ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
As the national broadcaster, the ABC exists to be educators and entertainers, for all Australians. When they came to Carbon to help create a new Acknowledgement of Country video that would do both of the above, we couldn’t wait to be a part of it.
The brief
The ABC had been using an existing Acknowledgement of Country animation created for ABC Kids for some time, but were keen to create a fresh offering that appealed more broadly to both children and adults across all of their platforms.
The good
The ABC is all about sharing stories. Wherever you live, language and stories connect us as individuals and communities. So we decided to create a unique Acknowledgement of Country video that celebrates this connection.
We did this by creating an acknowledgement that features some of the different First Nations languages — Central Arrernte, Yumplatok, Yawuru and Pitjantjatjara — and an animated representation of a songline that weaves together people and Country.
Prior to colonisation, First Nations Australians spoke 250 languages and hundreds of dialects. Today 150 remain with more over time, being awoken from slumber and slowly restored. By featuring just a small sample of these languages in this video, we acknowledge and celebrate the resilience of all First Nations people.
Songlines, meanwhile, have been a part of First Nations cultures since time immemorial, carrying Lore and stories that First Nations people live by. By visually representing a songline as an animation (illustrated by Kabi Kabi/South Sea Islander artist, Maggie-Jean Douglas), the acknowledgement connects First Nations people, Country and culture across the continent in a celebration of the oldest living culture — a respectful acknowledgement and celebration of the past, present and future.
The impact
This new Acknowledgement of Country video is now being beamed into homes, computers, phones and boardrooms across the nation, providing an ongoing and joyous celebration of First Nations people and culture to all Australians.
