Australian Museum's Pasifika Youth Cultural Workshops Reconnect Students with Pacific Heritage

The Australian Museum's Pasifika team conducted a cultural reconnection initiative from April to July 2022, working with Pacific Islander students from Miller Technology High School, Burwood Girls High School, and Sydney Tongan Church Youth. This project builds upon earlier efforts in 2009 and 2012-2015 to address over-representation of Pasifika youth in juvenile justice systems by connecting them with the museum's extensive Pacific Collections. Workshops focused on Tapa designing, Pacific Island dance, and music, culminating in a showcase event called 'Wan Sol Moana' on June 25, 2022. The program aimed to foster cultural pride, self-awareness, and artistic expression while maintaining the relevance of the museum's 65,000+ Pacific artefacts to contemporary communities.