Impact and Evidence
"At Corrugated Iron I believe I can achieve anything I put my mind to! "
Sammy, aged 14 years
Our alumni and colleagues understand, first hand, the value of participating in Corrugated Iron projects and training.
Daniel Cunningham
Performer, Producer, Director, Party Passport
"Corrugated Iron was instrumental to my development, not only as an artist but as a person. It gave me the foundation for professionalism that set me up for a career in the arts and entertainment industry and gave me a place where I felt welcome and valued in a crucial developmental stage in my life. It was also great fun!"
"It's like exercise for your soul": how participation in youth arts activities contributes to young people's well being. Gretchen Marie Ennis & Jane Tonkin
A retrospective narrative study that sought to understand not only what wellbeing benefits participants attributed to youth arts activity, but more specifically, how these outcomes occurred. The concept of liminality, within a spaces of wellbeing approach, is used as a framework to explore and understand participants' stories of their time at Corrugated Iron Youth Arts.
Benhur Helwend
Actor
"My name is Benhur Helwend and I’m a former Corrugated Iron kid. I wanted to let you know how much of a foundation Corro taught me. I followed my dreams of becoming an actor, graduated from NIDA in acting and I just wanted to share with you all that … I’ll be in a new TV series called Les Norton starring Rebel Wilson, David Wenham and Alex Bertrand. Thank you for the support a Darwin kid needed to follow his dreams!"
Eleni Roussous
ABC Journalist & Presenter
"Corrugated Iron was more than just a place to do drama. It became a space where I could get out of my comfort zone and be myself without feeling shamed or judged.
There’s no doubt my time at Corrugated Iron helped with my career in the media. The confidence and resilience learnt in those early years put me in good stead to handle performance work, deadlines and to be creative in my approach to storytelling.
My strong sense of self and willingness to work as a team are attributes I link back to my days at Corro."
Stephen Carleton
Playwright
Ella Watson Russell
Actor, Theatre-maker, Director, Drama Facilitator
"Corrugated Iron Youth Arts not only provides arts training and performing opportunities to young people but has positioned itself as a key producer and broker of opportunities for young people and the broader arts community in Darwin and beyond.
I grew up in the CIYA family, it's where I first learnt my acting craft and had the opportunity to perform, and it was these experiences as a child and teenager that encouraged me to pursue acting as a career. Later, after I had completed drama school in Melbourne, and had returned back to Darwin, CIYA offered me the opportunity to develop my teaching, producing, performing and theatre making skills. In other cities a singular focus is often required to explore these different areas of arts practice, but thanks to CIYA I was able to explore all of them in a supported environment.
When it came time for me to move on from Darwin CIYA provided me with introductions to Sydney creatives that have allowed me to continue my career here.
I am so grateful for the myriad of opportunities and support offered to me over the years by the organisation. The care and effort demonstrated by CIYA in my case I think truly reflects it's investment in it's young people and the broader arts community. Rather than being driven by the artistic agendas of key staff, the organisation is a responsive and truly generous in the way it serves it's community."
"Corrugated Iron plays a vital role in the NT arts ecology, frequently operating as the first point of encounter for young people and the performing arts in the Top End. I can point to dozens of artists with active arts careers across mediums – and across Australia – who got their start, and received encouragement and skills development at the right time in their lives with Corrugated Iron."
"The value of in-kind support cannot and must not ever be underestimated. In a small and isolated town like Darwin the worth of in-kind support can mean the difference between a new, aspiring and innovative Arts Organisation creating masterpieces for the local, National and International market and becoming unsustainable.
It was Gary Lang’s great fortune to be offered a space for his Northern Territory Dance Company to rehearse in from 2008 to 2010. Being provided with a space to call home in a town with limited suitable dance floors at a time when the company did not have the resources to hire expensive dance spaces, allowed our project-based company to evolve.
Since this time, Gary’s company has gone from strength to strength, most recently performing for the Japanese and Australian Prime Ministers, Marina Prior and collaborating with the West Australian Ballet Company and Deborah Cheetham in both Perth and Darwin to produce Milky Way – River of the Stars. A project which has been selected to become a case study for the Australia Council of the Arts, for exemplar cultural protocol."
Gary Lang
Northern Territory Dance Company
Aaron Lim
D*City Rockers
"Corrugated Iron and the space they provide was instrumental in the development of my professional career as a dancer and choreographer.
The community focused organisation provided a safe venue to me and my crew for nearly a decade. This allowed me to consistently train and hone my skills which allowed me to pursue dance as a career and transition to a full time touring artist.
In addition they continually supported the local breaking (breakdance) community by allowing us to teach and hold community events such as battle and jams. In turn engaging and nurturing the breaking scene which mainly consisting of young male teens. Corrugated Iron is a corner of the Darwin dance community."