussion around the social, political
and cultural issues explored in the films.
Over 400 people attended the first
19
CDP
CDP
DigiTales
Part film, part memoir, DigiTales are personal snapshots with amazing impact. Seamlessly
combining traditional storytelling methods with still and moving images, audio, music, text
and digital media, these ‘mini-films’ are often based on photographs, personal items and
mementoes, and narrated by an intimate monologue.
The DigiTales technique offers filmmakers the chance to zero in on issues important
to them, while gaining important skills in digital arts production. It is a quick way to
powerful filmic storytelling.
The films produced can be distributed on websites such as YouTube and are hugely
appealing to young people and anyone else plugged into social media.
(L-R) Lebanese director Samir Habchi; still from animation Hurriya and Her Sisters; Dreaming of 1001 Rights forum
forum on 3 July, featuring filmmaker Samir
Habchi. Several hundred children and their
families were part of the dialogue on 4 July,
which followed the screening of several
children’s films.
Audience
The festival’s audience is growing massively
in numbers, as well as drawing in people
from outside of the region — 63% of
audiences identified as Arab-Australians from
Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Jordan,
Palestine, Iraq and Egypt; 84% of them
stated that will definitely come again.
Multicultural Marketing Award
The festival was nominated for the NSW
Government’s Community Relations
Commission National Multicultural Marketing
Award.
Film and Sound Archive in Canberra, Dendy
Portside in Brisbane and Adelaide’s Mercury
Cinema.
The touring program featured the best
films of the Parramatta festival, as voted by
the audience — Captain Abu Raed + Personal
Calendar, Beirut Open City + A Boy, A Wall, A
Donkey, and Eye of the Sun + Huriyya and
Her Sisters.
Hikayat is the epic oral tradition of
storytelling in the Arab world. In the ‘Hikayat
in Queensland: Telling Stories, Memories and
Belongings’ session audiences a panel of
academics, artists and community activists
shared and reminisced about tracing the
hidden journeys of Australia’s own hikayat.
In 2009…
Chick Flicks
Young women from the Hawkesbury region
gained introductory skills in script-writing,
sound recording, filmmaking, editing and
photography through the Chick Flicks
project. At the end of the workshops, all
participants produced their own digital story.
The five-day workshops were held in the
October school holidays for young women
between the ages of 12 and 25 at
Hawkesbury Skills centre.
On 14 November Chick Flicks was
launched by Hawkesbury Mayor Bart Bassett
at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery in
Windsor. The 14 mini-films were about young
women, by young women, telling stories of
what they treasure, love and hope for in
today’s world.
The Story Exchange
Young people from Londonderry, Oxley Park
and Cranebrook explored themes of
neighbourhood strength, pride in place, local
identity and passion for the environment in
National Tour
The first national tour of the Arab Film
Festival Australia took the show on the road
to give Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney city,
Canberra and Melbourne a taste of the best
of the fest. The tour was launched at Dendy
Opera Quays in Sydney on 1 November, then
headed to ACMI in Melbourne, the National
The Festival and National Tour were supported by Etihad Airways, Australia Council, Australian Human
Rights Commission, Parramatta Council, Arts NSW, Screen NSW, NSW Community Relations Commission,
Sawtelghad, MySat, Filmotion Productions, SBS Foundation, Aurora Community Television, Dendy Cinemas,
ACMI, National Film and Sound Archive, Mercury Cinema, World Media International, Media Loft Web Design,
Arabic Nights.com.au, Port Bar and Restaurant and the Egyptian Consulate.
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21
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Western Sydney Screen Culture
Sydney’s west is emerging as a powerhouse of screen arts with local filmmakers winning
recognition in festivals, awards and screenings nationally.
Filmmakers are thirsty for the training, facilities and networks necessary to undertake
ever more ambitious productions and Western Sydney Screen Culture presents these
opportunities through training, resources and events that highlight the wealth of Western
Sydney talent to the world.
(L-R) ICE Digitales Coordinator
Maylei Hunt, CEO of Screen
NSW Tania Chambers and
filmmaker Fatima Mawas
the Story Exchange 2009.
This creative engagement project aimed
at consulting children and young people
about the strengths and needs of their
neighbourhoods. In stage one of the project,
60 students from Londonderry Public School
and Oxley Park Public School participated in
three creative workshops in April and May.
Workshops included digital photography and
photo composition, use of Photoshop and
animation, creative writing and story
development.
In stage two, four young people from
Cranebrook and St Marys created digitales
about neighbourhood strength, pride in
place, local identity and passion for the
environment.
The Story Exchange was launched on 30
July at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts
Centre in Penrith. The launch was well
attended by over 100 families and friends.
The Story Exchange films are online at
ice.org.au/projects/thestoryexchange.
Fairfield Stories Launch
Fairfield Stories tells tales of journeys, love,
“I think digital filmmaking is
a brilliant way to collect
memories and journal special
parts of your life. I also love
photos so was thrilled to
learn about photo editing
and I am now thinking about
studying in that area.”
Emily Kemp, 16, Chick Flicks participant
struggle and hope as experienced by people
of Cambodian and African backgrounds. ICE
worked with the University of Western
Sydney and Fairfield City Council to train
filmmakers from Fairfield in Digitales
techniques.
The Fairfield Stories showcase was
launched on 20 June at the Cabravale
Leisure Centre in Cabramatta. Over 130
people watched over 20 vivid, moving and
thought-provoking digital stories from the
initiative. Twenty stories are online at
ice.org.au/projects/fairfieldstories.
Chick Flicks was part of the Women’s Cottage Young Women’s Mentoring Program and supported by Artstart,
Hawkesbury Skills and the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.
The Story Exchange is a partnership between the Penrith City Council Neighbourhood Renewal Team,
Londonderry Public School, Oxley Park Public School and ICE.
Fairfield Stories was run in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney and Fairfield City Council.
DigiTales also received core support from Arts NSW, Australia Council for the Arts and Screen NSW.
DigiTales used the facilities of Switch digital arts centre, a partnership between ICE and Parramatta Council.
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In 2009…
Parramatta Screening
Parramatta Screening is a three-year
initiative that develops Parramatta’s film
production capacity. In its second year, over
40 people used the industry-standard
facilities at Switch (p32) and accessed
training in digital storytelling, Photoshop,
Final Cut Pro and audio production.
Hundreds more attended the seminars and
industry days such as TropWest (p24).
Scout, a booklet developed through the
project, details facilities for local screen
producers. It was researched and written in
2009 and will be launched in early 2010.
ICE hosted forums with celebrated
filmmakers in partnership with Creative
Sydney (creativesydney.com.au) on 2 June
and with Templar Entertainment on 14 May,
which featured Fat Pizza and Cedar Boys
Producer Jeff Purser.
48-Hour Film Project
ICE partnered with the 48-Hour Film Project
(www.48hourfilm.com) to encourage Western
Sydney filmmakers to enter. The team from
the Create Media project (p30) won the Best
Use of Prop Award for their film Something
about Grace.
WOW Film Festival
Asmaa Farzam, a participant in ICE’s
Changing Lives project, won the DigiVodules
category at the World of Women film festival
(www.wift.org/wow) on 16 October. Asmaa’s
film Moment of Life, about her experiences
as an asylum seeker, can be seen at
www.changinglives.com.au/2008/03/
semsem-moment-of-life.html.
ICE produced four of the finalists and
screened 12 two-minute digital stories when
the festival toured to Casula Powerhouse on
19 September.
ShortCuts
Western Sydney’s only short film fest for
young people, ShortCuts attracted 120
people on 4 April to see the shortlisted films,
including a number by YDC participants
(see p14).
Western Sydney Screen Culture received core funding from Screen NSW. Parramatta Screening received core
funding from Parramatta City Council.ShortCuts is an initiative of Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT),
presented in partnership with Rumble Pictures and ICE. The World of Women (WOW) Film Festival is
presented by Women in Film and Television NSW. Creative Sydney was presented with Powerhouse Youth
Theatre, Shortcuts Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival.
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Western Sydney Screen Culture: TropWest
TropWest is a free annual event designed to inspire Western Sydney filmmakers to enter
the world’s largest short film festival — Movie Extra Tropfest (www.tropfest.com). The
TropWest scholarship provides financial and mentorship support for a Western Sydney
film being entered in Tropfest.
