First Nations storytelling for younger audiences

Through navigating trauma and celebrating culture, children can engage with First Nations stories from the page to the stage.

Recently ArtsHub explored shows for children that spotlight difficult topics. But how can we use art to inform the younger generations of First People’s stories?

For Barkindji illustrator David Hardy, navigating trauma was a major consideration in the picture book series Somebody’s Land: Welcome to Our Country (recommended for ages 4-8), which highlights the myth of terra nullius (nobody’s land). Illustrating words by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing, Hardy says his role was to balance the trauma with a celebration of culture.

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Celina Lei is the Diversity and Inclusion Editor at ArtsHub. She acquired her M.A in Art, Law and Business in New York with a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne. She has previously worked across global art hubs in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York in both the commercial art sector and art criticism. She took part in drafting NAVA’s revised Code of Practice - Art Fairs and was the project manager of ArtsHub’s diverse writers initiative, Amplify Collective. Most recently, Celina was one of three Australian participants in DFAT’s the Future of Leadership program. Celina is based in Naarm/Melbourne. Instagram @lleizy_