Community Stories with Sumaya
This commissioned piece is part of the Shelter 2: Community Stories series written by North Melbourne tower residents. It offers intimate perspectives on the hard lockdown, life in the towers, and the resilience of young people navigating this unprecedented experience. Hero image by Haniyah Abdou Said.
I created this recording because during the hard lockdown we weren’t notified and only had one hour’s notice before our freedom was taken away.
No time to prepare. We didn’t have enough food to eat at home and it made us feel like we were in prison. I want other people to know what it was like for us during this time and how it affected our mental health and our wellbeing.
Following the announcement of the Shelter 2 commissions program, MAV worked with North Melbourne tower residents Reem Yehdego and Barry Berih, to host several online info sessions. These sessions created a safe space for residents to connect and talk about the arts, about their experiences of the lockdown, about life in the towers in general. They generated particular interest amongst young people from the community who led some lively discussions and sharing of stories, experiences and reflections on the hard lockdown.
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