Join Josh Pyke and Justine Clarke in 2024 to Preserve Indigenous Language in Australia: How Every School Student Can Make a Difference through Busking for Change

Primary school students across Australia are set to unite in song for a cause that supports literacy in remote Indigenous communities. Busking for Change 2024, a musical fundraiser organized by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), aims to raise vital funds to help Indigenous communities access and create books in their native languages.

The initiative, created by ARIA award-winner and ILF ambassador Josh Pyke, invites primary schools nationwide to participate by learning and performing a song in a First Nations language. The 2024 song, Shordi Krik, was written in English and Kriol by the students of Barunga Remote Community School in the Northern Territory in collaboration with ILF ambassador Justine Clarke.

Ms. Clarke, who has a long-standing relationship with the Barunga community, expressed her excitement about the project, stating that the song was based on a poem written by the students about their experiences at a local swimming hole. She emphasized the importance of the song in connecting with kids in remote communities and promoting pride in Indigenous languages.

Busking for Change 2023 saw 84 schools participating and raising over $81,000. For 2024, the goal is even more ambitious, with a target of 115 schools and $110,000 in donations. These funds will support the ILF’s Community Publishing program, empowering communities to write and illustrate their stories in their native languages.

Cindy Manfong, editor of the ILF Publishing Projects and a former student of Barunga Remote Community School, highlighted the impact of the ILF in preserving Indigenous languages and cultural narratives. She shared her personal experience of not seeing books in Indigenous languages growing up and emphasized the importance of initiatives like Busking for Change in promoting cultural identity.

The fundraiser will kick off in week one of Term 3, culminating in performances on Indigenous Literacy Day on Wednesday, September 4. Schools raising $50 or more will receive a Busking for Change book pack, featuring bilingual children’s books. Additional prizes will be awarded to schools that raise the most funds, with special categories for small schools and a prize draw.

With the support of schools nationwide, Busking for Change 2024 aims to make a meaningful impact on literacy in remote Indigenous communities and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Australia’s First Nations peoples.