Young people from Beswick are creating their own healthy food anthem to help combat the incidence of chronic diseases in their community and spread the good tucker message.

The Jimmy Little Foundation is converging on Wulgularr School on 16, 17 and 18 August for the first-ever Thumbs Up! nutrition workshop in the community.

Being held as part of the Wakakirri Outback Program, the jam-packed days will engage hundreds of young people in new media opportunities with short films and a music film clip being produced to promote healthy living.

This is the third year Wakakirri Outback Festival has visited the area and the first time it has partnered with The Jimmy Little Foundation and Thumbs Up!

Professional filmmakers teach students how to shoot, star in and edit their own film while Indigenous hip hop stars Ebony “Ebsta” Williams and Mark “Munkimuk” Ross take students through the process of writing, recording and filming their own healthy food song.

The Thumbs Up! nutrition program aims to help change children’s eating habits, pointing them towards healthy food and drink choices. The program will also serve to back up the Chronic Disease Prevention Program being run in Beswick by Sunrise Health.

“We’re expecting a great range of talent from students participating in the Thumbs Up! workshop and a really positive and creative song to come out of the workshop days,”

Miss Williams said.

“These young people see chronic disease, especially Type 2 diabetes, in their community every day.

“This is their opportunity to have their voice heard in the fight towards reducing that alarming statistic of around 80% of Territorians who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders having a chronic disease.”

The Wakakirri Outback Program gives students and their communities from remote and regional areas of Australia the opportunity to participate in a festival, celebrating their community and culture.

Former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and long-time Wakakirri patron, Tom Calma said the Wakakirri Outback Program is tremendously valuable to the lives of Indigenous children in remote areas.

“Because of its focus on sustainable living and the opportunity it provides these children to share their stories and experiences with not only one another, but with their community and many other communities around Australia,” Mr Calma said.

The week will culminate in a giant festival day at Barunga Sport and Rec Hall with young people from Barunga, Bulman, Jilkminggan, Matanranka and Beswick getting involved in healthy living, artistic, hip hop and singing workshops.

The festival day will showcase the talents of the local community with live performances, a free lunch and the first public showing of films and songs created during the week.

Paul Amarant from Roper Gulf Shire, Sport and Recreation Services is looking forward to the festival returning to the area for the third time.

“This festival is a fantastic event for the Barunga Community and the schools in the region that are involved. I am looking forward to another well-organized and successful event,” he said.