Ngapartji Ngapartji: the consequences of kindness

Founded in 1992, Big hART is an award winning arts company that uses diverse arts, media, and creative processes to support groups and communities who are struggling with social problems or other challenges. This report evaluates their Ngapartji Ngapartji project, which operated from 2005 to 2010 with Pitjantjatjara people living in town camps near Alice Springs, Northern Territory, and various remote communities through the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yunjtjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in South Australia. Funded through a broader crime prevention program, the project aimed to promote: community development, literacy, the Pitjantjatjara language, personal development, intergenerational relations, and interaction between Anangu and non- Anangu people across the country - as well as offering art and performance to people who live in regional and remote central Australia. The report explains the background of the project and the evaluation study; reviews the outcomes of the project for crime prevention, literacy, language development, and community development; and considers the lessons learned for youth work and community development.