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The Australian Edition 2WED 13 FEB 2002, Page 004 Seeking the first black face on Ramsay St By Sarah Bryden-Brown TEAMS of youth workers are about to begin scouring the streets of Sydney at the start of a project that could culminate in an Aboriginal family moving into Ramsay Street on television's Neighbours. The South Sydney Council program, designed to address the under-representation of Aborigines in film and television, will involve youth workers signing up potential indigenous stars to be offered to casting agencies. Even before the program's launch, staff at the Fact Tree Youth Service in inner-city Waterloo yesterday drove a dozen Aboriginal children to the casting for a Westpac bank commercial. Another community services officer was dispatched to Redfern's Block area to try to find men interested in appearing in the commercial, and an Aboriginal woman made $300 for a voice-over for ABC Television's Four Corners. A producer at Four Corners had telephoned South Sydney Council because casting agencies did not have the sort of woman she wanted. Cindi Petersen, who is co-ordinating the campaign to get more Aborigines on the big and small screens, said the aim was to give Aboriginal and disadvantaged children self-confidence. ``These kids don't have the confidence to realise it is a potential option for them as work, nor the money for head-and-shoulder shots and what you need to get agency work,'' she said. Fact Tree's executive officer Sharne Dunsmore said it was important that casting agents understand the cultural sensitivities of working with Aboriginal people. ``They will be shy and intimidated, so this is where the skills of the casting agencies need to come in by understanding who they are dealing with and how to boost their confidence in an audition,'' she said. The program protects the uninitiated by making the youth service the contact point for agents. ``I did it that way so the young person has the support of the youth service to organise auditions and also to get them there,'' said Ms Petersen. Ms Dunsmore said: ``Having us be their port of call will make it easier for them so they don't have to give out their details. Some don't have home telephones and others don't have homes. We will also take them there, which is another obstacle for them, actually getting to the castings and on time.'' Ms Petersen said the program could also help in opening bank accounts and obtaining birth certificates and tax file numbers. Caption: Starry-eyed: Aboriginal children prepare to audition for a Westpac ad in Sydney yesterday Picture: Alan Pryke Illus: Photo Section: LOCAL © News Limited. All rights reserved. You may read this article on-screen or print it once for your own personal use. You may not make further copies, forward it by email, post it on an internet or intranet site or make any other use of it without written permission from us at newstext@newsltd.com.au |