TropWest participants hear firsthand about the entry process and selection criteria,
and have the opportunity to speed meet with industry leaders to discuss their film ideas.
In 2009…
Now in its third year, TropWest attracted
around 100 people to Riverside Theatres on
17 October. This year George Basha (The
Combination), Kris Wyld (East West 101) and
Ranko Markovic (Cedar Boys) were among 15
advisers who donated their time to inspire
and inform the next generation of
filmmakers. Markovic’s production company,
Templar Films, stepped up to mentor this
year’s TropWest Scholarship winner.
“With each TropWest event
it becomes clearer that the
quality of entries into Movie Extra
Tropfest by filmmakers from
Western Sydney is getting
higher and higher.”
Tropfest Managing Director, Michael Laverty
production budget, and a mentorship with
an experienced filmmaker.
Runner up Aisha Kamara is a Create
Media (p30) participant from Bankstown.
The TropWest Scholarship Award was
announced by Parramatta Mayor Paul
Garrard.
TropWest Winner
Nineteen-year-old Roxie Vuong from Fairfield
won the TropWest scholarship with her clever
take on her experiences as a young Asian
woman growing up in the west, netting her
over $6,000 worth of prizes including a
camera phone valued at $1200. Roxie will
receive access to facilities at Switch, a small
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Scholarship Success
The TropWest scholarship was offered for
the first time in 2008. Last year’s winner
Tresa Ponnor from Liverpool is currently
studying directing at AFTRS. Her short My
Nan the Next Cate Blanchett has been
screened at five film festivals, including the
Dungog Film Festival.
TropWest supporters, partners and funding bodies
include: ICE, Movie Extra Tropfest, Screen NSW,
Australia Council for the Arts, Riverside Theatres,
Switch, Parramatta Council (through the
Parramatta Screening initiative) and Arts NSW.
DigiDiaries
Digital storytelling (see p21) is a powerful way to express very personal stories, combining
new footage with existing story-triggers such as old photographs, images and personal
objects dense with meaning.
DigiDiaries is a two-year project engaging young people from Muslim communities
throughout Western Sydney. It empowers participants with skills like script writing,
filmmaking, editing, photography and online film preparation. Young people learn to make
and tell their own stories and share them with broader Australian communities through
public screenings, forums and the internet.
The project also has a train-the-trainer focus, with participants learning the skills to
pass their new knowledge on, equipping the wider community with digital storytelling
techniques by running their own workshops.
In 2009…
DigiDiaries ran a very successful program at
Switch, resulting in the production of diverse
and beautiful films — some funny, some
moving, and some opening up memories that
have been closed for decades. They are
online at ice.org.au/newswire/2010/02/
train-the-trainer-project-round-up.
Participants
The 12 participants had an average age of 22
25
CDP
CDP
and came from Lebanese, Iranian, Afghan,
Sudanese, Austrian, Samoan, Indian and
Greek backgrounds. They live in Parramatta,
Auburn, Bankstown, Fairfield, Canterbury and
Arncliffe.
Train-the-Trainer Program
The workshop was held over four days in
September. Participants explored complex
experiences, such as being a civilian during
the 1980 Iran-Iraq War, the soul-splitting
experience of migrating to another country,
ageing and the global resonances of stamp
collecting.
Launch
The films were launched on 29 October at
ICE and the works uploaded to the ICE
website. The films were screened on the
night and a DVD of works was produced. The
graduates also received a certificate for their
efforts in completing the program and to
signpost the skills they have gained over the
period of the workshop.
Screenings
Little about Me by Eddie Abd and To
Everything and Back by Marian Abboud were
“There were a lot of new
techniques being introduced,
including storytelling
techniques, various games
played, as well as the
technical side of producing a
digital diary, like working with
Photoshop and iMovie.”
screened at Parramatta Park to a large
audience and have been entered into
international short film festivals overseas.
Training Others
Graduates, Sanaz Fotouhi, Eddie Abd and
Yamane Fayed have conducted two digital
storytelling workshops with young people
from the Afghan community.
DigiDiaries was supported by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Arts NSW, Australia Council for
the Arts and Screen NSW. DigiDiaries used the facilities of Switch digital arts centre, a partnership between
ICE and Parramatta Council.
Digital Refuge
Vibrant stories dealing with strong subjects like identity, racism,
family history, substance abuse, crime and love were produced by
young people from refugee and Indigenous backgrounds through
Digital Refuge.
Participants gained multimedia skills and learned how to tell
these stories in the digital arena through a series of digital
storytelling projects made possible by the Sydney Community
Foundation.
Read more about the Digital Refuge projects — Refugee
Allstars (p18), Vietnamese Stories (p13), Pacific Specific (p18),
Yallah! What’s Your Story (p18) and Koori Stories (p11).
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East London West Sydney
Participant Sanaz Fotouhi
For decades, hip-hop artists from the east end of London and Western Sydney have
responded to stigma and struggle through performance — transforming the experience
of survival at the margins into a powerful creative expression.
Leading hip-hop artists from London joined their counterparts in Sydney for this
project, which has drawn national media attention and pushed the boundaries of the
hip-hop genre.
Seven years in gestation, East London West Sydney uses performance as a
framework to engage other art forms, including spoken word, drama, music, movement
and film. It brings together artists interested in the ways place, identity and urban
culture shift and change in compelling, and sometimes devastating, ways.
In 2009…
Origins
The idea for the project took root in 2002,
when ICE supported an exchange for Sydney
hip-hop artists MC Trey, Wire MC and Maya
Jupiter and ICE’s Lena Nahlous to make links
with UK-based artists. ICE steadily built on
these links, developing a strong partnership
with the British Council Australia, and then
with UK artists such as Benji Reid, and DJs
Sarah Love, Pogo and Mystro.
The Team
Jonzi D (UK), one of the most recognised
figures in hip-hop theatre, took the helm as
director. Seven established hip-hop stars
joined him on the project’s creative
development phase — BrothaBlack (Aus), MC
Trey (Aus), SistaNative (Aus), Omar Musa
(Aus), Farid Farid (Aus), Maxwell Golden (UK)
and Sarah Sayeed (UK). They were joined by
renowned producer Spider Johnson (UK),
award-winning video artist Fadia Abboud
(Aus) and dramaturge Lina Kastoumis (Aus).
The Project
The artistic team began collaborating online
in early July, and the London team travelled
to Sydney between July and August for three
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CDP
Top: (L-R) Music producer Spider Johnson and performer
Omar Musa; Bottom: MC Trey and Maxwell Golden
perform in work-in-progress East London West Sydney
intensive weeks writing, producing and
rehearsing with the Sydney-based artists in
Parramatta.
Creative Enterprise
Program
Sneak Preview
The development phase culminated in a
sneak preview performance in NIDA’s Parade
Playhouse on 18 August. A near-full house of
150 audience members gathered for a
fantastic show, blending spoken word,
beautiful imagery, drama, music and
movement in a celebration of urban culture.
The performance received wide media
attention, including a cover on mX and a fiveminute feature piece on ABC News.
Work on stage two, the performance
phase, has begun, scheduled to premiere in
late 2010 or early 2011.
This project is a partnership between ICE and the
British Council. ICE receives core support from Arts
NSW and Australia Council for the Arts. The Switch
digital arts centre, a partnership between ICE and
Parramatta Council.
KP11 Exhibition
Ali Kadhim’s parkour project represented ICE on a tour of the
nation as part of KP11, an exhibition showcasing the 11 Australian
arts and culture organisations that receive Community
Partnerships’ Key Producer funding from the Australia Council.
Parkour is the French art of urban body movement, and
practitioners demonstrate how obstacles can be a pathway through
the city. It’s a great example of the Australia Council’s concept of
Key Producers that “show us how Australians create their own art,
and produce communities that are better places to live.” See all
the KP11 organisations here: http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/
the_arts/features/community_partnerships.
The KP11 exhibition was launched at the Australia Council in
Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills in early March 2009, and the works
were on display in Sydney for three months before travelling to
Fremantle, Bunbury, Adelaide, Brisbane and Launceston. The
exhibition will tour until October 2010.
