"I’m a firm believer in how the universe provides, it’s just that we need to learn to listen and observe the signs."
Deadly Story welcomes Sermsah Bin Saad, LGBTQIA Inclusive Practice Project Officer at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA).
From where I’m from in the Kimberlys, we follow this template called ‘Liyan’ which is about letting go of your head and heart and trusting your gut, your instinctual knowledge and not to question the impulse as this is usually your first initial response to a situation or a moment per’se.
You see my role is the LGBTIQA+ Inclusivity Project Officer here at VACCA and my duties are to create a safe and inclusive space for those who identify under the Rainbow umbrella and develop ways to improve the quality of care and services for our consumers, staff and volunteers.
I was at a stage where I wanted to design a logo for our Working Inclusivity Group and I was needing a symbolic design that would represent inclusivity and equity in diversity, but I had a serious creative block and felt quite stagnant. At the same time I met with Maddie Anderson Ward from the Koorie Children & Youth Programme who works alongside team leader Sarah Diplock, whom I worked with several years back on a dance project with some of her incredible students, and as we were getting acquainted we also discussed my role here which then led to the topic of a particular individual who identifies and who had recently created a shield piece that had the symbols of the LGBTIQA+ initialism and their own personal story.
When I saw this particular artwork I was completely blown away as it basically had everything that I was trying to express into my own design but with their own unique narrative and cultural connection which made it just that little bit more extra special.
“Artists paint the world that people see, singers sing the world that people hear, and actors re-enact the world that people want to be in. Life is not something that you see alone. The LGBTIQA+ community is a good community, it’s who we are and no matter who you are or what your identity we all need to look at working together and just get along without discrimination. It makes me sad when people have only one view and don’t see the world through another. We can be better if we work together” - Sab Connelly-Carpenter
We then arranged for a meeting with Sarah and Sab Connelly-Carpenter, the artist whom I had the honour to meet with at the Youth Art Programme and with their permission, our logo was born and we now have ourselves a strong depiction through an incredible design that speaks volumes for those who don’t normally have a say in today’s world without being discriminated against.
Sab is an incredibly intelligent human being who is only sixteen years of age and who is going through their own journey of a physical and spiritual transition with the message of hope and inclusivity in everything that they say and do. Now, Sab’s work is commissioned and ready to be implemented into VACCA as a step forward to the Rainbow Tick Accreditation.
Now who says the universe doesn’t provide?
“This is just a small example of the benefits behind a particular programme that has created a wonderful platform for Sab to express their cultural upbringing and identity with purpose and impeccable timing for a such a worthy cause for VACCA” - Sarah Diplock
