MEDIA RELEASE

Western Sydney's Brightest Young Media Maker Receives $10,000 Grant!

Released 1 April 2010

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

Aspiring artists and the local Fairfield community turned up in droves last night (Wednesday 31 March) to the Fairfield School of Arts to celebrate some of Sydney’s freshest filmmakers, designers and urban music artists at Press Play.

Presented by Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE), Press Play was a celebration of the creative handiwork of over 300 young people from Western Sydney. The event showcased short films, mini documentaries, photography, graphic design, Hip Hop and rock performances, music soundtracks and written stories by young people aged 12-16 years from culturally diverse backgrounds.

ICE, with support from The Westpac Foundation, Foundation for Young Australians and Artstart NSW, presented a series of workshops from 2008 through to 2010. The workshops offered targeted training and mentorship from a range of skilled artists, trainers and mentors, to encourage young people from diverse cultural backgrounds to collaborate through creative projects.

The highlight of the evening was when Saber Baluch, a young Communications student at the University of Western Sydney, was awarded Western Sydney’s most coveted young creative entrepreneur award; the Create Media Incubation prize.

The prize, awarded by Karen Dinning of The Westpac Foundation, is part of the Create Media Project, a partnership with the Westpac Foundation that is managed by ICE.

Twenty-one-year-old Saber Baluch from Liverpool, whose creative business plan impressed the judges, walked way with prizes totaling $10,000, awarded in the form of equipment, office space, training and professional mentorship. Saber will have his own video camera and edit suite as well as office space, with access to training and mentorship, allowing him to set up his own creative enterprise.

The Create Media Incubation prize is the result of a two-year project, working with young people of refugee and migrant background who are aspiring digital media artists. Whether in the field of filmmaking, music or design, the young people have come from a broad range of talents and backgrounds.

Saber Baluch a refugee from Afghanistan from the Baluchi tribe, was in competition with two other groups to take out the prize. The groups compromised of young people from Sierra Leone, The Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka and Iraq. All young people shared a common goal to be leaders in digital media, to share their lives and experiences through film making, music and design.

Saber, who was thrilled to receive the award says, “I am so excited about this opportunity. I have been studying and working in media and making my own films for a while now. To have my own equipment, office and mentor, well it’s a dream come true!”

The Incubation of Saber’s creative enterprise is a part of the revolution taking place in the community and arts sector, which now focuses on sustainability and income generation as methods of thriving rather than government and private funding. Saber will begin his incubation immediately, with the set up of his business in legal and financial terms. Saber plans to name his business ‘Media in Action’.

Dr Gianni Zappala, Executive Officer of the Westpac Foundation says, “The Westpac Foundation supports organisations which are moving towards self sustainability through implementing a social enterprise approach. We are working with Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) to become a catalyst in incubating future creative enterprises which bring sustainability and employment to the Western Sydney region”.

ICE is set to take on the leadership role in incubating creative enterprises and strengthening the creative industry in Western Sydney.

Lena Nahlous, ICE Executive Director, says, “My colleagues at ICE and I congratulate Saber Baluch and acknowledge the work of all of the young people who have participated in the Creative Enterprise project. The videos and music they have produced demonstrates the wealth of creative talent that we have across Western Sydney.”

“At ICE we are seeking to nurture this talent by setting up a creative enterprise hub that can provide a structured program of support and mentorship for those who want to establish sustainable digital arts-based enterprises and businesses,” added Lena.

Saber Baluch will establish a creative enterprise that will produce documentaries, corporate videos and fictional work for businesses, individuals, community organisations and government agencies.

ICE publicity contact: Sarah Watkins
M: 0423 582 932