Butcher Paper, Texta, Blackboard and Chalk is the culmination of 15 years work of Aboriginal singer songwriter Ruby Hunter with support from her life partner Archie Roach. The project will produce a stunning children’s song book, full of beautiful illustrations and accompanying music CD and an informative DVD. The high quality educational kit will take Aboriginal songs about land, health and life into schools and households across the country.
Many of the songs were written through song writing and music workshops held by Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach with children from across Cape York, Queensland, as part of a six week Cape York land and health tour. The songs reflect the beliefs, pride, aspirations and issues of many clan groups and Aboriginal communities from the coastal savannahs of Kowanyama, to the towering rainforests of Lockhart River and are integrated with the observations and knowledge of Ruby and Archie. The material will take an audience through the life and lands of an Indigenous domain as seen through the eyes of Aboriginal children and songwriters.
The material will provide a valuable education tool for literacy, cultural awareness, reconciliation, health, music, traditional language classes and conservation. The proceeds from this project will form the financial base and establishment of Ruby’s Foundation Ltd, (www.archieroach.com.au) a foundation established by Archie and family in memory of Ruby and her life-long contribution to the betterment of her people, women, reconciliation, the stolen generations and the arts.
The Project
The project consists of the production, sale and distribution of a unique educational package aimed at primary school aged children and classrooms. The package will consist of:
- A song book containing the lyrics of 17 songs written in workshops with school children in remote Cape York communities as well as urban settings. The beautiful illustrations by Ruby Hunter combined with the Lyrics will give the reader a rare and personal insight into Aboriginal life, culture and aspirations. It is being published by a Victorian based publishing house, One Day Hill, who put out the children’s lyric book of Archie Roach’s iconic song, Took The Children Away, which was also illustrated by Ruby Hunter.
- A CD of the songs put to music composed by Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach. Jen Anderson, who produced Ruby’s debut album, Thoughts Within, back in 1994, has produced this 17-track children’s album. Craig Pilkington has mixed and mastered the CD and a whole host of musicians have lent their magic to this collection of songs, Archie, Ruby and Archie’s son, Amos, Dave Arden, Sally Dastey, Jen Anderson, Craig Pilkington, Andy Reid, Niamh Howard and her father, Shane Howard and Archie Cuthbertson. Ruby and Archie’s grandchildren also sing on many of the songs.
- A DVD that showcases both the Tour of Cape York and the workshops that developed many of the songs and the children singing the songs at community concerts. The DVD also captures the spirit, inspiration, enthusiasm and talent of Ruby Hunter in her element. The DVD has been produced by documentary maker Lew Griffiths who has the experience of over 25 years of collaboration on Cape York and has produced numerous videos, documentaries and films. Lew travelled with and filmed the entire tour.
- The material will be used by teachers and parents for a broad range of uses in music classes, literacy programs, art projects, culture awareness programs, home sing alongs and social studies. .
Ruby’s Foundation is currently in advanced discussions with the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy to work with 4 schools on Cape York to integrate the song book within their cultural, literacy and music curriculums and to translate the songs and book into at least 12 Cape York Aboriginal languages. We see this as a pilot that will be encouraged to be duplicated in other schools and regions over time.
Project Background:
In 1997 Archie and Ruby toured for over six weeks to twelve remote Aboriginal communities throughout Cape York in far north Queensland running song writing workshops at schools. The workshops explored the themes of ‘Land and Health’ and they worked closely with the children creating songs about the world around them.
Years later this gave Ruby the idea to write more songs about children living in the suburbs and the cities. Ruby loved children and thrived when working with them. She was passionate about encouraging young Aboriginal children to believe in themselves and to follow their dreams no matter what.
The album comes in a songbook, illustrated by Ruby, with an accompanying documentary of Ruby and Archie’s tour of Cape York working with the children.
“The children’s songs tell of both remote and city lifestyles. They are about what the children see and experience in their everyday lives; in the forests, gardens, about shells on the shore and having toast and tea,” Ruby said. I get inspiration from my grandchildren and nephews and nieces, when we go out and about we pick up ideas. It is the children’s imagination that has inspired these songs”.
We are aiming for a national release of “Butcher Paper, Texta, Blackboard and Chalk” in July 2012.
The Legacy.
Proceeds from this project will form the grant base for Ruby’s Foundation. Any contribution to this project will therefore also support the broader aims of the foundation.
Ruby Hunter, a proud Ngarrindjeri woman from South Australia, was a pioneering Aboriginal singer-songwriter and the first Aboriginal woman in the country to sign a major recording deal in the early 1990’s. She went on to release three albums.
Ruby passed last year, aged 55, in the arms of her partner, soul mate and musical collaborator, Archie Roach. She was a powerful voice for the Stolen Generations, domestic violence and Aboriginal women and is often cited by other musicians as a source of inspiration.
To honor Ruby’s commitment to her culture and her people and to continue her legacy Archie and family have established Ruby’s Foundation in her memory. The foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for Aboriginal people through the promotion, celebration, and support of Aboriginal arts and culture and will have a strong focus on children, women and the importance of country in healing.
“Ruby loved working with children and wanted to reinforce the importance of country, place and culture to the health of our young people. She also wanted to see more balance for indigenous women in the arts,” Archie said.
Funding Requirements
So far the project has been generously supported by the Ian Thorpe Fountain for Youth, the Indigenous Literacy Project, Ruby’s Foundation, One Day Hill and by a number of skilled people who have generously donated their time and skills to ensure this project is realized. The project is on a strict timeline due to production and publishing deadlines with a July 2012 release.
To complete the project we require a further $51 500.00.
- By the end of January 2012 we require $20,000 to complete the DVD production
- By the end of March 2012 we require $31,500 to finalise project
- Marketing campaign $10,000
- Final producer and engineer payments $8,000
- To Engage a publicist and website developer $8,000
- Coordination and administration $5,500
For further information visit www.archieroach.com.au