Earlier this year, MARION, in partnership with Arts Mildura, launched FIRST DRAFT, a pilot program in regional Victoria, supported through VicHealth’s Future Reset initiative. Bringing together incredible artists and writers from all around the country, FIRST DRAFT aims to nurture self-expression among young people with a focus on strengthening mental health and well-being through storytelling.

Back in May, Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello OAM (ACT), Nicole Godwin (ACT), Andrew Cox (ACT), Bobbi Lockyer (WA) and MARION’s Creative Producer Zhi Cham (ACT) hit the road, travelling to Latje Latje and Barkindji lands (Mildura) to visit Ranfurly Primary School, and Chaffey Secondary College.

Just last week (September 9 to 13), Jennifer Martiniello, Nicole Godwin, Andrew Cox, and Zhi Cham returned for our second visit to Ranfurly Primary and Chaffey Secondary Schools. MARION’s Development guru Natasha Seymour and CEO Katy Mutton also joined the crew.

In the lead-up to the visit, the participating artists collaborated to co-design a unique program for the students. The resulting workshops showcased a diverse range of creative practices, informed by the artists’ expertise and experience, and by an experiential knowledge of the region, schools and students. Ranfurly students in Years 5 and 6 had the opportunity to create a storyboard with Nicole, mind-map about Knowledge Keeping with Aunty Jenni, and perform poetry with Andrew. Year 7 students at Chaffey Secondary spent the day with Aunty Jenni, Andrew and Zhi in a writing workshop that concluded in a whole-year poetry slam, MC’d by Andrew! 

The result was a student-led exploration of the importance of creative expression for mental health, guided by our amazing FIRST DRAFT team. The program equipped students with a creative toolkit to support their wellbeing and enrich their lives that we hope they will continue to build upon — until next time!

We are so grateful to Arts Mildura, Ranfurly Primary School and Chaffey Secondary College for their generosity, warmth and hospitality during our time in Mildura.

FIRST DRAFT trip - Photo Credits: Kieran Mangan, Katy Mutton, Tash Seymour

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.

Zhi Cham is an experimental poet/artist based on Ngunnawal, Ngunawal, Ngambri country. Their debut poetry chapbook, blur by the, was recognised by the Anne Elder Award (2019), ACT Writing and Publishing Awards (2020), Mary Gilmore Award (2020), and the Small Press Network Book of the Year Award (2020).

Zhi forms one half of the experimental poetry/sound duo known as 莎瑜 (ShaYu) with 黑芝麻 (HeiZhiMa). As a duo, they have co-developed a series of tracks that explores queer love and longing.

Zhi is grateful to have grown their creative practice through the continual support of You Are Here since the inaugural Cahoots program in 2019; and subsequently through我-in-process in 2020, an offshoot of Cahoots designed by Zora Pang.