Crowdfunding campaign to fight racism in Geelong high schools

A new crowdfunding campaign by Deakin University historian Dr Joanna Cruickshank aims to use theatre and historical story-telling to fight racism in Australian high schools.

The ‘History for Change’ Pozible campaign seeks to fund two performances of acclaimed production Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country at high schools in the Geelong area as a way of highlighting the issue and opening discussion.

Dr Cruickshank explained that as an educator and a parent, she is disturbed by research that shows many Australian kids and teenagers continue to experience racism at school.

“Unsurprisingly, this has a wide range of negative health impacts, particularly in relation to mental health,” Dr Cruickshank said.

“I'm convinced that as a nation we can do better than this for our young people and I believe a better understanding of history is part of the solution.”

Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country is a verbatim theatrical performance of the official testimonies of the men and women of the Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve who fought against the tight grasp of the Aboriginal Protection Board at a Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry in 1881.

Drawn from Dr Cruickshank’s findings as part of the Minutes of Evidence research project, the play has previously been performed at La Mama in November 2011 and August 2015, Belvoir Street Theatre in Dec 2013, and Northcote Town Hall in August 2014.

“Over the past few years, I’ve watched people of all ages and backgrounds respond powerfully to this amazing theatre production,” Dr Cruickshank explained. 

“It’s a gripping story that brings to life the racist structures and individuals that oppressed Aboriginal people and other non-Europeans. It also shows the courage of those who fought against these forces – both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, working together.”

Dr Cruickshank’s campaign reflects her belief that history has the power to change our society for the better.

“Researchers have shown that a better knowledge of our history can decrease racism among Australians, but we need a more detailed understanding of what works and what doesn’t in presenting that history to kids,” Dr Cruickshank said.

The ‘History for Change’ fundraising campaign seeks to raise $9,500 to cover the costs of staging two performances (salaries for actors, a producer, and stage manager), printed programs, subsequent research into the effectiveness of the program, and development of new models for anti-racist education.

Contribute to ‘History for Change’ today at http://www.pozible.com/project/205441.