Wed 11 Aug 2021 - Sat 30 Jul 2022
Duniya Behter: Creating a better world together.
Duniya Behter shifts the mainstream narrative about people with migrant and refugee backgrounds, from vulnerable to capable. Women and young people in Bendigo and Shepparton drew from their cultural roots, to build creative businesses and produce new digital creative works.
The name, Duniya Behter, emerged from conversations with young Cultural Facilitators employed to work on this project and it speaks to the spirit and intention of MAV’s regional Victoria program. It is a reflection of some of the cultures in Bendigo and Shepparton where the project is based.
Duniya means the world in Arabic, Hindi and it’s also found in the languages of Swahili, Hazaragi, Urdu and Persian, where it holds a similar meaning. Behter means better but working together to make better.
The project began in June 2021 amidst increasing racism during the Covid pandemic and was completed in April 2022.
Point of Difference Studios was the delivery partner in Shepparton. 6 new team members under 25 were employed and 5 other new staff were recruited along with 2 artistic mentors.
30 women were involved in establishing 15 creative and cultural businesses and did training in business skills and online marketing. 55 young people from CALD communities, participated in creative digital workshops in person and online and you can view the 21 commission recipients work here.
Duniya Behter is supported by the Victorian Government through the Priority Response to Multicultural Communities during Coronavirus (PRMC) program.
Duniya Behter is delivered in partnership with Point of Difference Studios.