WYDAC Governance Video
Last year I made this community film with David Slowo and video trainees from PAW Media & Communications.
The brief was to explore the role of governance within the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC).
WYDAC started in 1993 as a response to petrol sniffing in Yuendumu. It began as a remote outstation program at Mt Theo. Andrew Stojanovski (working for Yuendumu School at the time) took young people to the outstation where they were cared for by Peggy Nampijinpa Brown and Johnny Japangardi Miller (and their families). In 2010, Andrew published a book about the early history of the program that is available in bookstores or direct from WYDAC (however WYDAC encourage you to try source it locally first). You can view a sample on the Readings website. It is also available digitally on Booki.sh.
Peggy (who is interviewed in the film) and I were the first employees of WYDAC in 1997 when it was known as the Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program (or the Petrol Sniffing Program or the Mt Theo Program – there were so many versions!). In 2000, the Mt Theo – Yuendumu Substance Misuse Aboriginal Corporation was incorporated and in 2008 the name was officially changed to WYDAC to reflect the current role of delivering youth services within the wider Warlpiri region.
Yuendumu Programs
– Jaru Pirrjirdi Youth Development (incorporating Yuendumu Youth Program)
– Warra Warra Kanyi Youth Counselling and Mentoring Service
– Yuendumu Community Swimming Pool
– Yuendumu Mechanic Training Workshop
Mt Theo Outstation
– Mt Theo Outstation Cultural Respite and Rehabilitation
Outreach Programs
– Willowra Youth Program
– Lajamanu Youth Program
– Nyirrpi Youth Program
This community film was made for (and with) the Board, Members and Staff of WYDAC to help explain the way the organisation is run, encourage more young people to take up leadership roles, and as a record of where WYDAC has come from, where it is now and where it is going.
If you would like to find out more about WYDAC please visit the website or join the Facebook page.
