The Big Rivers Creative Industry Summit brings together a myriad of creatives, entrepreneurs, youth, and members of industry, to explore the future of the creative industries in the Big Rivers Region, Northern Territory.
The one-day summit, on May 14, is focused on the intersection between art, culture, technology and entrepreneurship, and how they connect and collide to create social, cultural, and economic value.
Guests will be challenged to consider what does the future hold and how they can collectively shape and future-proof the Territory’s creative industries.
The Big Rivers Creative Industry summit is an educational and immersive experience, that has been purposefully designed to bring together a diverse range of people to connect, collaborate, and work together towards common goals.
Attending and sharing their stories will be talented creatives and industry change-makers.
You can take part in facilitated workshops, and contribute to participant-driven yarning circles – exploring opportunities, learning new skills, and exchange insights and ideas.
Life Without Barriers is thrilled to be aiding two of the talented Aboriginal women we support, Tasha Paddy and Angelina Joshua, to attend the Big Rivers Creative Industry Summit and share their stories.
Tasha Paddy
Tasha is an incredible young woman with cerebral palsy. She is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, but this has not stopped her from pursuing a career in graphic design, and excelling at it.
Tasha comes from the Aboriginal community of Urapunga also known as ‘Upa’, her business ‘Upa Girl’ is proudly named after her home in remote Northern Territory. Upa Girl provides contract graphic design services, plus a range of products that can be purchased from the Upa Girl Redbubble store, a global online marketplace for independent designers.
Tasha will be at the Big Rivers Creative Industry Summit, sharing her story and the process behind her designs and business success as part of our Youth Movement Makers panel.
Image: Image of Angelina via SBS
Angelina Joshua
Angelina is from the remote community of Ngukurr and will being joining the Big Rivers Creative Industry Summit - Youth Movement Makers Panel. Angelina is a woman on a mission: to teach, share and preserve the language of her people.
Angelina had an aneurysm at the age of 23, followed shortly after by the sudden loss of her Grandmother. Surprisingly, it was these two cataclysmic events would set her on her current path, passionately striving to keep her Grandmother’s lingo known as ‘Marra’ alive.
“The language it’s our identity - culture, totems, countries, and skin names,” Angelina explains. “It’s dying, you know - it’s fading away really slowly.”
In 2016 Angelina launched, My Grandmother’s Lingo, a unique form of interactive storytelling that takes the form of an animated online game powered by the voice of the user to help this ancient language live on.
“Teaching!” declares Angelina, is the most important way to make the language live on.
“Teaching more kids and getting them involved.”
Angelina is on her way to becoming a linguist, she is currently studying at CDU, and is a Language Worker at Ngukurr Language Centre.
This event strongly acknowledges the contribution and continuing leadership of Aboriginal people within the Territory’s creative industries. Special consideration has been given to the representation from people from First Nations and culturally diverse backgrounds, as well as youth, and those experiencing disability in the program design. Free tickets are available for Aboriginal artist, those experiencing disability, and youth under 18 years. Event details
Odinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre
Katherine, Northern Territory
Friday 14 May / 8.30am – 5.30pm
