This year, MARION, in partnership with Arts Mildura, has launched FIRST DRAFT, a pilot program in regional Victoria. Supported through VicHealth’s Future Reset initiative, the participating schools include Ranfurly Primary School, Murrayville School, and Chaffey Secondary College.

Bringing together four incredible artists and writers — Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello OAM (ACT), Nicole Godwin (ACT), Andrew Cox (ACT), and Bobbi Lockyer (WA) — FIRST DRAFT aims to nurture self-expression among young people with a focus on strengthening mental health and well-being.

Between 13-16 May 2024, we took our artists on the road! We visited Mungo National Park under the guidance of Barkindji elder Warren Clark and his son Kenny Clark through The Mungo Excursion. There we explored parts of the Willandra Lakes Region and listened to dreamtime stories. 

We were warmly welcomed by Ranfurly Primary School. Through a guided tour of the school and its facilities, our artists gained an understanding of Ranfurly’s culture and creative needs. The artists participated in an introductory panel with a deeply engaged cohort of Years 5 and 6 who showed great curiosity and interest in our artists and their very diverse practices, ranging from glass-blowing and painting to writing and performance.

Later in the week, the Year 7 cohort of Chaffey Secondary College got a taste of slam poetry through a series of workshops run by Andrew Cox and our creative producer, Zhi Cham. We were delighted to hear the students’ stories through their writing. 

Our artists came away from the week with a greater understanding of the region and its context. They will now collaborate to co-design a unique program for the Ranfurly students in Term 3. Through a fluid exchange of ideas and stories, we aim to foster a strong creative and collaborative environment for our artists in designing the delivery of the program.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Arts Mildura, Ranfurly Primary School, Chaffey Secondary College, and The Mungo Excursion for their generosity, warmth and hospitality this past week. We look forward to returning in September! 

First Draft Trip - Photo Credit: Kenny Clark and Katy Mutton

FIRST DRAFT ARTIST BIOS

Andrew Cox is a proud Filipino/Australian who lives and works on Ngunnawal & Ngambri country, and the current creative producer of the Canberra Poetry Slam. With a desire to see people experience poetry and engage deeply, his live performances are memorable for intensity, honesty and abstract storytelling.

Andrew’s work crosses boundaries, performing in high schools as well as major Australia-wide competitions, to spoken word theatre productions. His work has been shortlisted for national writing prizes, notably for Innovation in Spoken Word and his writing published in multiple anthologies, recognised as an emerging voice in Australian poetry.

Nicole Godwin (she/her) is a multi-award-winning author, Canberra-based author, who shines a light on environmental, animal rights and social justice issues through captivating books. She writes to engage young readers and help to create a generation of thoughtful, committed and compassionate individuals.

The themes in Nicole’s books have inspired school students and families to learn more about elephants used in tourism, the human-made perils for ocean animals, the impact of soft plastics, and what it truly means to be an Australian citizen.

Her two most recent publications We Are Australians (Wild Dog, 2022) and Listen (Wild Dog, 2023) were co-written with Duncan Smith OAM (Wiradjuri) and illustrated by Jandamarra Cadd (Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Warung).

Jenni Kemarre Martiniello OAM is an Australian Aboriginal (Arrernte) glass artist, respected poet, and Asia Pacific Region Craft Master—honoured by the World Crafts Council in 2023. She is best known for making glass vessels inspired by woven forms traditionally made by Indigenous peoples. She is also known for her extensive advocacy for and support of Indigenous artists. Martiniello taught professional and community education at the University of Canberra, and Indigenous art history at the Yurauna Centre (part of the Canberra Institute of Technology). In 1999, Martiniello founded the ACT Indigenous Writers Group. She has published several volumes of poetry, and in 2003 was named an ACT Creative Arts Fellow for Literature.

Martiniello founded Kemarre Arts in 2006. It was the ACT's first independent Aboriginal-run social enterprise. The organisation supports artists in many ways, including through: grant writing, professional development programs, publishing, and product and pricing guidance. In 2012, Kemarre Arts won the ACT NAIDOC Award for Most Outstanding Agency.

Bobbi Lockyer is a proud Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru woman. Mother of four amazing boys. She feels a deep affinity for country and community and uses her art, fashion and photography as a platform to raise awareness of social justice issues, including Indigenous rights and women's rights. She believes that creativity and community go hand in hand and one would not exist without the other. She loves being able to use her art as a force for good in the world.

Bobbi has won numerous awards for her work including 2021 NAIDOC National Artist of the year. She has collaborated with high profile brands across the world include Adobe, Getty Images, The Body Shop, Nikon, Apple, Google, Warner Music, Triple J, Kotug, Canva and Refinery29.