Over the past two years, Topology has developed relationships with Logan’s creative and cultural leaders, drawing on their knowledge and insights to deliver the city’s first Creative Bootcamp at the iconic Kingston Butter Factory.
Introduction
Logan Creative Bootcamp brought together the expert cohort of Topology Tutors with respected artists who have undertaken a broad scope of work locally, interstate, and internationally. John Babbage, Jade Montgomery and Lucas Montgomery took lead on the creative composition and songwriting, while production staff, Brett Cheney and Dan Endicott instructed young people on lighting and sound production. Joining them was Samoan High Chief and music mentor, Taitu’uga Wesche, respected youth worker and REKON Youth founder, Rolando Pisia and international dance tutor and choreographer, Mariah Pelesa from District 41/The 4114 Collective.
All mentors brought with them a deep understanding of the landscape of this diverse region, which ultimately resulted in genuine connections and significant growth for the young people across the week. The first two days of the bootcamp included both group sessions and individual time with tutors. Participants were encouraged to explore composition, singing, songwriting, dancing, and digital composition, implementing specialised feedback. The next two days were spent storyboarding and refining their pieces ready for professional filming and recording, which took place over the last day and a half.
Reflecting on the process and the participants, Taitu’uga said, the young people came from all walks of life, but despite being cautious to start, they were ready to find a way to express themselves through dance and song. “Over the week, they really came out of their shell. The individual time I spent with each participant helped them find their voices. It was a powerful thing to be a part of.”
The positive role models, in combination with the engaging, no pressure environment contributed to an environment that nurtured participants’ creative potential, fostering a sense of belief in themselves
Project Achievements/Impacts/Outcomes
In alignment with Topology’s Creative Communities Strategy, the tutors acted as a conduit for creative exploration, led by the participants’ skills and interests. This approach proved effective in facilitating courageous experimentation, breaking down barriers for respectful collaboration between peers. “I went into the bootcamp expecting to learn more about the guitar – as I have played a bit,” bootcamp participant Jacob Nuske shared. “But as things progressed, I decided I wanted to learn more about the AV/tech side and the behind the scenes of what goes into the production. I enjoyed this more and they’re skills I can use more at school and church. I would love to do more of that next year.”
Alia Bonner was encouraged to enrol by her mother, so was unsure what she would gain from the bootcamp. She connected with another young woman early in the week, and over the five days they wrote lyrics, composed and sang their song together, performing it together on the final day. This was Alia’s first experience singing and the experience has boosted her confidence.
“Since the Bootcamp, Alia has become involved in her school choir, enrolled in private vocal coaching, and has recently performed in her first solo vocal performance,” Alia’s mother, Laura told us.
Having music mentors who are also cultural leaders and youth workers present for the Bootcamp, ensured all participants felt safe, regardless of their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Rolando Pisia brought four at-risk teens, who wrote and recorded their own songs, one of which became the soundtrack for the hip hop performance. Topology’s commitment to ensuring everyone has equitable opportunities to access professional mentoring allows everyone to embody their creative potential. “I usually don’t like hip hop, but Mariah made learning the choreography fun. It was a great experience and so worth it,” Tamar reflected.
At the end of the bootcamp, each participant was professionally filmed and recorded, capturing their creativity in high-quality audio and video. They walked out with a tangible record of their creativity and hard work for their portfolio or learning journey.
Bootcamp Outcomes
There were 7 new, original works composed by the students in collaboration with Topology:
- Michael – composed/performed his own rap
- Ari Grace – composed/performed her own song
- Alia & Tiffany – composed/performed their own song
- Cheyanne & Tamar – composed/performed their own song and dance
- Lucas and Faris – composed/performed their own song
- Kaliyah – composed/performed her own song
- Tyrese – composed/recorded two of his own songs – one of which became the soundtrack to Keira and Tamar’s dance
- Keira & Tamar – choreographed/performed their own hip-hop dance routine
- Jacob – learned the technical side of lighting and sound production to support the performances
Outcomes post bootcamp
- Michael has engaged a local sound producer (Wheatley Street Productions) to record his own music
- Alia has completed 12 weeks of vocal tuition and solo performance
