iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Dear Friends -

We are so pleased to announce our brand new Kickstarter campaign for our forthcoming documentary, "Why Is No One Listening". This project has been over ten years in the making and what started as a kernel of an idea has emerged into an extremely significant project on Djalu, the yirdaki and the challenges currently faced by the communities across Arnhem Land and Australia.

“Why Is No One Listening” documents Djalu Gurruwiwi, Australian Aboriginal elder, leader of the Galpu clan, and world-renowned didjeridu master, as he fights for the future of his family and his community. Alcoholism and drug abuse run rampant, while a ravenous bauxite mining company continues to swallow up sacred land and precious resources. Armed with his yirdaki (didjeridu), and a mixture of Aboriginal spirituality and adopted Christianity, Djalu struggles to maintain his culture and traditions within the tiny mining community of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory.

As we do need to raise a significant amount of funds to complete our final production trip, any support you can offer is greatly appreciated. For those of you unfamiliar with Kickstarter, it is a "crowd funding" site where individuals pledge money to support worthwhile artistic endeavors. Donor incentives sweeten the deal and we offer a wide range of options. If we do not reach our goal, no money exchanges hands. So basically, it's all or nothing.

Our film has a chance to make a real difference to a profoundly disenfranchised group of Australian Aborigines who lack the resources to make their struggle known. Any pledge you offer goes directly to support this grassroots endeavor.

We humbly ask that you donate whatever you can and help spread the word about the project. Feel free to forward this info onto anyone who may be interested.

Your support is greatly appreciated!

Sincere thanks in advance,


Joshua Bell
joshua(at)digitalgypsy.org

The link to our Kickstarter page: http://kck.st/dGofiL

Here are some websites that might be useful Josh:

http://www.philanthropy.org.au/

http://communityfoundations.philanthropy.org.au/

http://www.australiancommunityphilanthropy.com/

That's quite a target you have set to raise in 2 months, I'd donate everything I have but right now I'm totally dry, I do hope others will get behind this project. If you like, I can send out a group email thru this forum, just let me know.

All the best buddy and keep that vision going,

Guan

Passed the half-way point Josh, well done! Fingers crossed for you...

Guan

Thank you for that information, Guan! Looks great.

Josh

This is getting close comrades of the end-blown stick! $15,071 has been pledged so far with a target of $20,000 by Saturday May 14th. There are also some tasty gratitude gifts for different levels of donation which is a rather nice touch. Knowledge is power they say, so I for one would certainly love to see a decent documentary made that can be used by media around the globe. As Joshua says...

"By donating to this project, you enable profoundly disenfranchised indigenous Australians a chance to be heard. Your support will help carry the voices and music of the Yolngu out into the world..."

Now's your chance to go busk for bucks (as if you needed an excuse!!!)

Just dusted down my old desk calculator... if every member of this forum donated just $9.71 the documentary could be made!

Here's the url again...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rab ... ntary-film

Good calculation Dave!!!
to add, on todays exchange rate thats £6.38 in good old UK Sterling or a pack of 20 cigs for all you smokers out there(why not give it up for the day?) or 2 pints of beer or a 5 litres of petrol !!!! so not much really ... so how about it SO NEAR YET SO FAR..

Paul

Nicely framed mate!

I wonder if anyone else cares though? Guan's list of contributors on his facebook wall didn't have that many forum dudes down as you well know - that's seriously disappointing

It is very seriously disappointing!!! I know times are hard and we all have our own family commitments/responsibilities BUT surely us here on the forum who obviously have this as an interest, whether it is more the yirdaki/playing aspect of the culture that interests/inspires us (as in my case) or the more cultural/historical/language/ceremonial thing that "floats our boat" could make one of the above VERY SMALL sacrifices so this documentary can see the light of day and hopefully make others wake up and see what is happening and can happen to a culture that we profess to hold dear!!! How can we expect "outsiders" to put their hands in their pockets if we here turn a blind eye?? I doubt that very few of the contributors are "loaded" I sure ain't!!!! and I know Guan isn't!!!! but i'm glad my priorites allow for a little sharing and that make me feel good!

Got over the line so good work guys!

G

Here, here!!! I second that, give yourselves a good pat on the back, looking forward to the doc now

Paul

Thanks for everyone's support! We want to hear your voice as well for potential inclusion in the documentary itself. Check out the thread and follow the instructions.

http://ididj.freeforums.org/your-voice-needed-for-why-is-no-one-listening-documentary-t1249.html