By Ruth Skilbeck
Buradyara Project (from the word for
butterfly in Sydney’s Dharag language)
is the name I gave the research Linkage project I designed as Lead Investigator
at the University of New South Wales last year (2012). The aim of the project
was to address the disproportionate number of Aboriginal women mothers who make
up the majority of prisoners in Australian jails. The project would have used
creative arts and artists to devise ways to empower the women and their
children to combat the high levels of recidivism (returns to prison) that occur
in this time, and to raise awareness of the hardships faced in this group- of
whom most, if not all are the victims of domestic violence, poverty and health
problems,
After working on this intensively
for eight months, and with the support of senior academics at the university,
two days before the deadline to submit the proposal for essential feedback
prior to actual submission through the Research Office, I was informed
that I was not eligible to submit my project as my contract was not going to be
renewed next year.
When I questioned this at the Journalism
and Media Research Centre where I was employed as a lecturer I was told to keep
on working on it and submit it this year. But how can I do that if I am not
employed by a university?
The answer is, once again: you can’t, at least not directly. As there are strict rules which govern the procedures of eligibility for funding.
However in the spirit of buradyara,
butterfly, the ugliest and least prepossessing being can transform into a
beautiful butterfly. I have contingency plans to start up a new arts venture, which may be able to continue this work, if an actual university lecturing position is not forthcoming.
Ruth Skilbeck
April 14, 2013
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