African youth launch their own arts development project

15 September 2011

Stepan Kerkyasharian,CRC Chair, with Samaira Farah (right) President  of African Film Festival of Australia and Faduma Geddi, Vice-President.

A new arts initiative to promote and showcase the talent of Australians of African background has been launched by the Chair of the Community Relations Commission, Stepan Kerkyasharian.

The African Film Festival Inc will not only organise an annual festival of contemporary African cinema but will strive throughout the year to seek out and encourage artist and creative talent within the community.

“I am thrilled to see that young people of many different African backgrounds have come together to create this important new arts organisation.

“This is a clear indication that the Australian youth of African background are now comfortably taking their place in our society as fully integrated professionals”, he said.

Speaking at the launch of the African film Festival in Newtown, Mr Kerkyasharian said:

“Enhanced participation in the arts contributes to social and cultural development across the state and delivers benefits to the community and to the economy.

“Over the last couple of decades there has been a constant flow of immigrants and refugees from nearly all parts of Africa.

“This new migration has added a whole new dimension to our cultural diversity with cultural strains coming from many quite different traditions on the African continent.

“Each national group from Africa brings us new music, new dance, new costumes, new food and, most importantly, new ways of thinking.

“Cultural diversity in NSW is a fact of life underpinning the State Government’s policies and actions towards enhancing community harmony.

“I look forward greatly attending future events organised by the African Film Festival group and wish them every success,” Mr Kerkyasharian said.