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As the leading art and technology organisation in Sydney’s
West, ICE is plugged directly into the community, working
with a network of skilled artists that represent the diversity
of this multicultural region.
The Creative Enterprise Program (CEP) seeds new
enterprises, develops employment and professional
development opportunities for artists and communities
and supports creative and entrepreneurial leadership.
It manages projects such as Artfiles, the Switch Digital Arts
Access Centre and is overseeing the establishment of ICE’s
Creative Enterprise Hub.
Increasingly, ICE is in demand as a consultant and
contractor for media campaigns and the development of
education resources for government, not-for-profit
organisations and other groups. The CEP oversees ICE’s
Consultancy Services program, producing informative,
intriguing and culturally appropriate resources for diverse
communities, using the latest new media techniques.
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CEP
CEP
Create Media
Young refugees and newly arrived migrants get their foot in the digital door with Create
Media — a project that skills up participants to start their own income-generating new
media business.
ICE’s first official long-term incubation of a creative enterprise, Create Media equipped
15 people with digital skills through a program that included training, mentorship and
hand-on experience in creating digital media.
At the end of stage one of the program, they pitched their digital business ideas to a
panel of film and industry professionals, and one of the proposals will be chosen to be
supported in 2010.
In 2009…
In its debut year, Create Media hit the ground
running.
People on Board
Project coordinator Gary Paramanathan, who
comes from a filmmaking and refugee
background, began work in early 2009. In
March, recruitment for participants began —
30 people applied and 15 were selected.
Participants have all been in Australia for
less than 10 years, most are in their early
20s, and they come from Sierra Leonean,
Congolese, Sudanese, Sri Lankan, Afghan
(Baluchi) and Iraqi backgrounds. They live in
Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown, Bankstown,
Marrickville and Campbelltown.
Creativity Camp
In May 2009 the participants, trainers, staff
and volunteers from the Westpac Foundation
30
went on a creativity camp. The camp
introduced the participants and developed a
rapport to ease them into working together.
It was a highly productive camp, with all
participants who attended providing strong
favourable feedback.
Training
The formal four-month training program
began in June. The training was divided into
Digital Media and Creative Business training.
Participants attended workshops with a team
of trainers, artists and mentors one day a
week. Some participants had never used
digital video cameras, and almost all of them
had not used high-end editing software.
Meanwhile they spent Saturdays
producing screen and music work. At the end
of the training the participants produced
three songs, three short films, and two
documentaries.
The Films
Never Give Up: The Richard Kapere Story is a
documentary with re-enactments about the
migration and early settlement days of
project participant Richard Kapere, who
worked to bring his entire family over to
Australia.
Inner Game, by Sheruni Peiris, is a film
about drinking and peer pressure to fit in.
“It was more than I expected,
hard work but worth it in the
end. I was running around
organising locations, auditions,
costumes…pretty much
everything to get it working.”
Aisha Kamara the producer of Inner Game
This film was a finalist in the PNAN Youth
Arts Festival (see below).
Not Good Enough is a film about a young
woman striving to succeed professionally,
while dealing with her personal demons. This
film will be screened on Aurora TV in 2010.
Business Selection
Participants submitted applications and
business plans for their future creative
enterprise. The applications were handed to
a panel of experts, including organisations
such as Business Advisory Services
Incorporated, the School of Social
Entrepreneurs, Social Ventures Australia and
Westpac. The panel selected one participant
by an overwhelming majority — the
successful business plan will be made public
in March 2010, at the ICE AGM.
ICE will support the launch of this new
multimedia enterprise, providing
establishment costs, mentorship and office
space. It will be managed independently and
provide income for the artists involved.
focuses on issues of drugs and alcohol.
Aisha Kamara was a runner up at the
TropWest event, and was invited to be
mentored and attend a workshop with
Templar Films.
Participants worked on a short film for
the 48 Hour Film Project, winning best use of
prop and a nomination for best use of line.
Saber Baluch was commissioned by
NGOs Auburn Community Development
Network and Palmera Projects to make a
documentary, and has been accepted into
the University of Western Sydney’s Media
Production course.
Participant Hawanatu Bangura and
coordinator Gary Paramanathan presented
on Create Media at Making Links in
Melbourne (see p36).
Awards and Achievements
The short film Inner Game, written by
Sheruni Peiris, was a finalist in the PNAN
Youth Arts Festival, a creative arts festival
run by NSW Health and Metro Screen that
Create Media receives core support from the Westpac Foundation. Support also comes from Arts NSW and
Australia Council for the Arts. Create Media used the facilities of Switch Digital Arts Centre, a partnership
between ICE and Parramatta Council.
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CEP
CEP
School Holiday Filmmaking
The Switch Academy partnered with Vinegar
Hill Memorial Library to run a filmmaking
program as part of their school holiday
program in January. Participants were skilled
up on four main elements of filmmaking:
scriptwriting, digital photography, editing and
lighting. The Academy was invited to run the
program on an ongoing basis.
Script Development Workshop
Tropfest-winning filmmaker Alex Weinress
ran a four-day script development workshop
in April at Vinegar Hill Memorial Library.
Participants, including Year 11 students keen
to learn filmmaking to support their school
studies, looked at scriptwriting and
production techniques.
Switch and Switch Academy
Since 2004, the Switch Digital Arts Access Centre has provided state-of-the-art facilities
for the community from its base at ICE. Switch is a hub for commercial-quality new
media hardware and software, and industry experts in music and sound, video, screenbased art and graphic design.
The centre and outreach program target people who typically lack access to digital
arts technologies. Switch has been an integral part of most ICE projects, including the
creation of award-winning dramas, documentaries, music CDs and online projects.
Throughout this report you will see the many projects that have been supported by
Switch, including screen, radio and music-based initiatives.
In 2006, the Switch Academy was launched. This income-generating wing of Switch
is an education centre offering accessible training in digital arts to the general public.
In 2009…
It was a difficult year for Switch due to ICE’s
relocation and makeshift set-up in its new
location. While Switch has always been both
a centre and an outreach program, in 2009
it ran more outreach and off-site programs
than ever before, compensating for the
closure of the centre for several months.
The new facilities will also be redeveloped
in 2010.
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Switch Academy
The Switch Academy focused on developing
training compliance procedures for all ICE
programs during the refurbishment of Switch
facilities at ICE’s new premises. All programs
delivered within ICE now comply with
national training qualifications frameworks.
Courses continued offsite at Vinegar Hill
Memorial Library and Community Centre.
Switch Academy Workshops at Rouse Hill
The Academy ran digital workshops in July at
Vinegar Hill Memorial Library over four days
in July focusing on digital photography, video
camera and lighting and scriptwriting and
editing.
Switch Academy into the Future
Preliminary discussions have been held with
the Department of Education and Training to
promote Switch Academy courses within the
primary/secondary school network.
ICE is also partnering with the Marist
Education Centre to facilitate a program for
at-risk young people through their
ConnectED program in Granville. The
students will be awarded a Certificate III in
Screen and Media at satisfactory completion
of the course.
Four-Day Filmmaking Course
A four-day filmmaking workshop was held at
Vinegar Hill Memorial Library. Participants
learned how to develop a treatment, write a
script, approach pre-production and prepare
a script for production.
Other Courses
Switch Academy ran a filmmaking program
for years five and six students at Seven Hills
West Public school and short courses
through Parramatta College. The Academy
also delivered a number outreach programs
as part of the ongoing partnership with
Rouse Hill Library.
“Thanks so much for having
my son on your course…
he had a ball and has
talked of nothing but
films ever since.”
Parent of participant in school holiday
filmmaking course
Switch is supported by Arts NSW, Australia Council for the Arts, Screen NSW and is a partnership
with Parramatta City Council.
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CEP
CEP
Artfiles
(Professional Development Program for Artists)
Illustration by Matt Huynh
(matthuynh.com) who
was profiled as part of
Artfiles TV
Artfiles is the essential resource of Western Sydney’s exploding arts scene. It is a portal to
news, opportunities, networks and professional development for the local arts community,
and anyone else who wants to connect with it.
Artfiles is available in print and online (artfiles.com.au) and has a global audience of
200,000. It profiles over 1000 cultural creators, including artists, writers, designers and
performers, with feature stories, portfolios and user-uploads. It’s also an important
directory of facilities, programs, opportunities and events.
