CDEP participants from Atitjere, Irrelirre, and Engawala will perform at a community concert next Tuesday December 13, in Alice Springs.  

WHERE: Central Desert Shire Council carpark
WHEN: December 13 from 12 noon - 4 pm  

The show will feature music in a range of styles, written & performed by CDEP participants, many of whom have never written or sung before. 

The men and women have been working hard over the last 6 weeks with Central Desert Shire’s creative media and arts co-ordinator Percy Bishop and his team of indigenous role models and mentors to prepare for this event.  Several high profile local artists including Catharine Satour from the ‘Desert Divas’, Tristram Watkins and Corina Hall award winning hip hop artists, Galen Cole of ‘Minority Sun’ and Corey Noll formerly of ‘Yothu Yindi’ have been teaching the participants about song writing, playing a range of instruments, recording and singing.  Everyone is very excited to showcase their talents and have an opportunity to perform to an audience.  Three men have eagerly jumped at the opportunity to emcee the event, so rather than give the role to one person all three will jointly run the show.  

The Central Desert Shire CDEP creative media and arts program is a new initiative of the Shire, and forms a part of the CDEP extension projects funded by FaHCSIA. The program aims to engage job seekers in the CDEP program which will encourage work readiness through the development of language, literacy and numeracy skills. Each of the Shire’s nine service delivery centres will also have a purpose built activity centre constructed in 2012 to support the range of CDEP activities.  

The program will run throughout the Shire until June next year.

Next weeks concert will be held on Thursday December 13 in the Central Desert Shire car park between 12-4pm. A BBQ will be provided. The concert is free and everyone is welcome.

Want to hear a sample of this fabulous talent?
View us on youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtJHZS4RRhQ

The Engawala Sport & Recreation Team were recently invited by the Heart Foundation in Darwin to participate in a Champions Forum with some of the workers and volunteers from their Community. The Sport & Recreation Officers, along with Priscilla Williams, Rachel Tilmouth, Nancy Tilmouth, and Sarah Williams all "champions" in Engawala, attended the Champions Forum.

The forum allowed several Shires to come together and share ideas. The Council’s Engawala Champions gave two presentations, one called Healthy BBQ & Disco, and the other about the Engawala Women’s Community Painting. The Council’s Engawala Champion’s joint painting was a big hit. The Champions were awarded the trophy for "Commitment to improving cardiovascular health". Sarah Williams very proudly stood up and received this award on the Council's behalf.