Jump to Content

Media Release

February 25 2008

Artwork from Hope: the Utopian Imagination of Youth on the MarginsHope defined by youth on the margins

A group of marginalised young people are the central artists in a new, thought provoking, multimedia exhibition in the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts.

The exhibition entitled Hope: the Utopian Imagination of Youth on the Margins gives a voice to a group who are not often heard in mainstream society. By placing their photographic interpretations of ‘hope’ and ‘the future’ into the public arena the aim is to stimulate discussion around issues of social sustainability.

The exhibition is part of a project at the Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies at the University of South Australia.

UniSA’s Dr Simon Robb says the 40 young people aged 13 to 18 are an “at-risk” group in our society.

Artwork from Hope: the Utopian Imagination of Youth on the Margins“These are kids with very real social problems,”
Dr Robb says. “They attend alternative education schools and many have problems with violence, substance abuse or with the juvenile justice system. Some of them are simply unable to cope with mainstream education.”

The project examined how these young people imagine the future and what hope means to them. They were asked to illustrate their interpretations of ‘utopia’, ‘hopefulness’ and ‘the future’ through the lens of a camera.

What transpired is an insightful array of photographs of people, places and objects.

“The photographs show how hopefulness and the future are understood by this group of young people, through a graphic illustration of their lives, desires and dreams,” said Dr Robb.

Many of the images are stark and confronting, some reflect simple aspirations and others reveal the importance of others and a sense of belonging.

“It has been important to reach out to these kids and show them that their views and perceptions have meaning to others,” Dr Robb says.

“Although many of the kids have social problems, they are still an integral group in our society with their own thoughts and perspectives. It’s important for us to understand what these are, to help their integration as functioning, valuable members of the community.

“The exhibition gives them a voice and a broad audience, helping to enrich our understanding of them. By looking at their work, we can begin to understand their world, contexts and views.”

Teacher of several students involved in the project, Anton Hart says despite its challenges the project has been invaluable in giving these young people a platform to communicate with mainstream society.

“There are perspectives directly reflecting troubled lives, but there are also clearly emerging positive and hope-filled outlooks that we all share.”

The project has been supported by the Australian Research Council, the Department for Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, the Social Inclusion Unit and the Migration Museum.

The exhibition is being premiered as part of the 2008 Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, at the South Australian Migration Museum from the 29th of February, 2008.


What: Hope: the Utopian Imagination of Youth on the Margins
When: February 29 – June 30, 2008, Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays & Sundays 1pm-5pm
Where: The Migration Museum, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, 5000
Cost: Free admission
 

Contacts for interview

Media contact

top^