The associated weekly e-bulletins and tweets allow thousands of subscribers to
network their news, activities and events.
In 2009…
Thoroughly revamped in 2009, Artfiles
launched a slew of exciting new projects that
allow Western Sydney artists to increase
their online presence and networks.
New website
Artfiles’ new website went live in 2009. New
features include improved search and browse
functionality, and the facility for users to
create and edit their own profile, attach
images and update news — see
artfiles.com.au/login/profile_add.php.
This allows Artfiles users to create a free,
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easy-to-build web presence that can be
readily found by interested visitors
worldwide. Each Artfiles profile page has a
unique URL featuring the user’s name which
can be used in marketing and promotion. To
celebrate the launch of the new site, we gave
away 100 sets of customised business cards
featuring individual contact details and new
website address.
News Uploads
Auditions, job advertisements, funding
opportunities, training courses, exhibitions
and giveaways are among the news items
uploaded to the Artfiles website through its
new news facility. The feature allows users to
enter news articles directly to the Artfiles
site and calendar through a web form
(artfiles.com.au/news/news_add.php),
moderated by an editor.
the featured profile, and then ‘See More
Artists/Organisations In Focus’ to see
them all.
In Focus
All members of the Artfiles community have
the opportunity to be profiled as part of the
In Focus series. Five organisations and
25 individual artists were profiled in 2009,
and a new one is added each week. They are
featured on the Artfiles homepage, included
in the e-bulletin and retained in the In Focus
archive on artfiles.com.au, click through to
Launch of Artfiles TV
Some of Western Sydney’s top creative talent
featured on Artfiles TV, a collaboration with
the University of Western Sydney. Artfiles TV
ran for eight week from 2 June as part of
ANGLE — a half-hour, magazine-style
television program on TVS/Channel 31
(www.tvs.org.au), a production of the School
of Communication Arts at UWS.
Artfiles News e-bulletin
The Artfiles e-bulletin was published weekly
providing news and a broad round-up of
happenings across the arts community. An
improved Artfiles e-bulletin was developed in
2009, to be launched in January 2010.
Fairfield City Grants Writing Workshop
and Mentoring Project
ICE and Fairfield City Council collaborated to
assist local artists to apply for grants
through the council’s community cultural
development program.
Two information sessions on the purpose
of the grant, eligibility and selection criteria
were held in February, and attended by over
35 people. Sixteen people who were
application-ready went on to a full-day
workshop at Whitlam Library on 19 February.
The interactive workshop looked at research,
proposal writing, eligibility, budgets and
support material. Eleven participants also
attended two-hour, one-on-one mentoring
sessions on three days from 26 February.
Language support was integral to these
sessions so that CALD clients were enabled
to get the maximum benefit.
35
CEP
CEP
Connect: ICE’s Community IT Project
Consultancy Services: Parenting Stories
The power of information technology is put into the hands of the community through
Connect. The project has helped build community blogs, wikis, digital stories, podcasts,
films and social networking engagement tools.
Connect works in three key areas — it builds the capacity of non-government
organisations in digital media; it engages marginalised groups such as migrants and
refugees in IT programs; and it supports communities to build their own IT infrastructures
— including software and hardware systems.
Recently arrived Sudanese and Central African families shared personal parenting stories
in this important project. They compared and contrasted memories from childhood,
cultural ideas about parenting and their experiences of parenting in Australia and the
new legal context for their families.
The project addressed the need to break down community assumptions about
child protection and the role of government services in parenting.
The personal stories formed the centrepiece of a multimedia information campaign
for the wider African community. Participants developed them into radio plays and short
films in five community languages and English. These plays and films are being finalised
and will be launched and distributed in June 2010 as part of an information pack with
referral resources, as well as being screened widely and broadcast on SBS and community
radio.
In 2009…
The Connect program oversaw ICE’s
involvement in the Making Links conference.
It also oversaw the Parenting Stories (p37)
and Domestic Violence (p39) projects.
Brothers and Sisters
Intimate family stories will be given a digital
spin in this project working with the siblings
of young people with a disability. ICE teamed
up with the Multicultural Disability Advocacy
Association for the two-year project, which
engages young people from a non-English
speaking background who have a brother or
sister with a disability.
Supported by NSW Department of Human Services
via Community Services and Ageing, Disability and
Home Care.
36
Making Links (www.makinglinks.org.au) is
Australia’s leading forum on information
and communications technology for the
non-profit sector. Over the past six years,
ICE has been active in setting the agenda
for the conference.
The 2009 conference was held over
17-18 November and around 160 activists,
community and health workers and
technology and government delegates
converged on Melbourne to participate.
The conference opened with a skillbuilding workshop on website optimisation
and accessibility, followed by a film and
digital arts festival which showcased
several of ICE’s digital stories.
Create Media coordinator Gary
Paramanathan presented at the
conference on Corporate Partnerships for
Project Delivery. He spoke about how the
Create Media project worked with young
refugees and recently arrived migrants
from Western Sydney to develop digital
media-based social enterprises.
The 12-month Parenting Stories project
began in February, when 10 recently arrived
migrants and refugees from Sudanese,
Congalese, Somali and Liberian backgrounds
joined the project after Project Coordinator
Saleh Saqqaf promoted it on SBS radio and
through local and online media.
SLIDE BY KEYNOTE SPEAKER PENNY HAGEN
Connect IT Workshops
Twitter, Facebook, blogging, podcasting and
digital storytelling were among the subjects
unpacked in a series of workshops run by
Connect. Non-government organisations,
artists, volunteers and interested community
members enhanced their digital skills
through a series of digital media workshops.
Connect also developed three workshops
designed to optimise online communications
for organisations — Promoting IT,
Documenting IT and Planning IT look at the
nuts and bolts of making digital
communications work.
In 2009…
Digital Stories Workshops
Starting in May, ICE held workshops for
parents — childcare and refreshments were
provided and the timetable was made flexible
to allow for working parents. Workshops
began with story-sharing sessions and
participants discussed how they deal with
settlement, cross-cultural issues and the new
legal context for parenting.
Participants then learned how to start
from scratch to shape their stories into
digital stories, using the resources at Switch.
As well as learning skills in digital production
and storytelling, they appreciated having a
forum for discussion and collaboration on
parenting themes.
Six digital stories were produced, woven
around personal objects and photographs
that helped to unpack the emotional
experience of raising children in Australia —
the joys and difficulties, problems and
“Being a Parent is one of the
biggest challenges in life and
a job that never ends,”
Parenting Stories Project Coordinator
Saleh Saqqaf
37
CEP
“The pressures on a family as
they arrive in a new country
and deal with a different
culture and language are
enormous. A project such
as Parenting Stories is a
vital tool in making that
path slightly easier.”
Minister for Community Services Linda Burney
solutions. A documentary featuring vox pop
interviews on the same subjects was also
produced. The films raised questions such as
what’s the difference between being a ‘dad’
and being a ‘father’?
Screening
The project screened the films at ICE
in September, alongside a community
discussion on parenting. They were also
CEP
screened at African Learning Circle meetings
and a variety of seminars including the
Making Links Conference (p36). These stories
inspired many of the radio plays that were
then developed.
Radio Plays
A series of six radio plays about parenting
were written and recorded in English, Dinka,
Juba Arabic, Arabic, Swahili and Lingala.
The plays deal with parenting experiences
and scenarios that resonate with parents
everywhere. They will be broadcast on SBS
and community radio.
Resource Pack
A double DVD and CD of the digital stories
and radio plays will form the basis for the
information pack, which also includes referral
resources about where parenting help is
available.
Parenting Stories is an initiative of Community Services, NSW Department of Human Services.
Raising Kids Together Wins Award
Raising Kids Together, a DVD produced
by ICE’s Barry Gamba, won the NSW
Department of Ageing, Disability and
Homecare’s prestigious Government Award
at the National Multicultural Marketing
Awards.
The DVD provides information in
Arabic, Assyrian, Dari, Dinka and Juba
Arabic for families who have a child or
38
young person with a disability. It tells reallife stories using a combination of drama
and documentary styles and employs
storytelling techniques to deal with
stigma, cultural taboos, discrimination,
shame and isolation. One thousand copies
were made and the resource is the first
audio material on the subject available in
these languages.
