Mzuri Dance Artistree Fund Inc is a Registered Charity
Follow our journey
Our Past Programs
Homework Club
Neysa Charlton, MY Education Project Support Officer Centre for Multicultural Youth" reflects on Mzuri Homework Clubs in the following endorsement letter below.
"Mzuri Dance have been running the Homework and Lifeskills Program for many years in Atherton Gardens, Fitzroy. This program has had great success across the years and has been funded consecutively through the CMY and Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) Homework Club Partnership Fund for three years, the maximum term for this grant. Mzuri Dance have been excellent recipients of this grant. Not only have they run a successful and responsive program for the Fitzroy community, they are diligent with their reporting and they continually provide updates on their program, sharing stories and highlights. Mzuri Dance have assisted in sector development through regular attendance and idea sharing at monthly network meetings, alongside being panellists during the Learning Beyond the Bell Forum in 2021. Mzuri Dance provide excellent support for their community and have a genuine vested interest in empowering and educating young people.
Across the last three years CMY has developed an excellent working relationship with Mzuri Dance. I am confident they will continue to provide meaningful and successful programs, and deliver on grant expectations, goals and outcomes. I highly recommend Mzuri Dance
Yours sincerely,
Neysa Charlton
MY Education Project Support Officer Centre for Multicultural Youth"
Young Leaders Program
Over the Pandemic Mzuri Dance kept connected to youth who were showing signs of vulnerability and disconnection and mental health became our focus. We decided to consult and co-design a young leaders program to build youth resilience as they reconnected through the sessions and gained new responsibilities and experiences.
Based on our deep and thorough consultation with the youth our expereince of facilitators with lived expereince, and extensive research, East African PoC young people and families living in public housing estates are marginalised and often misrepresented or disempowered, facing discrimination, racial profiling; being treated differently due to their physical appearance and misleading narratives told about their community because of their African heritage.
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The leadership programs offers youth agency and a chance to practice role modelling, take on achievable contracts with Mzuri Dance; learning how to use hobby forms, invoicing and gaining experience in delivering set tasks, co- facilitating dance workshops and performances and experience in public speaking.
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MSEA
Migrant Strengthening Engagement + Arts Program
MSEA was a Victoria State funded program dedicated to building capacity and engagement in the North Richmond community. Our work is community driven and empowers both children and parents of Migrant and African Australians living in the Estate.
The program empowers families to increase knowledge and develop strategies to support children’s emotional mental and physical well-being. To up-skill on self-knowledge of physical and mental health for children and themselves, manage stress, develop pathways that strengthen a sense of identity, value, place and belonging in the community, as well as increase and strengthen connection to their local school community and the wider diverse community in North Richmond estate and precinct.
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W3P
Women's Well Being Program
March - April 2022
Get centered, breathe, relax, stretch, move, groove, chat and connect with others through contemporary dance based yoga, African dance and shared cultural and traditional dance.
This Program was for Women of all ages who were living in the public housing estates.
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Dance and shake it out to African beats, laugh and have fun together
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Learn about different traditional music and dance
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Discuss wellness issues and connect with others
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Join a diverse community of like minded women
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Child care provided.
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Booking is essential as tickets are limited
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Lunch provided
Young Creatives
We are Colourful!
Program funded by Yarra Arts
The We Are Colourful project was a local solution for young people that provided weekly participation in creative dance supporting physical and mental health of children to develop and thrive at their own pace in a culturally safe space. The program facilitated social inclusion, cultural expression, sense of belonging and identity, and community participation with opportunities to share achievements at community performances which play a vital role on young people’s health, self -esteem and well-being as they participate and positively contribute to their wider community. The projects include a performance "We are Colourful" in 2022 and 2023 a final performance at the Abbotsford Convent in August 2023.
Schools Programs
Mzuri Dance has facilitated small and large scale primary and secondary schools creative projects since 1992.
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We empower young people to grow in personal and social development as well as musical and creative development through dance, music and performance.
Arts and Cultural education facilitates learning and development of student's cultural appreciation, cultural awareness and the value in understanding culture, diversity in arts experience, and the significance of 'culture keeping' and telling stories as a means to learn and grow as a person and community.
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Below is a link to a recent project delivered in North Richmond Schools supporting the young African Aussie people living in the Public Housing estate.
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COVID Community Connection Program
This community connection program provided assistance to families impacted by lockdowns and loss of income. Mzuri Dance Artistree Fund assisted 80 families over August - October in 2021. The program commenced in 2020 lockdowns and scaled up over 2021.
Mzuri Dance was very grateful to receive support from the Limb Family Trust and Inner North Foundation as well as local community groups and Yarra Libraries, Volunteers from Lentils Thornbury, SAIL, Gram Sustainable, Terra Madre, Ali Limb, Ayel Akot and so many other amazing volunteers. Please go to the blog for more information here
