THE Fairfax Youth Initiative will revive its youth festival in 2023 after receiving $251,000 from a government grant.
The organisation is one of 541 projects selected for the grant under the Federal Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund.
Artistic Director of Fairfax Youth Initiative Chelsea Zeller said she was over the moon that the grant had been approved.
“I was absolutely elated,” Ms Zeller said.
“It feels like we have been working towards this for such a long time, and it’s just a huge relief, it feels like we are kind of taking a step in the right direction, and it’s just a reminder that this work is important, it is needed, and there’s never been a better time for this to take place.”
Fairfax Youth Initiative, which has been running for nearly 24 years, connects artists with young people, schools and community groups to engage in workshops to create theatre pieces, which are then performed for the community in the Fairfax Festival.
However, COVID put a halt to all that, forcing the Initiative online. While the online format had both positives and negatives, the RISE Fund money will help Fairfax to relaunch their school and community workshops, as well as maintaining their online component.
“Previously it’s sort of been just go into schools, make the work, come to the town hall and perform it and then everybody goes home, but we want to have a year-long engagement so that we can support young people all year round,’ Ms Zeller said.
“So basically it’s the old model, but with incredibly new and improved additions to it, and it’s just going to be bigger and better, and we hope to just engage more of the community and in a completely new and inventive way.”
Member for Mallee Anne Webster said this funding will provide significant benefits to the community.
“For smaller regional centres like Swan Hill, it is a critical injection of encouragement to keep going and build on what they (Fairfax) have been building on for the last couple of years,” Dr Webster said.
“Young people need to be given the opportunity to put their toe in the water in terms of every aspect of life, whether it is arts or sports or science and technology.”
“We want to ensure that young people have the opportunity, and this fund allows that to take place.”
Ms Zeller believes initiatives like Fairfax are of great importance to young people, particularly in regional and rural areas.
“If we are able to provide a place where younger people can feel connected to each other, give them a place where they feel like they belong and they have a sense of purpose, and come together with common interests of performing and creating, I think that is incredibly important to be able to create that safe space where they feel like they belong,” Ms Zeller said.
Fairfax will be running free taster workshops in schools during Term 2 from May 16-27.
If you are a young person, teacher, school or community leader interested in learning more about the Fairfax Imitative, head to fairfaxyi.com, or email fairfaxyi@gmail.com.
