The ACMF believe in using music an outlet that allows troubled youth in detention to express themselves in a positive way. Our music programs encourage them to engage with each other and their teachers in a co-operative, creative environment that will enhance their self-esteem and their ability to make a positive contribution to society.
We hold weekly programs in detention centres across Australia, mentoring young men and women and expanding their opportunities, confidence and resilience through the magic of music. Because our class-sizes are small, the effect of our mentoring programs is powerful, making a significant impact on the well-being of young men and women.
ACMF Juvenile Justice Centre music sessions:
- Reduce aggression
- Reduce self-harm
- Reduce violence
- Reduce negativity
- Enhance creative expression
- Build self-esteem
Young men and women in detention are taught many different aspects of musical expression and are mentored in creative activities, including song-writing, performance and recording. These skills provide detainees with significantly increased opportunities to engage meaningfully in the community post release. There have been detainees who have taken part in our programs who after release have enrolled in training programs for the music industry, such as audio engineering, or have continued their music making as a form of self-expression.
We give these young people the chance to look at the world through different eyes. The life they have been living, is not the only path to take. Through our music programs, we give them the creativity and imagination to make a better life for themselves – to create a future, far brighter than their past.