From rap to hip hop, reggae to rock and roll, music is being used to help young people re-engage with education at Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
The Minister for Corrective Services joined the Department of Justice Director General and Corrective Services Commissioner to officially open a purpose-built recording studio at the youth detention centre.
The former workshop was transformed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of creating an inviting place for young detainees to learn through music.
Director General, Dr Adam Tomison commended the education staff at Banksia Hill for harnessing opportunity as it arose.
"Music education has proven successes in youth detention, and it's fantastic to see the staff here turning a potential problem, like COVID, into an opportunity," Dr Tomison said.
Detainees are encouraged to tune into their creativity, and incidentally improve their literacy, build confidence and increase their interpersonal skills.
Corrective Services Commissioner, Tony Hassall said the music programs had already had a positive effect in the centre.
"Young people who were previously not interested in their education are asking for dictionaries to take back to their rooms to improve their song writing, others are participating in extra literacy intervention classes," Commissioner Hassall said.
"For those detainees who are in literacy support programs, we’ve seen a 73.3 percent overall improvement since the introduction of Hip Hop 101."
The program, run by Perth based rapper and MC from Australian hip hop group Downsyde, Optamus gives the young people an opportunity to write and produce their own songs by tapping into their experiences.
Many of the detainees in Hip Hop 101 have already shown increased willingness and motivation in school work with their regular classroom teacher.
