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2019 National Youth Week is celebrated from 10th to18th April with the theme: Coming Together to Connect, Share, Speak Out & Celebrate.

The NSW Government has invited all Local Councils to jointly fund Youth Week activities in their area. As part of their funding agreement with the NSW Government, Councils agree to involve young people in all aspects of Youth Week, including the planning, development and management of activities.

Youth Week began as a NSW Government initiative in 1989, and has since grown to be a celebration of young people in every state and territory across the country. It is organised by young people, for young people, in communities across NSW and Australia. Following the success of the NSW Youth Week program, Youth Week became a National event in 2000. National Youth Week is jointly supported by the Australian Government, State and Territory Governments and Local Governments.

Youth Week is an opportunity for young people to express their ideas and views, act on issues that affect their lives, and create and enjoy activities and events. Young people are involved in planning and organising activities and events such as forums, debates, photography exhibitions, fitness activities, writing competitions, hip hop dance classes and concerts. Last year more than 100,000 young people participated in more than 900 local activities and events across NSW.

Youth Week is managed at a state level by the Youth Week Coordinator (located in the Youth Strategy and Participation Unit, Participation and Inclusion, Department of Family and Community Services) in conjunction with the NSW Youth Week Committee. The Committee is responsible for providing advice on the management and operation of Youth Week in NSW.

Sutherland Shire Council is delivering a full program of events for 2019 National Youth Week. 

“We have once again worked closely with community organisations and local businesses to bring an exciting range of events together to celebrate Youth Week and I hope a lot of young people get involved,” said Sutherland Shire Mayor, Carmelo Pesce.

Youth Week is an opportunity for young people to express their ideas, act on issues that affect their lives, create activities and enjoy events. For this year’s program, Sutherland Shire Council will be working in collaboration with Cronulla Surfing Academy, Project Youth, Engadine District Youth Services, headspace Miranda, Play Safe, Skateboard NSW, Belong INC, GU Filmhouse Cronulla, Georges River Council, Bayside Council and Shopfront Arts Co-op.

 “National Youth Week is our chance to showcase the talent and diversity of the exceptional young people from the Sutherland Shire and celebrate the positive contribution they make to our community,” Mayor Pesce said.

The main event ‘Beach to the Burbs’ is back for its third year, on Saturday 13th April and is delivered by Sutherland Shire Council and Project Youth.

The free all-ages music festival will be bigger than ever with some of the best local bands signed up to perform, including Nerdlinger, Lee Monro, Zeadala, Elliott Road, Crystal, Dial Tone, Caoirne Wood, Madame Wu, Daniel Dempsey, The Maveriq, Major A, Taryn and Essence. 

For the full program of events and activities go to www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/youthweek

Each year City of Parramatta Council works in partnership with stakeholders (young people, service providers, schools, business) and provides support to local Youth Week projects and initiatives by resourcing the planning, development and evaluation of activities and events.
Young people in Parramatta have identified the following as on-going concerns for them:

• Youth homelessness
• Employment
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
• LGBTQI equality
• Equality for people with disability
• Discrimination & Racism
•  Access to accurate and timely information

The City of Parramatta will launch a new augmented reality (AR) mural, host a series of youth workshops and performances, and run a writing competition to celebrate Youth Week in NSW.

The celebrations will kick off on Friday 12th April with Council and Youth Action’s unveiling of a 24-metre long mural in Rivoli Way.

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson said the mural had added a great vibrancy to the lane and was a great way to highlight the stories of our younger generation, commenting "Council is committed to building a City that welcomes people of all ages. This mural has brightened the lane, and made it an interactive destination. It reflects the vitality of both our young people and the region."

The mural titled ‘Beyond Stereotypes’, a collaboration between City of Parramatta Council and Youth Action, features the faces of seven young women from Western Sydney, and comes alive with text and video after users download a smartphone app.

Youth Action Chief Executive Katie Acheson said young people made the community thrive in Western Sydney, adding "young people are at the forefront of changing stereotypes in the region and acting to make an equitable society. This mural is the embodiment of their vision for their community and the Western Sydney they are a part of.”

Conceived as part of a two-year project by NSW’s Youth Action – a peak body supporting 1.4 million young people across the state – the mural became a reality with Council’s support and was painted by street artist Inovis.

Created in October last year to coincide with the City’s Parramatta Lanes festival, the mural’s AR app will be unveiled at Friday’s launch. Council’s contribution to the mural was made possible through a grant provided by the NSW Attorney General’s Department.
People can bring the mural alive by downloading the Beyond Stereotypes app and pointing the phone at the women’s faces. Audio and text about people, place, culture and community in Western Sydney then appear on the phone’s screen. The app also links to Youth Action’s Beyond Stereotypes report, City of Parramatta’s Discover Parramatta website, and local youth services.

Imagine Room Founder Paul Willey, whose company developed the app, said he was honoured to bring the mural to life, adding “rarely has there been a more important time to tell stories of inclusion and diversity. AR is the perfect medium to amplify this, giving an immersive and engaged voice to the next generation of community leaders.”

Maitland City Council is also supporting a number of events across the city through the Maitland Youth Week Grant Program, which offers small grants of up to $1,000 for individual organisations and up to $3,000 for larger events organised by multiple organisations working collaboratively. This year, Maitland has a full line up of events planned which can be viewed here

To celebrate Youth Week on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, events range from the arts to fitness and include art exhibitions, poetry workshops, boxing for youth, bubble soccer, musical festivals, skatepark safaris, basketball, and design competitions. 

Click here for list of 2019 Youth Week events organised for Northern Beaches.

Information about National Youth Week projects in New South Wales including a list of local community events and activities can be found at the Youth Week website. www.youthweek.nsw.gov.au/

Image top: Sutherland Shire Council skateboard workshops

Images above: a time for youth to discuss issues; detail Blake Beveridge, Head first (St Paul's College, Manly); a significant annual curated exhibition of artworks by HSC Visual Arts students from the 20 high schools across Sydney’s Northern Beaches region; as part of National Youth Week celebrations PCYC Northern Beaches will be hosting free come-and-try boxing classes for young people.

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