Congratulating the winners, the chair
of the Community Relations Commission of
NSW, Stepan Kerkyasharian said “The
Department has taken a serious issue and
employed state-of-the-art multicultural
marketing techniques to deliver
information and guidance, vital to the wellbeing of families from Sudan, Iraq and
Afghanistan, who are already facing
significant settlement challenges”.
Consultancy Services:
Mt Druitt Domestic Violence Campaign
Domestic violence has a devastating effect
on families, and the pain and suffering is
absorbed by children as they watch the role
models around them.
The NSW Department of Human Services
contracted ICE to develop a demonstration
campaign around the effects of domestic
violence on children, targeting men in
Mount Druitt.
From June to November community
focus group research was undertaken with
young, culturally diverse men aged 15 to
30 in Mount Druitt. ICE also compiled a
comprehensive literature review of domestic
violence research and campaigns.
The research will be used to create a
domestic violence media campaign in the
local community.
This project is an initiative of Community Services, NSW Department of Human Services.
Consultancy Services:
Refugee Legal Information DVD
Storytelling techniques have been used to
provide a basic introduction to the
Australian legal system through a film made
by and for refugee communities. The
production featured over 28 performers
from refugee and migrant communities and
NSW Police and shooting was completed at
the end of 2009.
The project was initiated by Fairfield
City Council’s Community Safety and Crime
Prevention Program, through ICE’s
Consultancy Services. They identified a
need for culturally appropriate information
on areas such as crime reporting, traffic
offences, domestic violence, alcohol and
drugs. The DVD is aimed at people with low
levels of literacy in both English and their
first language.
Working on the film increased
awareness of the script’s themes for the
cast and crew, who were from target
communities including Sudanese, Kenyan
and Sierra Leonean backgrounds.
Participants also improved their skills in
film production; some had very limited
knowledge at the start of the project.
Working closely with Fairfield Police also
improved and developed their relationship
with the police.
Due for release in mid-2010, the
25-minute DVD will target Sudanese,
Burundian, Congolese, Tanzanian and Iraqi
communities and include language options
such as Dinka, Arabic, Swahili and Assyrian.
The project was developed with Fairfield City Council and supported by the Law and Justice Foundation,
NSW Police, Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre, Fairfield Legal Aid, South West Sydney Legal Centre and
Liverpool/Fairfield Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service.
39
CDP
Research and Policy Program
Lena Nahlous named a Creative Catalyst
ICE works with thousands of people in Western Sydney every year, but how does it affect
them? How is it seen by participants, artists and their audiences? How can ICE do better?
These are the questions that ICE is asking through it research and policy program.
The program formalises and develops ICE’s critical reflection across all levels of the
organisation, and embeds better practices for evaluation and analysis into all ICE projects.
ICE Executive Director Lena Nahlous was named as one of
Sydney’s key Creative Catalysts as part of the inaugural
Creative Sydney festival (www.creativesydney.com.au) in May.
This new Events NSW festival celebrates Sydney’s
creative talents — from fashion to film to history. The
Creative Catalyst award is one of the key initiatives of the
festival, honouring 100 inspirational Sydneysiders who make
a contribution to the city’s creative culture. Lena Nahlous
was recognised for her work in supporting and developing
creative communities of Western Sydney.
ICE collaborators Ali Kadhim and Matt Huynh were also
named in the list, selected from over 700 people suggested
by creative leaders. Other Creative Catalysts include Andrew
Denton, George Miller, Rachel Perkins, Morganics and
creative leaders from FBi Radio, Sculpture by the Sea, Get
Up, Tropfest, Dinosaur Designs, Earth Hour and The Chaser.
In 2009…
Ripple Effects
At the core of ICE’s research and policy
program is a three-year partnership with the
University of Technology, Sydney, the
Australia Council for the Arts and Arts NSW
entitled Ripple Effects: Cultural Production in
Western Sydney.
The research team surveyed a random
selection of government, schools, cultural
institutions and community organisations on
their perceptions of ICE and its programs.
ICE is developing a new policy for evaluating
and monitoring its projects and is looking at
ways to share this information with the
sector.
Cybermohalla
The Research and Policy Program teamed up
with the Listening Project to host
Cybermohalla on 8 December (see p41).
Fairfield Stories
ICE partnered with the University of Western
Sydney on the Fairfield Stories project (see
p22). The project investigated questions of
voice, citizenship, intercultural and
intergenerational dialogue in local media
practices and local content-creation.
Creative Social Enterprise
The needs of creative social enterprises in
Western Sydney (particularly in Parramatta)
were researched through this project. The
information gathered fed into the planning of
the new ICE space, such as the inclusion of a
discrete space for cultural producers and
creative social enterprises.
ICE partnered with the NSW Department
of Industry and Investment to hold a forum
on 11 December. It brought together key
stakeholders, organisations, programs and
businesses to develop a strategy for
information-sharing and regional
collaboration. The group will continue to
meet and collaborate.
Ripple Effects is supported by the Australian Research Council and the Australia Council for the Arts.
Fairfield Stories is funded by the University of Western Sydney and Fairfield City Council.
Cybermohalla: The Listening Project is a collaboration between researchers at Macquarie University, the
University of Sydney, UTS and Notre Dame University.
Creative Industries Forum is supported by the NSW Department of Industry and Investment
40
Cybermohalla
‘Mohalla’ means neighbourhood in Hindi
and Urdu. The Cybermohalla project takes
on the meaning of the word mohalla, its
sense of alleys and corners, relatedness
and concreteness, as a means for talking
about one’s ‘place’ in the city, and in
cyberspace.
The project is a collaboration between
Sarai, the celebrated digital media,
community and research organisation,
and Delhi-based Ankur: Society for
Alternatives in Education. As part of
ICE’s Research and Policy Program, ICE
partnered with the UTS Listening Project
to host a visit from Sarai and Ankur on
8 December. Thirty creative practitioners
gathered as Sarai and Ankur screened
their work and led small intensive
workshops.
They focused on Cybermohalla
(sarai.net/practices/cybermohalla), which
works in communities in some of Delhi’s
rapidly changing and disadvantaged
neighbourhoods, experimenting with media
including writing, animation, storytelling,
neighbourhood conversation, magazines
and wall writing.
41
Sydney Olympic Park Authority
NSW Community Relations
Commission
NSW TAFE
NSW Department of Industry
and Investment
People, Partners and Supporters
ICE would like to thank our
partners and sponsors for
their support in 2009.
Key Organisational Partners
Department of Employment
Education and Workplace
Relations
Arts NSW
Australia Council for the Arts
Community Services, NSW
Department of Human
Services
Screen NSW
Major Program Partners
Australian Human Rights
Commission
Etihad Airways
Parramatta City Council
Foundation for Young
Australians
Westpac Foundation
British Council Australia
Department of Immigration and
Citizenship
Key Project Partners
Fairfield City Council
Penrith City Council
SBS Foundation
Sydney Community Foundation
University of Technology,
42
Centre for Transforming
Cultures
University of Western Sydney,
School of Communication
Media Arts
Venue Partner
Catholic Diocese of Parramatta
Arts, Community and
Education Partners
Aboriginal Catholic Ministry
African Program, SBS Radio
African Women’s Advocacy
Unit, Australian National
Committee on Refugee
Women
Arabic Program, SBS Radio
Auburn Community
Development Network
Auburn Youth Centre
Aurora Community TV
Australian Sudanese
Association, Lakemba
Cabramatta Moon Festival
Cambodian Australian Welfare
Council of NSW
Congolese Community of
Australia
Curious Works
Granville Multicultural
Community Centre
Granville Youth and Community
Recreation Centre
High Street Youth Health
Services
Hills Holroyd Parramatta
Migrant Resource Centre
Holroyd Youth Services
Innerwest Skills Centre Auburn
Madi Ethnic Community and
Welfare Association
Multicultural Disability
Advocacy Association
Parramatta Artists’ Studios
Powerhouse Youth Theatre
School for Social Entrepreneurs
Australia
Shortcuts Film Festival
South Penrith Youth and
Neighbourhood Services
Sudanese Association,
Liverpool
Sudanese Program, Radio 2GLF
Sydney Writers’ Festival
Templar Films
The Women’s Cottage
Urban Theatre Projects
Vietlish
Vietnamese Community
Australia, NSW Chapter
State Government Partners
NSW Department of Disability,
Ageing and Home Care
Local Government Partners
Auburn Council
Bankstown City Council
Baulkham Hills Shire Council
Blacktown City Council
Blue Mountains City Council
Campbelltown Council
Camden City Council
Fairfield City Council
Hawkesbury City Council
Holroyd City Council
Liverpool City Council
Parramatta City Council
Penrith City Council
Western Sydney Regional
Organisation of Councils
Business and Industry
Partners
48 Hour Film Festival
Arabic Nights
Artsupport
Australian Centre for the
Moving Image
Business Advisory Services Inc.
