Coffs Students Try Their Hands at Performing

STUDENTS from Coffs Harbour Public School have been busy learning to rap.

The Creative Change GenerationOne School Competition encourages primary schools to perform and film their own version of the GenerationOne theme song Hands Across Australia awards.

The winning school is awarded $15,000 and the campaign is part of GenerationOne’s aim to bring all Australians together to end the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians in one generation.

Singing, dancing and filming their rendition of Hands Across Australia at Jetty Beach, students were also determined to translate an original rap into the Indigenous language, Gumbaynggir, with the help of Michael Jarrett from the Muurrbay Language Centre. Community involvement was key to this schools entry as students were also visited by Gumbaynggirr Elder Mark Flanders.

“The collaboration which we have put together for our entry has unified the school further and for a number of staff, family and community members, the ripple effect has been a deeply personal one as their heritage and their children’s future is honoured,” Coffs Harbour Public School teacher Sara Holden said.