In a world where Black Lives Matter, our own Blak lives weren’t mattering. In fact, Australians remained relatively unmoved by the harrowing statistics of our Indigenous youth. Whilst making up only 6% of our youth population, they account for 49% of juvenile detainees. This is the highest incarceration rate on earth. Compared to non-indigenous youth, they’re:

• 2x likely to experience high levels of psychological distress.

• 3x more likely to suicide.

• 70% more likely to experience discrimination.

In response, we launched We Are Warriors on January 26, 2022, intentionally subverting the day’s contentious legacy and reclaiming it for Indigenous Australians. The Indigenous-owned social enterprise spotlights Blak excellence so the next generation can see it to be it. It has quickly gained momentum, achieving significant cultural and community visibility. As the social enterprise approached its first birthday, we needed to maintain that positive energy.

Australia Day is observed annually on 26 January as the official national day of Australia. It marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet in New South Wales.

But it is also Australia’s most polarising date. No one knows this better than Yuin rapper, producer and radio host, Nooky. Known as both ‘Invasion Day’ and ‘Survival Day’, the date serves as a reminder to First Nations people of the invasion of lands they had occupied for millennia, as well as the genocide and generations of oppression that followed.

The removal of “C” in the spelling of “Blak” is a response to a harmful history of a derogatory term beginning with that letter being used as a slur against Indigenous Australians.

We came up with an ambitious idea. A takeover of one of Australia’s iconic museums – The Powerhouse Ultimo. But we only had six weeks to make it a reality.

The raw truth is, historically, most organisations are focused on attempting to change how non-Indigenous Australians see Indigenous youth. But real change starts from the inside. WAW is changing how Indigenous youth see themselves; making Indigenous success more visible; so they can see it to be it.

Enter the Blak Powerhouse – a free, all-ages event of art, photography, music, dance, panel discussions, and premiere of documentary film, Through the Fire. On January 26, 2023, We Are Warriors took over the Powerhouse. By decolonising a historically white colonial space, we transformed one of Australia’s oldest museums into a House of Blak Power.

We Are Warriors’ graphic system uses the sun of the Aboriginal flag to spotlight Blak excellence. This came to life everywhere at Blak Powerhouse – from stage design featuring a huge yellow sun framing Warriors as they performed, to yellow wayfinding dots to guide people’s journey. The block colours of the brand create a safe space for the community, changing the meaning and feeling of January 26.

The event opened with a traditional welcome by Muggera. Inside, guests enjoyed visual art from DeadFace, Coffin Birth, and Luke Currie-Richardson. Musical acts DJ Latifa Teeto, Nooky, Barkaa and Kobie Dee performed, as packed crowds waved their arms in unison under the permanent installations of historic planes – a striking juxtaposition.

The cinema premiered Through the Fire, a documentary telling the story of WAW, while mirroring the narrative of the Australian native black cockatoo, which survived a fire and emerged black and stronger.

With more than 6,000 attendees, Powerhouse museum will now hold Blak Powerhouse annually and intends to make We Are Warriors part of its future plans, expressing interest in acquiring content and materials featured at the event for its permanent collection.

Blak Powerhouse earned the advertising equivalent value of AU$800k in media coverage. Leading brands including Adobe, JD Sports and TikTok have joined the movement.

Merchandise sales, sponsorships and grants continue to go towards generating content and funding mentoring programs, so that Indigenous kids will have access to fresh Blak excellence, and see it to be it.

One Indigenous Blak Powerhouse attendee put it simply, “WAW has given us our power back.”

But we know the extent of our impact is only set to grow, as we continually look for new and innovative ways to forge connections, create safe spaces, and reframe the narrative for young Indigenous people.