Mapping Culture: Lasting Stories Enrichment Excursion

Throughout Term One, the Year 9 cohort has been investigating identity and storytelling through many different lenses by reading the growing up in Australia series. The storytellers of this series showed great diversity, as we could hear stories from the disabled, Asian, African, Aborginal, and Muslim communities. To end this unit on a high note, four students from each class were given the opportunity to visit the Immigration Museum and further dive into the themes of identity and cultural storytelling.

On Thursday, March 24th, a group of 48 students were welcomed into the Imigration Museum. With open hearts and curiosity, we engaged in a discussion about the representation of ourselves in literature and the media lead by Alice Pung, an editor of ‘Growing up Asian in Australia’ and an author of ‘One Hundred Days’, and Denise Chapman, a counternarrative storyteller, spoken word poet, and critical autoethnographer. We left the room with the power of knowing that our single story could make a whole community feel represented.

Chapter two of the Mapping Culture event began as we walked up stairs eager to witness the magic of the ‘Becoming You’ exhibition. The vibrant walls decorated in written versions of people’s stories caught our eyes. We got a glimpse into a hundred lives through many different media. Speakers shared people’s stories, we witnessed stories being conveyed by interpretive dances, and a pin-board covered by the voices who walked in this very exhibition flooded our minds. This exhibition allowed the Year 9s who attended to further understand the concept of identity and how we as individuals as well as communities are represented in literature.

At the end of the event, the organisers at The Wheeler Center noted our respectful behaviour and the quality of our questions. Thank you to Ms. Rochelle Day for organising the event, as well as to Ms. Brigitte Rogan, Ms. Marwar Al-Baiiaty, and Ms. Stephanie Rowlston for accompanying us. Also thank you to The Wheeler Center for organising this enriching opportunity for us.

Savannah H (9A) and Kevinya DS (9G)