Kulini

The long name for the Kulini projects is Anangu Uwankara Kulini (Everyone Understanding). The first Kulini project was with Mt Liebig community in 2005-2006, then in 2006-7 with Willowra community, and the next in 2007-2008 with Anmatjere Council and Pmara Jutunta.

Kulini Interactive CD-ROM	Marilyn Nangala Kulini 1 Worker	Kungkas from Wilowra work on 'Rdaka rdaka'	Kulini Interactive CD-ROM

The starting idea behind the Kulini project was to help children with hearing disability to be included in the classroom. The projects involve working with the community to create a CD/DVD that can be played in the classroom or at home, to help everyone learn:

Spoken and written community language
Spoken and written English
Auslan  (the sign language for the deaf)
Traditional handsigning

Each scene on the Mt Liebig CD/DVD has animated Aboriginal characters in the house, the school, the classroom, on the basketball court and the oval, and hunting out bush. The characters speak in Luritja. You can click a button to see the written Luritja on the screen below, or to listen to the English version and read the English. On the screen on the side is a film of Deanella Mack, an Alice Springs Aboriginal woman, showing how to sign the same words in Auslan. The CD/DVD is designed to be easy for young people and adults to use by themselves on the computer as well as being a good learning resource for the classroom.

The Willowra Kulini project is called ‘rdaka rdaka’ because it teaches about Warlpiri handsigning. Young women from Willowra’s Warlpiri Karnte group have made lots of short video films of senior people teaching Warlpiri handsigning. Waltja contracted a local film-maker Chris Tangey to teach them how to do filming and editing. Willowra school  and Alison Gilles and Renita McCormack the youth workers have supported the project. Senior women on the community have also worked hard teaching handsigning and being film stars! Thanks to Dora, Marilyn, Kaye, Lucy, Leah, Peggy and Kathy. The rdaka rdaka CD/DVD is about ‘ceremony’,  ‘making things’, and ‘food and hunting’. It teaches Auslan language as well.

In 2007-8 Waltja is making a third Kulini project working with Pmara Jutunta community and Anmatjere Council. Young people have been getting training in film-making from Chris Tangey. They have been making films about safe families and safe houses, especially children’s health, nutrition and healthy houses.  Doreena Stirling and Paulina Collins from Pmara Jutunta Child Care Centre wrote the storylines for the film and Malcolm Ross from Pmara Jutunta helped Chris with the filming. The workers and children from the Child Care Centre were the film stars. These films are in Anmatjere and Auslan and English.

Thanks to Mt Liebig, Willowra and Pmara Jutunta communities, and all the community Councils and services who have helped us. Thanks also to Jane Clark, Andre Gomes, Chris Tangey, Deanella Mack and InChain, and DCITA, NT DEET and DH&CS.