OUR WAY
DPM’s model for working in Original Nations communities has been refined and adapted over many years and co-created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. We describe our unique process as ‘collaborative storytelling’ – facilitating a space for communities to ‘name their world’. In doing so - to think objectively about positive change for community, culture, and country.
The process is based on the academic theories of community & cultural development, taking inspiration from ‘The Makhampom Theatre Foundation’ in Thailand, Paulo Friere’s ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ and Augusto Boal’s work in theatre-focused dialogic education and conflict prevention methodology.
DPM’s work creates a platform for Indigenous communities to critically reflect on the ‘Real, The Ideal and The Bridge’. In simple terms, this means objectively looking at ways to create positive social and cultural action within a community. These perspectives are then collaboratively developed into media outcomes and released into the world.
We work closely with appropriate organisations, Traditional Owners and reps from local organisations/agencies to identify and engage young people and community leaders, develop key themes, prepare, script, produce and release content, and rehearse/ present performances.
The Real, The Ideal & The Bridge
Desert Pea Media draws inspiration from an eclectic array of groups, organisations, academics, theatre-makers, artists, cultural pioneers, and cultural principles.
It is our community process that shapes our work, our impact, and the development of trust and connection with the people we work with. We take our work in community very seriously, and we are very proud of our history, our connection to each other and the country upon which we work and live.
Our process is inspired by the teachings and support of various groups/frameworks including:
BA Communications: Theatre and Media @ CSU Bathurst
The Makhampom Theatre Foundation
Paulo Friere: Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Augusto Boal’s work in Forum Theatre
Desert Pea Media has developed a unique community process – we call it ‘collaborative storytelling’, which takes arts-based community & cultural development practice and Indigenous cultural principles of ‘yarning’ and storytelling and fuses them with contemporary forms such as urban music, rap, poetry, film, theatre, and performance.
All our projects have a foundational process – we invite elders, community members, young people, service providers and anyone with experience and vested interest in community wellbeing to sit together for a yarn. We call this yarn ‘The Real, The Ideal and The Bridge’ which, in short means objectively looking at how we can address social and cultural issues in community and create real and lasting change for future generations.
These conversations are all documented carefully by DPM facilitators. The yarn is then broken into a 3-part narrative, and the narrative is creatively developed into a script, or song lyrics, or other artforms and produced/ recorded/ filmed and released as a professional creative piece that becomes a cultural artefact for the community and something everybody can be proud of.
This is the DPM way.
VALUES:
Respect
Respect for Cultural Protocols and Cultural Intellectual Property is critical to our work. As DPM works in Original Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities) across Australia this defines our approach. DPM have developed a reputation of navigating this complex space through our projects and respect for culture and country is at the heart of our process and work. Our processes and agreements enable community members and Knowledge Holders to control the use of their stories now and into the future.
Authenticity
To share authentic stories from community - giving voice to people who live, and are affected by the issues that these stories discuss. DPM will not seek to construct or script stories, or suggest external themes, but will work with the community to self-identify their key messages -therefore realising an authentic creative vision
Sharing
Our first lesson as a Cross-Cultural Organisation is simple: ‘To Listen and Learn’. As Co-Founder Matthew Priestley would say in Gommol (Kamileroi/Gomeroi language), “Gunni Binna” – open your ears! Our process is based on the understanding that we are not experts, but listeners and learners – and we fundamentally acknowledge our role in working with Original Nations communities - humility and respect in sharing stories and skills.