Clubs NSW
Creative Sydney
Dendy Cinemas, Sydney and
Brisbane
Egyptian Consulate — Sydney
Mercury Cinema, Adelaide
Movie Extra Tropfest
Parramatta Chamber of
Commerce
MySat
National Film and Sound
Archive, Canberra
Piggot Stinson Solicitors
Port Bar and Restaurant
Riverside Theatres
Sawtelghad
Social Ventures Australia via
Parramatta Social Enterprise
Hub
Western Sydney Business
Connection
World Media International
WOW Film Festival
Research Partners:
Ripple Effects
University of Technology,
Sydney:
Dr Ilaria Vanni, Lead
Researcher
Dr Justine Lloyd
Dr Christina Ho
Dr Tony Mitchell
Dr Tanja Dreher
Dr Devleena Ghosh
Francesca Veronesi,
Research Assistant
Jemima Mowbray,
Research Assistant
Research Partners:
Fairfield Stories
Dr Juan Salazar, University of
Western Sydney
Dr Hart Cohen, University of
Western Sydney
Tiffany Lee-Shoy, Fairfield City
Council
THE ICE TEAM
ICE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Chairperson Ross Gibson,
Professor of Contemporary
Arts, Sydney College of the
Arts
Deputy Chair Susan Green,
Associate Professor of
Indigenous Education and
Director, Nuru Gili Indigenous
Programs, University of New
South Wales
Secretary Caroline Vu,
Solicitor
Treasurer Heidi Freeman,
Senior Project Officer for
Community Engagement,
NSW Health
Deputy Treasurer Paul Remati,
Deputy CEO and Director of
Content at NITV (National
Indigenous Television
Network)
Committee Members
Tilda Sikes, Marketing and
Communications Manager,
ARC@UNSW
Susan Gibbeson, Senior Policy
Advisor — Social, Health and
Housing, Fairfield City
Council
Elaine Leong, Legal Counsel,
Geekdom
Mohamed Duar, National Donor
Liaison Manager, Amnesty
International
ICE STAFF AND
KEY CONTRACTORS
Lena Nahlous,
Executive Director
Jill Chambers, Manager,
Operations and Facilities
Vicki Wilde, Manager,
Operations (until August
2009)
Mouna Zaylah, Manager
Cultural Development
Program
Caitlin Vaughan, Manager,
Research and Policy
Liliana Ruti, Community
Information Technology
Project Manager
Trey Thomas, Urban Music
Project Coordinator
Maria Tran, Youth Digital
Cultures Coordinator
Gary Paramanathan, Create
Media Project Coordinator
Saleh Saqqaf, Parenting Stories
Project Coordinator
Amin Palangi, DigiDiaries
Project Coordinator
Kirstie Boerst, Switch Training
Coordinator
Maylei Hunt, Digital Storytelling
Coordinator
Fadia Abboud, Project
Coordinator, Media Artist,
Trainer
Amber Carvan, ICE and Artfiles
Web Producer
Krissie Scudds, Artfiles Project
Assistant
Jerome Pearce, IT and Facilities
Officer
Vasinder Kaur, Executive
Assistant to Executive
Director
Elizabeth Welden,
Administration and
Resources Officer
Aaron Woo, Administration
Assistant (until August
2009)
43
Emma Ramsay, Administration
Assistant (until August
2009)
Vanna Seang (VSS Studios),
Trainer and Media Artist
Rebecca Santos, HR Consultant
Antigone Foster, Production
Coordinator
Denis Cala, Accountant
James Wu, Accountant
Colleen Smith, Bookkeeper
Barry Gamba, Emerging
Communities Consultant
Meiying Saw, ICE Graphic
Designer
Paula Abood, Trainer /
Facilitator, Consultant
Doris Barrios, Cleaner
Monique Choy, Editorial, writing
and communications
John Taranto (ECJ Technology),
Website and Database
Consultant
Jocelyn Payne, Financial
Consultant
Ken Baird, Architect
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
TRAINERS
Bernard Amore Makeny
Denis Nguyen
Eddie Abd
Fadia Abboud
Fatima Mawas
Hawraa El Saidi, Assistant
Trainer
Marian Abboud
Maylei Hunt
Paula Abood
Sanaz Fotouhi
Vanna Seang
Zahra Shafaq
CONSULTANTS,
CONTRACTORS, TRAINERS
AND CREATIVE PERSONNEL
Adhieu Mapiou
Aguel Deng
Ahmad Ali
Ali Kadhim and 9 Lives
Alissar Gazal
Allset Film Pty Ltd
Andrew Nguyen
Andy Ko
44
Augustine Dut
Ben Nitiva
Bheki Mkwananzi
Billmund
Charles Lomu
Chris Hammer Smith
Juse B-Boy Crew
Craig Anderson
Darrio Phillips
DJ Nick Toth
Emmanuel Rodriguez
Fadle El-Harris
Farid Farid
Fatima Etzibar
Fatima Mawas
Felicity Castagna
Finn O’Keefe
Frank Mainoo
Garry Trinh
George Uling Kang
Hannah Hillard
Himali Wettasinghe
Huu Quoc Do
Jack Ngu
Janine Collins
Jason Tearle
Joanne Saad
Johnny M
Johnny Tran
Joseph Hieu Dinh,
Katy Denis (KTG Creative)
Kuac Deng
Lina Kastoumis
Linh Hoang Trinh
Linh Trinh
Maissa Alamadine
Margaret Mayhew
Marian Abboud
Marie Meiling Setiawan
Minoru Hinata
Miriana Marusic
Mirrah Fay
Mohamed Jalloh
My Sang Le
Nadyat El Gawley
Naji Layal
Nick Toth
Omar Bin Musa
Patrick Abboud
Peggy Giakoumelos
Peter Manson
Quac Do
Ranko Markovic
Rudge Hollis
Sam Dutch (Grindin)
Sarah Rhodes
Sarah Watkins
Seide Ramadani
Shannon Williams aka
BrothaBlack
Sharline Bezzina aka Spice
Sheila Mogoko
Simon Gray
SistaNative
Spider Johnson
Stephen Ta
Steven Petridis
Teinaki Manapori
The Last Kinection
Timothy Ly
True Vibenation
Uncle Des Dyer (Dharug
Aboriginal Land Council)
Uncle Greg Simms
Vinh Nguyen
VJ Spook
Vuli Mkwananzi
Yar Manyuon Mayen
Zahra Shafaq
Zona Wilkinson
Zyrub Ibrahim Ahmed
EAST LONDON WEST SYDNEY
CREW
JonziD (UK), Director
Trey Thomas, Assistant
Director and Performer/
Writer
Spider Johnson, Music Artist/
Producer
Performers/ Writers: Farid
Farid, Maxwell Golden (UK),
Omar Bin Musa, Sarah
Sayeed (UK), SistaNative,
Shannon Williams
Video Artist: Fadia Abboud
Antigone Foster: Production
Coordinator
Lina Kastoumis; Dramaturg
Katy Denis (KTG Creative):
Publicist
Fatima Mawas: Video
documentation
Joanne Saad and Maylei Hunt:
Photography
Patrick Abboud: Creative
Consultant
VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS
Amy Pamphlett (School of
Social Entrepreneurs)
Chris Reid
Elizabeth Vu
Jack Ngu
Jennifer Vecchio
(Westpac Foundation)
Joseph Hieu Dinh
Keryn Myers (Westpac)
Kimberley Pickens
(Westpac Foundation)
Lakshita Gunatillake
(Westpac Foundation
Marie Setiawan
Michele Thistlewaite (AFTRS)
Moses Kuteesa
Omeima Sukkuriah
Thuy Nguyen
Timo Mueller, German Intern
INTERNATIONAL GUESTS
JonziD, Theatre Director, UK
Maxwell Golden, Performer, UK
Nicholas Rowe, New Zealand
Prabhat Kumar Jha, Program
Coordinator, Ankur, Society
for Alternatives in Education,
India
Ravikant Sharma, Associate
Fellow, Sarai — Centre for the
Study of Developing
Societies, India
Samir Habchi, Director/
filmmaker, Lebanon
Sarah Sayeed, Performer, UK
Spider Johnson, Music
Producer, UK
ARAB FILM FESTIVAL
AUSTRALIA
Festival Directors Fadia
Abboud and Mouna Zaylah
Committee Firas Naji, Alissar
Gazal, Mohamed Duar, Dr
Paula Abood, Khaled
Sabsabi, Joanne Saad,
Charles Billeh, Saleh Saqqaf,
Omeima Sukkarieh
Arab Film Festival Team
Publicist: Janine Collins
Graphic design: Meiying Saw
Sponsorship: Mohamed Duar
Animation: Layal Naji
Video and multimedia artists:
Vanna Seang, Fadle El harris,
Paul Laoumitzis
Website design and
development: Maissa
Alameddine — Medialoft
TROPWEST PRESENTERS
Adam Thorogood (International
Film School Sydney), Ashley
Luke (NSW FTO), Corrie
McDougall (Aurora TV),
Genevieve Clay (Tropfest
winner 2009), George Basha
(Actor, Screenwriter, Producer),
Jason Van Genderen and
