This month we held girls’ Aspire Camps in Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh, with approximately 15 girls being involved in the tutoring and mentoring program.

We also held our first Literacy and Heritage camp for 2015 on Saturday 7th March, at Federation University in Ballarat. As with other camps, this involved students undertaking literacy and numeracy testing and tutorial work in the morning, and then cultural activities in the afternoon which included drawing and painting. 27 Indigenous children attended the camp.

ALF also put on an Easter egg hunt as part of the Easter break up at the Bacchus Marsh Homework Club, held at Darley Neighbourhood House.

Yorta Yorta man, Adam Cooper performed a smoking ceremony at the Arts Trail Cambrian Hill Indigenous Art Show on Saturday 21st March. The ALF was proud to sponsor this event in conjunction with Raintree Art Gallery of Cambrian Hill.This event and other work at the Gallery will form the backbone of our new Arts & Cultural Awareness Program. This program aims to give our kids and families a real insight into Indigenous arts and culture. We are hoping children from both urban and rural areas, and their families, will be able to participate in this amazing new program.

Pictured below is Aboriginal Art guru, Shirley Collins and ALF’s Janet Curtain – one of the Arts and Cultural program supervisors. Both ladies along with Jane Lewis from Raintree Art Gallery will be closely involved in this wonderful program.

Shirley Collins and Janet Curtain

Yorta Yorta man Adam Cooper performs smoking ceremony