About the project
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A few years ago, the project archivist wanted to document the history of her community after realising her father was one of the first refugees that arrived in 1984 from the Horn. She happened to meet a few others from other Horner communities who felt the same and so this project was born.
The crossroads archive is an online digital catalogue that holds documents, newspaper articles, photographs and interviews of the refugees that arrived 1984 (and 1985) capturing life and stories at the time. The project is ongoing to ensure that stories can continue to be collected as not all of the people that arrived in 1984 were reachable within the timeframe for this project.
Part of the project delivery is to engage artists from Horner communities to engage in a cross generational and cultural exchange with the arrivals in 1984 and 85. The exhibition showcases critical artworks that respond to the research findings, engaging with the experiences of displaced passengers and examining the political and social context surrounding the relocation of Horn of Africa (HoA) communities. The exhibition features digital work, visuals, and installations, offering a dynamic, reflective commentary on this journey.
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This project was created with and by the very community it represents. Countless hours have gone into interviewing, editing, capturing, scanning, collecting, creating, calling, and messaging—an immense collective effort to bring this project to life.
Permissions for use of materials are guided by our contributors. Community members will always maintain priority over how their stories are shared and accessed.
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You can upload your own images, recordings and interviews from home to add to the collection on the the ‘contribute an item’ page.
This project is an ongoing effort, and we have only just begun to uncover the depth of stories that need to be preserved. There are still many voices we hope to hear from so they are not fogotten. If you were part of the group that arrived in 1984 and we haven’t connected with you yet, please reach out to the archivist at 1984crossroads@gmail.com. It would be an honour to record your story.
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Still Nomads, formally a Melbourne based African Art Collective, is a creative research platform focused on Black African art in Australia. Still Nomad's projects include the showcase of African Artists in Melbourne at Arts House’s Festival of Live Arts, Next Stop Festival, and collaborating with Liquid Architecture, this mob, and the new wayfinders through art events. More recently, an exhibition of archival documentation for African history of independent radio broadcasting in Australia was held at West Space gallery.
On Archiving
This project draws inspiration from Kameelah Jana Rasheed, who blends artistic exploration with archival material focused on global Black histories and communities. You can learn more about her approach to archiving, research and re-imaginings here.
Archiving allows us to capture and preserve moments in time. It can be as simple as your Instagram posts, an old family photo album, or the box of videotapes and documents kept by your grandparents or parents from decades ago. Although anyone can archive, organising and making it accessible requires resources and an entire community of support.
In settler colonies like Australia, resources for archiving often remain exclusive to institutions. Communities deemed worthy by external standards may be granted funding to create archives that then allow us autonomy over our own narratives. Which is what it took for this project to be funded. It is always an independent and grassroots effort emerging within communities that allow us to collect, preserve, and share our histories outside mainstream archival institutions.
As Rasheed noted:
“In relation to imperialism and colonialism, where our first libraries, our first museums, our first archives, at least in the western world, come about as a way to collect information on people that are being conquered. It was a way to extend the arm of colonialism, beyond just the fiscal force..”
The more we document and connect, the more we can challenge imposed narratives. Our power lies not in aligning with the settler colony but in resisting and reshaping history on our own terms.
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Aysha Tufa
PROJECT LEAD, ARCHIVIST
Aysha Tufa is of Oromo and Turkish heritage, she is librarian and archivist who envisions a vibrant future for her community in the diaspora. She also runs community art programs and enjoys bringing people together, connecting creatives and community supporting cultural development. Her father was on the first flight in 1984 which is what drove her passion to create this project. She has a Master of Information Management and is the former the Senior Librarian for Access and Inclusion at State Library of Victoria. -
Guled Elyas
EXHIBITION CURATOR
Guled Elyas is an architecturally trained multi-disciplinary artist. From his studio “guled.archive”, Guled explores the connections and memories between people and their environment through architecture and research driven art, particularly the connection to context through a cultural and historical lens. Through abstract and documentation techniques Guled uses photography and videography heavily to critic and investigate. Born in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, Guled moved to Melbourne (Narrm/Birrarangga) where he currently calls home -
Yasmin Hassen
CULTURAL CONSULTANT & EXHIBITION LAUNCH PRODUCER
Yasmin commenced her doctoral studies at the NSC in February 2017. She holds a BA (Global), Post Graduate Diploma in European and International Studies as well as a Master of Arts by Research from Monash University and a Master of Diplomacy from ANU. Yasmin has professional and voluntary experience working in the delivery of programs and development of policies in the humanitarian, multicultural and multi-faith space. -
Sarah Said
RESEARCHER AND ASSISTANT ARCHIVIST
Based in Melbourne (Naarm), Sarah is an Eritrean-Australian multidisciplinary digital artist and storyteller. With a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Film Studies and over five years of experience in nonprofit communications, Sára brings together videography, editing, content creation, and writing to drive social impact. Whatever the medium, her creative work is driven by a dedication to building a more connected and empathetic world. -
Beaziyt Worcou
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
A graphic designer working within the art and cultural sector to produce various forms of printed matter. They have a particular interest in working with and for bla(c)k and First Nations cultural workers to publish work specific to these communities. -
Marisa Sposaro
BRAILLE TRANSLATOR
Marisa Sposaro is a radio broadcaster, writer and activtist. She is a presenter on the 3CR program Doin’ Time. Which is every Monday from 4-5pm. She loves her Akido dog Yumi, who is her constant companion.
Contributors and Thank yous
Contributors and Thank yous
Contributors
This project has been funded by Creative Australia and supported by RIMPA.
A Special thanks to all who volunteered their time and efforts in researching, interviewing, collecting, and contributing to the archive:
Ayan Shirwa, Agartu Dinegde, Sàra, Aysha Tufa, Tareke Habteselasi, Khadra Omar, Shangale Ali, Yasmin Hassen, Mohammed Badawi, and Said Mustafa.
And a heartfelt thank you to Sushil Gajwani from ACA Pacific for supporting and mentoring our team through the digitisation process and providing access to the scanners and technology that made this project possible. Our gratitude also goes to Anne Cornish and Peta Sweeney from Records and Information Management Practitioners Alliance (RIMPA) for guiding the team through the archival phase and connecting us with information management specialists, including Noela Bajjali, Ursula Stablum and Katrina Katelas.
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