Our Journey is a recipient of the prestigious 2019 Australian Good Design Award for Social Impact, the pinnacle of its international recognition to date. It has since been acquired by ABC TV and ICTV. Selected for screening at the 2019 Melbourne International Animation Festival and recipient of the People's Choice Award at the 2018 Arts Learning Festival; it was exhibited in the Melbourne Pavilion at 2018 Business of Design Week, Hong Kong, curated by the NGV.
Our Journey is an animated film made in partnership with Melbourne Indigenous Transition School and Australian Chamber Orchestra.
This digital design project is innovative in its use of a cultured-centred participatory methodology to produce a unique co-designed film in both visual aesthetic and storytelling approach.
Our Journey afforded a cross-cultural, peer-to-peer and intergenerational co-creation space to meaningfully and authentically communicate the challenges the students have faced away from home, through the prioritisation of their own voices, languages, stories, designs and experiences.
The high-quality production values combined with heartfelt visual narratives in four Indigenous languages creates an affective experience for the viewer to connect with the often-difficult journeys the students take to further their studies. It provides a platform to showcase the talents and aspirations of these emergent creatives and community leaders, building pride, self-esteem and resilience and has led to a newly funded film collaboration in 2019.
This project also creates new knowledges concerning the role placed-based design, art and media education plays in strengthening transitions of Indigenous secondary students.
