Aboriginal imagination

: Aboriginal new media artists promoting health education

Abstract

The project Aboriginal Imagination is a research project that aims to encourage Aboriginal artists to find ways to work with communication technologies to help improve Aboriginal health and education. My thesis argues that Aboriginal people must take advantage of current and future developments in new media art and multimedia technologies. The project Aboriginal Imagination provides an example of how it is possible for technology and culture to come together and be used for educational purposes to reach Indigenous audiences. The interactive DVD Aboriginal Imagination is a model of how the knowledge of Aboriginal elders, vision and skills of Indigenous new media artists may be bought together to design and produce culturally appropriate educational materials. Aboriginal people have vital knowledge and skills that must be encouraged and put to use back in their communities. The project highlights the importance of Aboriginal people taking control of their health and of the design, production and dissemination of health education materials. The focus of my thesis and multimedia DVD is the kidney function story that is designed to be meaningful to Aboriginal renal patients and their families.

Date of Award	Jul 2004
Original language	English
Supervisor	Kerin Maureen Coulehan (Supervisor) & Chris White (Supervisor)