Shane Emmett (Tropfest NY
winners 2008), Jeff Pursor,
Joanne Teng (arts lawyer), Kris
Wyld (Producer, East West 101),
Michael Laverty (Movie Extra
Tropfest), Naomi Wenck
(Producer Ten Empty and
Newcastle), Paul Stuart (Movie
Extra Tropfest), Ranko Markovic
(Producer, Cedar Boys), Tresa
Ponnor (Tropwest Scholarship
winner 2008)
YOUTH DIGITAL CULTURES
COLLECTIVE
Elizabeth Vu, Roxie Vuong,
William Erimya, Colin Gosper,
Jack Ngu, Timothy Ly, Hiba
Kanj, Aleksandar Trofin, My
Sang Le, Moses Kuteesa, Denis
Asif Sado, Ben Nitiva, Simon
Jiang, Ali Kadhim, Moses
Kuteesa, Sally McGovern, Maria
Setiewan
MAKING LINKS CONFERENCE
PARTNERS
Donortec, Australian Federation
of Aids Organisations,
Queensland University of
Technology — Creative
Industries Faculty, Western
Australian Centre for Health
Promotions Research, Curtin
University of Technology,
Vibewire, Infoxchange
Australia, Inspire Foundation,
Victorian Council of Social
Services, Western Australia
Centre for Health Promotion
Research
RAISING KIDS TOGETHER
STEERING COMMITTEE
Warren Fairfax (Dept. of
Disability, Ageing and Home
Care), Diana Qian (Multicultural
Disability Advocacy
Association), Theresa Clark,
Ather Pervaiz (MDAA), Michael
Camit (NSW Multicultural
Health Communication
Service), Barry Gamba (ICE
contractor)
REFUGEE COMMUNITY LEGAL
EDUCATION RESOURCE
STEERING COMMITTEE
Kirsten Cameron (NSW Legal
Aid), Bernadette Fleeton (NSW
Strategy to Reduce Violence
Against Women, DoCS), Alex
Sentana (NSW Police, Fairfield
Local Area Command), Uttara
Kchaao (NSW Police, Fairfield
Local Area Command), Ricci
Bartels (Fairfield Migrant
Resource Centre), Clement
Meru (Fairfield Migrant
Resource Centre), Barry Gamba
(ICE contractor), Claudia
Guajardo (Fairfield City Council)
MT DRUITT DV COMMITTEE
Mission Australia, Rosie’s Place,
Western Sydney Area Health
Service, Anglicare, Community
Services — NSW Department of
Human Services
PARENTING STORIES
ADVISORS
Marylin Fischer (Community
Services, Department of
Human Services), Hashim
Elhassan, Liliane Lukoki and
Maeve Brown (The Hills Holroyd
Parramatta Migrant Resource
Centre), Peggy Giakoumelos,
Raffaela Cavadini (Holroyd City
Council)
45
Treasurer’s Report
Financial Statements
Information and Cultural Exchange Inc.
31 December 2009
47 Treasurer’s Report
48 Balance Sheet
49 Income Statement
50 Notes to and forming part
of the Financial Statements
53 Statement by Members
of the Board of ICE
54 Independent Audit Report
46
This has been a year of significant
achievement and transformation for ICE. ICE
has generated many new partnerships,
continued to expand, and undergone a
relocation and restructure.
Throughout these hectic times, ICE’s
finances have been well managed. Projects
have run to budget and ICE’s financial
reporting format continues to improve,
informing planning and enabling
management and board to have a sound
understanding of our financial position.
It has been pleasing to see the growth in
ICE’s finances from long-term partnerships,
as well as the development of new
relationships. ICE is also generating a
growing amount of income through its own
creative enterprises, such as the Arab Film
Festival Australia.
We secured several major grants from
federal and state governments to support
our capital works project, most of which will
be spent in 2010. The most significant was
$1.5 million from the Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations. We also received funding via the
Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme,
Arts NSW and the NSW Government
Community Builders fund.
We developed a new key relationship
with the Catholic Diocese, whose rental
subsidy over the next 10-15 years will see us
saving between $3 and $4.5 million. Thanks
go to Bishop Manning and John Spillane for
their support.
Our core and ongoing partnerships with
Arts NSW, Australia Council, Community
Services — NSW Department of Human
Services, Screen NSW and Parramatta
Council have enabled us to leverage new
partnerships.
The sound financial management of ICE
has been a result of the hard work, talent
and commitment to good governance of the
organisation’s management, staff and board.
In particular, Lena Nahlous, as Executive
Director of ICE, has led the organisation,
building partnerships, and guiding and
motivating staff and board. Jill Chambers
took over the finances in September. Jill’s
competence and hard work have been widely
appreciated by all at ICE.
The Board of ICE, led by Ross Gibson, has
overseen the finances of ICE, ensuring the
organisation’s financial sustainability.
On behalf of the board of ICE, I would like
to thank all of our sponsors for their support.
Their trust in ICE and their financial support
has enabled us to work with the many and
diverse communities of Western Sydney
providing ever more opportunities for the
development and expression of the region’s
extraordinary cultural voices.
Heidi Freeman
Treasurer
47
Balance Sheet
Income Statement
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and Cash Equivalents 3
Receivables 4
Prepaid Expenses
Inventory 5
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS
2009
2008
1,705,109.49
751,177.02
5,381.45
694.50
2,462,362.46
699,890.49
25,140.50
3,986.43
729,017.42
121,667.21
(99,259.27)
22,407.94
22,407.94
183,908.00
(183,796.25)
111.75
120,947.97
(96,950.97)
23,997.00
24,108.75
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Leasehold Improvements - at cost
Less: Accumulated Depreciation
Office Furniture & Equipment - at Cost
Less: Accumulated Depreciation
TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS
INCOME
2,484,770.40
753,126.17
294,687.26
1,829,164.28
120,048.94
2,243,900.48
98,566.82
378,534.96
92,004.84
569,106.62
219,687.58
2,463,588.06
160,470.71
729,577.33
$21,182.34
$23,548.84
2009
2008
1,443,834
1,157,731
EXPENDITURE
Employee benefit expense
Depreciation expense
Insurance expense
Media and marketing expenses
Programmes and production expenses
Rental expense
Contractor expense
Administration expenses
Other expenses
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FROM OPERATIONS
TOTAL ASSETS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009
(793,994)
(13,932)
(10,152)
(114,355)
(228,740)
(18,066)
(37,936)
(72,750)
(156,275)
(1,446,200)
(2,366)
(607,668)
(34,209)
(17,069)
(88,079)
(148,031)
(18,297)
(50,391)
(94,490)
(95,591)
(1,153,825)
3,906
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Payables
Deferred Income 6
Provision for Staff Entitlements 7
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
Provision for Staff Entitlements 7
TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
EQUITY
Accumulated Income at the beginning of the year
Operating Surplus for the year
Total Accumulated Income
23,548.84
(2,366.50)
21,182.34
TOTAL EQUITY
$21,182.34
48
19,642.44
3,906.40
23,548.84
$23,548.84
The accompanying Notes form part of these financial statements.
