At Didgeridoo Australia we love sharing Culture
Written by Henning Gerlt & Nicole Harris - Business Development for Didgeridoo Australia
In 2016, based on our joint passion for indigenous culture, we formed Didgeridoo Australia to share and inspire others. We wanted to promote a clearer understanding of First Nations cultures within Australia, to raise the profile of this cultural treasure that is often overlooked in Australian society. Our passion stems from our unique, personal experiences of traditional Aboriginal culture in remote areas, and our connection to those communities.
We employ local, First Nations Educators to share their knowledge and educate, entertain and inspire students across Melbourne (Naarm) and Victoria.
Teaching and learning about Australia’s First Nations Cultures is an immensely enjoyable and enriching experience. Children come with a natural affinity to key elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional life: music, dance, storytelling, arts & crafts and sports. That is why we have developed, and facilitate rich experiential learning incursions, that are both enjoyable and educational. Our aim is to fully engage the students so every learning experience is memorable and inspires them to learn more.
We understand that schools are often at different stages of their indigenous educational journey therefore our school offering was developed accordingly and caters to the various points in that journey.
For this reason our programs are split into four types: Introductory Assemblies, Overviews through Whole School rotational activities, Deeper Exploration via specific Year Level Programs and Expansion Classes to enrich your specialist programs.
Introductory: Assembly Style Programs
These programs are able to cover a large group of students and can be unique, interactive and informative additions to assemblies. The purpose of this style of activities is to awaken the students’ curiosity through modern & entertaining performances that allow for inclusive and interactive learning. We immerse the students in culture that will leave them searching for more!
Schools can choose from three different performance-style experiences: Aboriginal Culture, Didgeridoo & Dance and our Didgeridoo, Beats & Culture programs.
Overview: Whole School Program
This program is an all day event that gives up to 150 students at a time the opportunity to be involved in three topics: Music, Art & Culture. Each group rotates through the sessions, ensuring all experience Aboriginal Culture, Didgeridoo & Beats, Bunjil & Waa (a collaborative art program based on Aboriginal symbols and two important creation ancestors of the Kulin Nation people). This type of program leads students to understand a larger array of indigenous activities in a fun and experiential way.
Deeper Exploration: Year-Level Program
Our year-level program is tailored to curriculum topics being explored in the classroom. It allows for a multi session/educator rotational program. A great value system for multi-disciplined, class-sized experiences. This is the perfect way to experience an array of different topics in the one day via class-sized sessions.
With possibilities for Regional & Interstate incursions - look out for our upcoming tours through regional Victoria “Didgeridoo & Beats around the bush!”
Expansion: Class-sized sessions
These sessions are designed to further enrich your specialist programs; Music, Art, Culture and PE. They can be tailored to meet specific curriculum objectives and topics of inquiry in a more specific and experiential manner. Our experienced First Nations educators can interact with students more readily answering questions and send them on a journey to learn more.
See our team in action: https://youtu.be/IDa-sanX34c
Our plans for the future include expanding our capacity through partnerships and offering Professional Development programs to further support our hardworking teachers.
Please get in touch to have a yarn about any of our program offerings or for a customised quote for a First Nations program for your school!
Didgeridoo Australia are a Spotlight Sponsor at the National Education Summit Melbourne.
