Budding stars take talent to the Alice

Two young Roebourne girls visited Alice Springs at the end of last month to present at the Same But Different conference.

The artist forum focused on experimentation and innovation in desert arts emerging from the central and western deserts.

Alison Lockyer and Layla Walker presented techniques they had learnt and used through the making of interactive comic Neomad Episode 2: The Last Crystal.

Both girls are stars of Yijala Yala Project’s latest episode from their popular Neomad interactive comic.

The Yijala Yala Project works with the Roebourne community through various mediums, including theatre, music, dance and film-making.

While the first episode of Neomad featured boys as Love Punks, the second episode will feature girls in the form of the Satellite Sisters.

Neomad comic includes more than 60 full-colour pages, interactivity, animation, music, sound effects, audio narration and more — largely completed by primary school-aged children with the help and support of Yijala Yala professionals.

The story, set at Murujuga (the Burrup Peninsula), features traditional history and stories of the local indigenous people.

Yijala Yala Project co-ordinator Stu Campbell worked with 30 young people to apply a complex colouring system to more than 200 scenes in Neomad.

Mr Campbell said that at the community launch of Neomad Episode 1, the popularity of the project had become so strong they felt the need to include young girls along with young boys in future episodes.