49
Notes
TO AND FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009
2009
1 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES
This financial report is a special purpose
financial report prepared in order to satisfy
the financial reporting requirements of the
Association Incorporation Act NSW. The board
has determined that the association is not a
reporting entity.
The financial report has been prepared on
an accruals basis and is based on historic
costs and does not take into account changing
money values or, expect where specifically
stated, current valuations of non-current
assets.
The following significant accounting
policies, which are consistent with the
previous period unless otherwise stated, have
been adopted in the preparation of these
financial report.
(a) Incorporated Association
The services were incorporated on 1st May,
1986 as an incorporated Association, under
the Associations Incorporated Act, 1984.
The members liability is limited to the extent
of any unpaid membership fees.
(b) Revenue
Interest revenue is recognised on a
proportional basis taking into account the
interest rates applicable to the financial
assets as it is received.
Grant and donation income is recognised
when the entity obtains control over the
funds which is generally at the time of receipt.
Revenue from funding authorities
received in advance is deferred to the period
to which it relates and included as an accrual
on the balance sheet.
(c) Inventories
Inventories are measured at the lower of cost
and net realisable value.
Remuneration of the Auditor for:
- Auditing the financial statements
TOTAL
(d) Employee Entitlements
Provision is made for Long Service Leave,
Sick Leave and Annual Leave estimated to be
payable to employees on the basis of
statutory and contractual requirements.
Provision is made for redundancy for long
standing employees as the association is
exclusively dependent on tiers of government,
and that policies and funding arrangements
are subject to periodic change. Provision is
made for the payment of twelve (12) weeks
maternity leave in accordance with pending
staff agreements. The amounts provided
have been apportioned between current and
non-current, the current provision been the
portion that is entitled to be paid within the
next (12) months. Payroll on costs associated
with leave entitlements are recognised as
liabilities.
Contributions are made by the
Association to an employees’ superannuation
fund and are charged as expenses when
incurred.
6,600.00
6,600.00
5,750.00
5,750.00
1,704,909.49
200.00
1,705,109.49
699,690.49
200.00
699,890.49
3 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Cash at bank
Cash on hand
TOTAL
4 RECEIVABLES
Trade debtors
Less: Provision for impairment of debtors
TOTAL
751,592.02
(415.00)
751,177.02
32,140.50
(7,000.00)
25,140.50
5 INVENTORIES
Current
Books published and remaining unsold
694.50
3,986.43
285,164.28
269,000.00
1,275,000.00
1,829,164.28
270,295.09
23,239.87
85,000.00
378,534.96
6 DEFERRED INCOME
Total unexpended grants
Total ‘Earned Income’ in advance
Grant in advance - other
Grants in advance - DEEWR
TOTAL
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has advanced at
31 December 2009 to ICE $1,275,000 to commence the establishment of a digital media and
training centre. At 31 December 2009 no contractual commitments have been made for the
expenditure of this grant.
7 PROVISION FOR STAFF ENTITLEMENTS
Current liabilities
Annual leave
Sick leave
TOTAL
Non-Current Liabilities
Long service leave
Maternity leave
Redundancy
Award increase
TOTAL
50
2008
2 AUDITOR’S REMUNERATION
64,014.14
56,034.80
120,048.94
50,430.46
41,574.38
92,004.84
24,549.29
105,867.96
87,880.30
1,390.03
219,687.58
17,093.28
71,579.34
71,798.09
160,470.71
51
Notes
(CONTINUED)
Statement by Members of the Board of ICE
8 CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
Information and Cultural Exchange Inc. is being reviewed by the New South Wales Office of
State Revenue for purpose of determining a liability for the payment of New South Wales
Payroll Tax. The Board of Management responded to the request for information in November
2008 and no Payroll Tax assessment has been received. It is view of the Board of Management
that Information and Cultural Exchange Inc. is exempt from Payroll Tax. The estimate liability if
Payroll Tax were to be assessed for the year ended 30 June 2009 is approximately $11,500 and
is approximately $6,000 for the year ended 30 June 2008.Other than the matter noted above,
the Board of Management is not aware of any other contingent liabilities or events occurring
after reporting date that impact on the financial report as at 31 December 2009.
The Board have determined that the Association is not a reporting entity.
The Board have determined that this special purpose financial report should be
prepared in accordance with the accounting policies outlined in Note 1 to the
accounts.
In the opinion of the board the financial statements:
1
Present fairly the Balance Sheet of Information and Cultural Exchange Inc.
as at 31 December 2009 and the results of the Association for the year
ended on that date.
2
At the date of this statement, there are reasonable grounds to believe that
Information and Cultural Exchange Inc. will be able to pay its debts as and
when they fall due.
This statement is made in accordance with the resolution of the Board and is
signed for and on behalf of the Board by:
Professor Ross Gibson
Chairperson
Heidi Freeman
Treasurer
Date: 17 March 2010
52
53
Independent Audit Report
TELEPHONE
FACSIMILE
(02) 9715 1555
(02) 9715 1566
CHARLES M PITT B.BUS FCA
2 PHILIP STREET
STRATHFIELD NSW 2135
PO BOX 580
E-MAIL [email protected]
Independent Audit Report To The Members Of
Information and Cultural Exchange Inc.
Report on the Financial Report
We have audited the accompanying report, being a special purpose financial report of Information
and Cultural Exchange Inc. which comprises the balance sheet at 31 December 2009, income
statement, a summary of significant accounting policies, other explanatory notes and the statement
by members of the board of Management.
Board’s Responsibility for the Financial Report
The Board is responsible for the preparation of the financial report and have determined that the
Accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements, which form part of the
financial report, Are part of the financial report, are consistent with the financial reporting
requirements of the Association Incorporation Act NSW 1984 and are appropriate to meet the
needs of the members. The Board’s responsibilities also include establishing and maintaining
internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report that is free
from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, selecting and applying appropriate
accounting policies; and making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial report based on our audit. No opinion
is expressed as to whether the accounting policies used, as described in Note 1 are appropriate to
meet the needs of the members. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing
Standards. These Auditing Standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements
relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance
whether the financial report is free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and
disclosures in the financial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment,
including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due
to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant
54
to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial report in order to design audit
procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances but not for the purpose of expressing an
opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the
appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made
by the Board as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial report.
The financial report has been prepared for distribution to members for the purpose of fulfilling the
Board’s financial reporting under the Associations Incorporation Act NSW. We disclaim any
assumption of responsibility for any reliance on this report or on the financial report to which it
relates to any person other than the members, or for any purpose other than that for which it was
prepared.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis
for our audit opinion.
Independence
In conducting our audit, we followed applicable independence requirements of Australian
professional ethical pronouncements.
Audit Opinion
In our opinion, the financial report of Information and Cultural Exchange Inc. presents fairly in
all material respects the financial position of Information and Cultural Exchange Inc.as at 31
December 2009 and of its financial performance for the year then ended in accordance with the
accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements.
Charles M Pitt
C M PITT & CO
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
ICCA Membership No. 20180
Registered Company Auditor No. 2944
Unit 6 & 7, 2 Philip Street Strathfield
Date:
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation
All correspondence: PO Box 580, STRATHFIELD NSW 2135
55
ICE encourages the development of new partnerships.
If you would like to be involved with one of our projects,
or would like to make a financial contribution to our work,
please contact us.
Postal Address
PO Box 4033
Parramatta NSW 2124
Australia
Street Address*
Level 4, 169 Macquarie Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
Australia
* Please note this is ICE’s temporary location until September 2010
while we are redeveloping our permanent home.
T +612 9897 5744
E [email protected]
F +612 9897 5766
ice.org.au
ICE is a registered charity. All donations are tax-deductible.
26th Information and Cultural Exchange Annual Report
ISSN: 1833-5306
© Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) 2010
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